BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU

I just finished reading 1984 by George Orwell the other day, and let me tell you, it is the perfect book for someone disillusioned by the partisan politics that are rampant today. Nevermind that it is an allegory for the direction in which the Communist Party in the Soviet Union was headed in the 1930's, because that is not the context in which I read the book. A few days after I finished it, Mark Dayton was sworn in as the first Democratic governor of the state of Minnesota in almost 20 years. Don't get me wrong-I don't mind at all that he is a Democrat, what I do mind is that his motivation, and what motivates all our elected officials seems to be favor in their party, rather than favor with their constituents. If you take the telescreens in 1984 to be analogous to modern journalists who follow politicians every move, then politicians are not free to think their own thoughts because THE PARTY will know about it. Pro-life Democrats are heavily criticized by other Democrats because they don't follow party lines. Anti-death penalty Republicans are chastised for being soft on crime. When a politician goes against the will of The Party, they are in a sense taken to the Ministry of Love and tortured until they agree with the party, or they are just never allowed to run for office via never receiving a party endorsement. Evidence of this is on talk radio. Sometimes I listen to conservative talk radio (for some laughs) and I've heard Rush Limbaugh say that compromise should not be an option and anyone who compromises is not a true Republican. He paints President Obama in the same light that Emmanuel Goldstein is painted in Orwell's book: as the ultimate enemy of the state. Other evidence of politicians being slaves to their party is Mark Dayton and president Obama*. Dayton wrote an editorial for the Star Tribune (that I'm having a really hard time finding now) where he outlined his plans as governor: tax the rich, feed the poor, maintain womens right to choose etc. blah blah blah. There was not an original idea in the whole thing. He just recycled the platform of the Democratic party and called it his campaign. Obama made himself look like a giant tool by coming to MN, endorsing Dayton and saying it was important that Democrats take back the governors mansion here. I was very disappointed with Obama because of that. Not because of a million other things I could choose from to be disappointed with him about, but because he made himself a tool for his party.
This is how bad partisan politics in the United States has become. Every politician, even president Obama, wants to satisfy their party so badly, that I wonder who is even in power. The terrifying conclusion that I came to is that we are a country of two kings who are at war with each other. The war they wage is for control of the government our founding fathers set up 230some years ago. The problem is that the two main parties have such a stranglehold on the general public. They use fear tactics and repetitive mantras (no new taxes! tax the rich!) to get the crowd mentality to take over. Some lyrics by Tool really sum it up: "Choices always were a problem for you/what you need is someone strong to guide you. Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow, what you need is someone strong to guide you." (Opiate, from their Opiate EP). I know I sound crazy, and that's why I try to keep my mouth shut about these things and just vote for goofy third party candidates. I proudly wasted my vote on Tom Horner in 2010. I would do that again.
As for the book 1984 by George Orwell, I enjoyed it a lot. Look what I took from it. What I most enjoyed was the level of detail in the book. It was very vividly described. Winston's fall from rebel to party loyalist was a little quick, but it still felt natural, and I'm sure in his place I would probably have done the same thing. I hadn't even finished reading this when I recommended it to people.


*I know I harp on Obama a lot, he's not a bad guy, and I even feel kind of bad for him. He came into office with so many good ideas and promises, and he hasn't been able to do a thing because of the oil spill and the wars and recessions. Between him and McCain in '08, I would have been satisfied with either, between Dayton and Emmer in '10, I fear an apocalypse either way.