December 12^th, 2009

It's George Orwell Week, 2009. It’s not a week “proclaimed” by the President as is “National School Lunch Week”, or “National Character Counts Week”. But it’s George Orwell Week to me.

George Orwell wrote the famous book "1984". Published in 1949, the book used fiction to predict that by 1984, government would be completely oppressive. In “1984”, for example, the government spies on everyone, everywhere, every day. This is accepted as business as usual. In the book, everyone has a TV that has both a picture tube and a camera. People know about the camera, but they never know when they are being watched, and when not.

You get the picture.

Which brings us to Orwell’s Three Party Slogans.

In "1984", those in power promote 3 beliefs, or “Party Slogans” that represent important “truths” that no one must doubt:

	Ignorance is Strength
	War is Peace
	Freedom is Slavery

The brilliance of Orwell’s “slogans” was his suggestion that real-world political systems (including the politically-connected media) work to promote these backward thoughts. Quite recently, we saw numerous examples of them doing exactly this.

Let's have a look:

Slogan 1: Ignorance is Strength

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, is now telling us that the secrecy of his organization’s activities is key to our financial strength – as if we have financial strength under this system.

According to Bernanke, if everyone could see exactly what they do - or even see what they have done in months past, the Federal Reserve wouldn’t be able to continue doing the great job they’ve been doing.

What he’s really saying, is that ignorance is strength.

On the other hand, Congressman Ron Paul wants the Federal Reserve to be subjected to a full audit. No more secrecy. Open the books.

Should we remain ignorant? Trust the government insiders? Or should we open up their books?

I humbly suggest that secrecy at the Federal Reserve is a license for them to rip us off.

I humbly suggest that governments should not operate secretly, since they force us to accept their decisions, unlike businesses we may choose to avoid.

I humbly suggest that ignorance is not strength, and that we should audit the Federal Reserve.

Slogan 2: War is Peace

Also in the news, we heard that even as he prepared to accept his Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama deployed additional troops to "finish the job” in Afghanistan.

Apparently if we’re ever going to have peace, we've just got to keep on fighting.

They'll be telling us that forever if we let them.

I humbly suggest that war is a necessary evil when being directly attacked by a military force, but that non-aggressive means could be used to accomplish the supposed goals of today’s wars.

I humbly suggest that in this respect Obama looks just like Bush, that he’s got favors to do for those in the military-industrial complex, and that he needs us to believe the opposite of the truth, as Bush did.

I humbly suggest that war is not peace, and that American troops don’t belong – and never did belong – in Afghanistan.

Slogan 3: Freedom is Slavery

As our medical costs continue to soar out of control, more and more Americans are crying out for the simple freedom to buy health insurance across state lines. In case you didn’t know it, selling health insurance across state lines currently makes one a criminal in the “Land of the Supposedly Free”.

And the latest argument against returning this freedom to us?

That “permitting the sale of health insurance across state lines would undermine all existing consumer protections”.

Got that? All consumer protections would be gone, they say. I saw this same analysis many places on the web this week.

The claim is that letting everyone have access to the least regulated states automatically means that everyone will buy from those least regulated states and that there are states with zero regulation.

But, no state has zero regulations. And there isn’t anything that everyone will do.

But all that aside, why should we fear having more choice in the matter? And that’s all that the proposal to allow interstate commerce in health insurance is about: more choice.

Choice is the best consumer protection one can have! It forces sellers to try harder and not take customers for granted. And we’d have more choice.

Such choice must sound great to those living in New Jersey, where there are only 4 insurance plans available, and where the cost is $2600 per month minimum for a family. The good people of NJ will obviously save a ton with the freedom to buy across state lines.

But expanding choice also removes our reliance on the political system. And the fresh air of freedom upsets those who think they know better. So they work to confuse us.

It all boils down to this:

By saying that the expanded selection would actually doom us, politicians and their media friends are saying that freedom is slavery.

They work hard to make you fear freedom. And it’s working.

I see the “Freedom is slavery” mentality all the time. And not just from the Left. There seems to be a scare story from every angle and for every freedom. For example:

Try pointing out that the war on drugs is a failure that breeds crime and finances terror.

A right-winger is likely to tell you that we must continue anyway, because if we were free to choose, too many of us would be “hooked” on drugs.

They are telling you that freedom is slavery.

Or point out that it’s the outlawing of prostitution that has made it so dangerous for women, and that it ought to be legalized?

Even the Left has begun to tell you that we need laws against prostitution because if women were left free to choose, too many would be tempted by the easy profits.

Freedom is slavery.

Or tell someone in America that you'd like the freedom to work for a willing employer and that you don't want to be subject to the government’s job-killing rules?

Many will object, saying that if we were freed from the regulations, we'd be "slaves to the corporations", as the phrase is so often repeated.

When they speak that phrase in particular, they are literally - without realizing it - promoting the idea that your freedom will lead to your slavery.

I humbly suggest that the powerful have brainwashed all too many Americans.

I humbly suggest that freedom of choice in all peaceful matters between consenting adults is actually good for us.

I humbly suggest that freedom is not slavery, and that we should be allowed to buy health insurance in any form we find attractive and from anyone we trust.

In conclusion

No, “George Orwell Week” is not a true cause for celebration. On the contrary, it makes clear that those who get power only want more power, and that the half-century that has passed since George Orwell - or even a thousand years - could not change this fact:

Power corrupts, and those in power tend to promote beliefs that defy reality.

I hope that you don’t believe them.