Posted by
gepaza on Saturday, September 26, 2009 12:58:31 AM
Often, in order to define or understand some modern-day phenomenon,
it is instructive to refer to the writings that have withstood the test
of time.
It is hard to imagine a more appropriate and revealing application of that truism than the use of George Orwell's Animal Farm
to illustrate what is going on in America today. The parallels between
Orwell's characters and the current elements of government, other
political institutions, and assorted enablers are eerily and precisely
striking. It is almost as if Orwell was sitting at a keyboard only
yesterday, writing about a 21st century farm, America, instead of at a
typewriter in 1943-44, addressing the Russian Revolution of some ninety
years ago.
Although it would be a highly interesting
exercise to identify and thoroughly develop the 2009 characters, my
intent is to only provide the definitive answer to an exercise
generated by Bernard Goldberg a few days ago, namely, what the best
name for today's media, which clearly no longer is reflective of main
stream America.
Well, Mr. Goldberg, I submit for your
consideration the term Squealer Incarnate, or Squealer for short, as
the perfect name for the collective socialism enablers at NBC, CBS,
ABC, MSNBC, CNN, AP, NY Times, Washington Post, etc.! etc.! etc.!
The
evidence to support my recommendation follows in the form of character
descriptions from two sources. I have bold-ed the parts of their
descriptions/summaries that I feel are particularly pertinent:
From *sparknotes :
"Squealer
Throughout his career, Orwell explored how politicians manipulate language in an age of mass media. In Animal Farm,
the silver-tongued pig Squealer abuses language to justify Napoleon’s
actions and policies to the proletariat by whatever means seem
necessary. By radically simplifying language—as when he teaches the
sheep to bleat “Four legs good, two legs better!”—he limits the terms
of debate. By complicating language unnecessarily, he confuses and
intimidates the uneducated, as when he explains that pigs, who are the
“brainworkers” of the farm, consume milk and apples not for pleasure,
but for the good of their comrades. In this latter strategy, he also
employs jargon (“tactics, tactics”) as well as a baffling vocabulary of
false and impenetrable statistics, engendering in the other animals
both self-doubt and a sense of hopelessness about ever accessing the
truth without the pigs’ mediation. Squealer’s lack of conscience and
unwavering loyalty to his leader, alongside his rhetorical skills, make
him the perfect propagandist for any tyranny. Squealer’s name also fits
him well: squealing, of course, refers to a pig’s typical form of
vocalization, and Squealer’s speech defines him. At the same time, to squeal also means to betray, aptly evoking Squealer’s behavior with regard to his fellow animals."
From: GO Work : Summaries and Interpretations : Animal Farm
"Squealer: Squealer is an intriguing character in Orwell's Animal Farm. He's first described as a manipulator and persuader. Orwell narrates, "He could turn black into white." Many critics correlate Squealer with the Pravda, the Russian newspaper of the 1930's. Propaganda
was a key to many publications, and since their was no television or
radio, the newspaper was the primary source of media information. So the monopoly of the Pravda was seized by Stalin and his new Bolshevik regime. In
Animal Farm, Squealer, like the newspaper, is the link between Napoleon
and other animals. When Squealer masks an evil intention of the pigs,
the intentions of the communists can be carried out with little
resistance and without political disarray. ..."
I suggest that every concerned American read Animal Farm, or at least go to one of these sites and brush up on what George Orwell was saying about totalitarian governments.
And start calling the "MSM" Squealer - it will get under their skin, I'll bet!