George Orwell’s
mind-boggling novel 1984 has been produced as a play, currently running at the
Hudson Theatre in NYC. At the suggestion of a friend, I saw it, and was
surprised by the degree of violence I’d never witnessed on the stage before.
I asked myself
why stage 1984 now? Published in 1949, Orwell’s novel was based on his
experience of the totalitarianism. George Orwell fought against Spanish dictator Franco in 1937, and ten years,
later wrote, “Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has
been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for
democratic socialism, as I know it.”
Orwell’s writing
has become frighteningly relevant in 2017.
Donald Trump’s
presidency, which at first appeared chaotic, when compared with other examples
of authoritarianism, assumes a kind of order. Robert Reich, a Berkeley
professor and the author of Saving Capitalism for the Many, not the Few, said, “Viewed
through the lens of authoritarianism, Trump’s approach to governing is logical
and coherent.”
Authoritarianism
is a form of governing that values control over personal freedom, and seeks to
concentrate power in the hands of a single “strongman.” Trump assails those who
disagree with him. He doesn’t follow the rules that he dislikes and seeks to
intimidate and discredit the press.
In Orwell’s
novel, the pleasure of exercising power is emphasized in the relationship of
Winston with his torturer, O’Brien. The Inner Party to which O’Brien belongs worships
power for its own sake, and uses what it calls “reality control” to eliminate “objective” truth, and
subjugate the citizens.
We have
experienced how Trump and his team bend the truth to suit their goals and
promulgate the term “fake news” to discredit facts (e.g., global warming and the need to
protect the environment, among many other instances).
Many of us are
shocked by the loss of democracy.
Families are
split in a way we haven’t experienced before—accompanied by feelings of loss,
sadness and isolation. We’ve witnessed the increasing numbers of hate crimes
throughout the country spurred on by anger and rage inspired by Trump’s words
and actions.
We ask, how long
we will have to cope with this alien regime? Where will it lead? How long it
will last? What will be the consequences?
We respond in
various ways. Faced with fear, some of us have dreams or nightmares of being
overtaken by a strong force.
To rationalize
our bad behaviors we cite the president. “If the president can do such-and-such
why can’t I.....”
(In my blog of May 29, I’ve confessed
how I rationalize my less-than-ideal behavior to use clichés.)
Here are some of
the positive ways people are coping:
Mr. G. finds
relief in tweeting about his disapproval of the president and his policies.
Ms. A. has
confidence that the smart politicians in our country will remedy the situation
soon and restore a democratic government.
Ms. K. focuses
on the positive: In spite of her disdain for Trump, her portfolio of stocks is
rising.
Ms. W. has a
group of like-minded people with whom she can share her fears.
Mr. L. realized
that he had to limit his exposure to the daily news after he became too upset
to carry on his daily routine.
Mr. W. reads
works of writers and thinkers who analyze the news and remain hopeful that the
democratic underpinnings of our nation will triumph, and that order as we’ve it
in the past will be restored.
Ms. T. focuses
on the reporters who remind us of the bright side—that our Constitution was created
with checks and balances to assure the separation of powers and prevent
authoritarianism.
Conclusion: We do
well to acknowledge the reality of our troubled time, to face our fears and
resist paralysis. We can turn to avenues that give us confidence and faith that
democracy will prevail.
Dear Reader, I
look forward to your opinions. Please write: jsimon145@gmail.com
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