The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson
Containing His Articles, Observations, Thoughts, Meanderings,
and some would say Wisdom (and some would say not).
1984 - A Cautionary Tale, Not A Handbook
The dystopian novel ‘1984’ by George Orwell was meant to be a precautionary tale against modern tyranny. Instead, the Democrat Party seems to want to make it into a handbook for the governance of America. Some of the most famous slogans in this book are:
“War is Peace.
“Freedom is Slavery.
“Ignorance is Strength.”
— George Orwell, 1984
“BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”
— George Orwell, 1984
Some of the more famous quotes from this book are:
“And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed — if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth.”
“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
“It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.”
“Nothing exists except an endless
present in which the Party is always right.”
— George Orwell, 1984
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
“Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.”
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
“We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.”
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
And so, it is for the modern Democrat Party. The newest and most perverse form of implementing their homogeneity is through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), a Ministry of Truth and Propaganda, and a partnership with Big Tech, as I have written in my Chirps on “04/05/22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)”, “04/30/22 Ministry of Truth and Propaganda” and “05/05/22 A Symbiotic Relationship”. Here within are these Chirps and my additional thoughts.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Governments and Modern Big Business have begun to create Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) departments within their agencies or companies. A common description of DEI is that Diversity is the characteristics and experiences, both seen and unseen, that make everyone unique. Equity is ensuring fair access to opportunities and resources while taking into consideration individuals’ barriers or privileges and eliminating systemic barriers and privileges. While Inclusion is the actions taken to understand, embrace, and leverage the unique identities and perspectives of all individuals so that all feel welcomed, valued, and supported.
While the ideals of DEI are lofty, they are often very difficult to quantify in legal terms. And while the objective of DEI is noble, the means to achieve them are often ignoble. DEI has often been implemented by the suppression of workplace speech within their agencies or companies and the limiting of employment and promotions to those persons who fit within their DEI criteria. As always, whenever you are trying to determine what is best, the question is:
"The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall
decide what is best?"
- Thomas Sowell
As most DEI departments are staffed by "Progressives/Leftists", their decisions have a conscience or unconscious bias on which persons fit within their DEI criteria and the policies that will be utilized to implement DEI. And much of the time, they decide in a manner that excludes conservative or traditional values. As I have often stated - ‘Progressives believe that as they are more intelligent, better educated, and morally superior, they are, of course, always correct.’ They, therefore, believe that their DEI policies are what is best for their agencies or companies and need not consider ideas and opinions of differing viewpoints.
The real-world reality of DEI is that it is ERC (Exclusion, Redistribution, and Conformity) for the following reasons.
Diversity is the Exclusion of non-diverse persons, as it is a form of discrimination where all people that are not considered diverse can be discriminated against.
Equity is the Redistribution of Resources as in "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs", a slogan popularized by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Programme. The principle refers to free access to and distribution of goods, capital, and services, which is the goal of Equity.
Inclusion is a Conformity of Thought, as they have no interest in any person being included who would differ from their thoughts.
A better acronym than DEI is DIE, for that is what will happen to American society if DEI is normalized in America. It is also true that many of the DEI policies and decisions are an assault on the Free Speech and other Natural Rights of their workforce. In this, they are in violation of our Constitutional Rights and Non-Discriminatory Civil Rights laws, rules, and regulations. As such, DEI has promoted more harm than good in American society and needs to be discontinued in all arenas in which it exists.
Ministry of Truth and Propaganda
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified on Wednesday, April 27th, 2022, that the Department of Homeland Security has created a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms. This DHS board will be led by Undersecretary for Policy Rob Silvers, co-chaired with principal deputy general counsel Jennifer Gaskill. The executive director will be Nina Jankowicz, a 33-year-old, highly self-confident young woman who is a known disassembler of misinformation from the left (most particularly that Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation).
In the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by English writer George Orwell, he describes ‘The Ministry of Truth’ (Newspeak: Minitrue) that is the ministry of propaganda. As with the other ministries in the novel, the name Ministry of Truth is a misnomer because, in reality, it serves the opposite: it is responsible for any necessary falsification of historical events. However, like the other ministries, the name is also apt because it decides what "truth" is in Oceania. As well as administering "truth", the ministry spreads a new language amongst the populace called Newspeak, in which, for example, "truth" is understood to mean statements like 2 + 2 = 5 when the situation warrants. In keeping with the concept of doublethink, the ministry is thus aptly named in that it creates/manufactures "truth" in the Newspeak sense of the word. The book describes the doctoring of historical records to show a government-approved version of events. At the time that this book was written, the concern was that the government would become corrupt, coercive, and oppressive to the people. Today, the concern is that the Disinformation Governance Board will act as The Ministry of Truth.
This Disinformation Governance Board also harkens to NAZI Germany, when the lead “truth” teller was Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda Minister of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. His successful lying allowed the Nazis to obtain and retain power and commit some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity in human history. Successful lying always leads to bad consequences and often unintended negative consequences, and successful lying by people in power leads to tragic consequences for the Natural and Human rights of individuals within the power of the liars. The Ministry of Propaganda was backed up by the Gestapo, the political police force of the Nazi state that enforced NAZI truths and harshly persecuted anyone who would not conform to NAZI ideas and ideology.
I can also see ghosts of the Inquisition when the Catholic Church set up courts whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Courts whose verdicts were often preordained, and punishments were often severe and sometimes included death by burning. The accused were often imprisoned and tortured before the trial, and they were given little recourse to defend themselves at trial.
In thinking about the role of the Disinformation Governance Board, we should also remember the wisdom of the great economist Thomas Sowell, who once stated:
"The most basic question is not what
is best, but who shall decide what is best?"
- Thomas Sowell
To which I would paraphrase Thomas Sowell on the Disinformation Governance Board:
"The most basic question is not what is disinformation, but who shall decide what is disinformation?"
As I have Chirped on "08/24/21 Their Lips are Moving", the Biden Administration are congenital liars, and we can therefore expect that this Disinformation Governance Board will function as the Ministry of Truth and Propaganda. Lying is often a strong word to use, as sometimes they are just mistakes or confusion. However, the sheer number and scope of the Biden Administration's lies demonstrate that they are not mistakes or confusion but deliberate attempts to mislead the American public.
Given that the Department of Homeland Security is a law enforcement agency, and it is the second most heavily armed department behind the Department of Defense, one wonders what actions they will take to address misinformation. Even if they take no direct actions other than words of disapproval or condemnation, the intimidation factor is so large that it will silence Free Speech in America. As I have Chirped on, "03/12/21 Free Speech is Essential", as, without Free Speech, democracy is dead, and despotism is the law of the land. If they do take any actions against the people in America, then they have become the Inquisitors and Gestapo in America.
My revulsion to the idea of a Disinformation Governance Board cannot be overstated. It is an assault on our Liberties and Freedoms and our Constitutional Rights, as I have Chirped on, "09/01/20 The Assault on Our Constitutional Rights". This Disinformation Governance Board needs to be disbanded immediately, and all those government officials who were involved in its creation and administration need to be removed from government service, as they have proven themselves to be antithetical to our American Ideals and Ideas. Anyone who countenances or endorses the idea of a government disinformation agency is despicable and not to be trusted with power, as they too are antithetical to our American Ideals and Ideas.
A Symbiotic Relationship
The Constitution and its Amendments were drafted and implemented to create a Democratic-Republic government of limited and enumerated Federal powers to protect the Liberties and Freedoms of all Americans. As such, the Federal Government is constrained on the direct actions that it may take against individuals exercising their “Natural, Human, and Civil Rights”. Democracy is an unruly form of society with a cacophony of voices, while all governments prefer an orderly society. Consequently, all governments would impose their dictates on society and proscribe which voices are allowed or disallowed. In America, these direct dictates and proscriptions are not permitted under our Constitution.
Given the rise of the regulatory state in the 20th and 21st centuries, the government has become more involved in the affairs of businesses. This has led to businesses becoming more involved in the affairs of government, as they wish to have favorable treatment of governmental laws and regulations. This has also brought forth the concept of Regulatory Capture as I have Chirp on “12/21/21 Regulatory Capture”. This connection between government and business has developed into a symbiotic relationship between the two.
In the 21st century, this symbiotic relationship has morphed into the ability of the government to pressure “Modern Big Business”, and especially “Big Tech”, into taking actions against individuals and groups that would not be permissible for the government to directly undertake. This pressure, along with the acquiescence of “Modern Journalism” in not exposing this business pressure and symbiotic relationship, has led to the suppression of the Natural l Rights of the people and groups that would disagree with governmental actions.
Contacts and communications between business and the Executive branch, along with lobbying and leaks with Congress, are the de rigueur means that are utilized to foster this symbiotic relationship. The Obama and Biden Administrations have turned this cooperation into a de facto means of trying to govern the people of America. This is also made easier by the “Progressives/Leftists” leanings of the owners, managers, and employees in Big Tech and the corruption of Modern Big Business into utilizing “Other People’s Money (OPM)” to support governmental actions.
My Article on “Who Needs Government Suppression When You Have Big Tech Suppression?” is an example of this cooperation, while my Chirps on “04/25/22 The Affairs of Companies”, “02/10/21 Modern Big Business (MBB)”, “10/04/20 Big Business Social Advertising and Financial Support” are also illuminative of this cooperation.
This symbiotic relationship has resulted in the lessening of the Liberties and Freedoms of Americans and may be a violation of the Constitution. It is certainly an infringement on our Natural Rights and of our “American Ideals and Ideas”. As the Presidency and Congress have no interest in dissolving this mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, and the Supreme Court is reluctant to address this issue (as I have Chirped on “04/15/22 The Supreme Court’s Reluctance”), the American people need to become aware of this symbiotic relationship and demand that it be ended. If not, America will devolve into a Big Brother state governed by Big Government and Big Business.
Our Perilous Slide
All of the previously mentioned slogans and quotes by George Orwell in ‘1984’ can be applied to modern Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders tactics to obtain, retain, and exercise power over the American people. As Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders believe that they are more intelligent, better educated, and morally superior, they believe that they are always correct. Therefore, they believe that their policies are what is best for all Americans and, consequently, they have no reservations in applying these tactics as they believe they are doing what is best for all Americans.
It has been a long slow slide downward toward a 1984 society since George Orwell wrote this book in 1948. We are not there yet, but the events of the last few years have accelerated this slide. The modern information age and modern technology have made this a smoother and less noticeable slide. The compassion of the American people for the downtrodden has been utilized to impose more government intervention into their lives and the rise of ‘Big Brother’. The institutions of Big Tech, Mainstream Media, Mainstream Cultural Media, Modern Big Business, Modern Education, Modern Journalism, and Social Media have been corrupted to support the goals of ‘Big Brother’. The machinations and duplicities of "Public Education" to indoctrinate rather than educate our children in support of ‘Big Brother’ policies have also contributed to this slide.
The usage of "Torturous and Convoluted Reasoning", "Obfuscation, Smoke, and Mirrors", and "Euphemisms, Doublespeak, and Disingenuousness" by Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders to justify the growth of government at the expense of our Liberties and Freedoms have all contributed to this downward slide.The inundation of the "The Biggest Falsehoods in America" to justify government actions have played a part in this slide.
Americans today have little knowledge of our "American Ideals and Ideas" and American Civics, and they have not been instructed or are skilled in "Rationality" and "Reasoning", which would prevent this slide. The American people also have little basic economics knowledge, which would elucidate the fallaciousness of, and negative consequences of, the Democrat Party policies. The disastrous consequences of the Biden Administration's actions may have woken the American people to the root causes of our problems – the implementation of Progressives/Leftists ideas and ideology. A Red Tidal Wave in the 2022 elections may slow down this slide, but only a recommitment to our American Ideals and Ideas can set us on an upward glide to avoid the dystopian society of 1984.