George Orwell, “1984,” Putin, Trump, Musk

Most of the men and women in my age group read “1984,” and saw the movie. Some of us remember the principal tenet of the story all too well, because it is happening on this very day.

[Orwell's "1984" explores the dangers of totalitarianism and the suppression of individual freedom in a dystopian future where the ruling Party controls every aspect of life, including language, history, and thought, through constant surveillance and manipulation.]

The book was originally published in 1949. It is an accurate portrayal of what is happening in Washington today. Attacks on our freedom and rights guaranteed by the Constitution occur every day, and no one seems to care.

The entire premise of this book remains frightening, and is relative to Trump, his Fascist Party, and the policies of his handler, Vladimir Putin.

However, one part of this path to a totalitarian government is more disturbing to me than all others: the intentional distortion of history.

If any society refuses to learn from the mistakes of its past, it will remain stagnant, unable to move forward and bravely move into the future. History, good or bad, must be accurate and available for every man, woman and child to read and understand its lessons.

America may have the dumbest people in the world. Trump harmed our nation’s people for four years, committed treason with a failed coup, and stole national secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, and still received millions of votes in 2024. If this sounds insane to you, you must be one of the few remaining informed Americans alive.

However, the men and women who rule over red states and the right side of the aisle on Capitol Hill are even more ignorant. They expect us to believe that by removing books from our schools and libraries because they tell the truth about slavery, racism, and the LGBTQ community, that inquiring minds will not learn the truth. They obviously do not understand the good and bad power of the internet where anyone can find the truth. Where you will never find facts is on television “news.”

After Trump is finally consumed by his poor health and his obese old body cremated, new leaders will rise up and fight against fascism and the lies offered by Trump and his party over the last decade. The pendulum always swings both ways. I just hope I live long enough to see it.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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