Time Bomb:Modern Orwellianisms

George Orwell is, of course, the author of the classic dystopian novel 1984 . In the novel, a fascist government has taken over all aspects of daily life, down to regulating the very language. Government buildings are decorated with three slogans which I call Orwellianisms: WAR IS PEACE, IGNORANCE IS KNOWLEDGE and FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. These phrases have accompanying concepts in our modern age, such as Reagan's policy of "peace through strength"; the notion that good ol' boy 'common sense' and flighty intuition are somehow better than knowledge and logic; and the idea that to acknowledge the freedoms of certain groups is the same thing as denying the rights of others. Keeping this in mind, I present some more modern Orwellianisms ...

Alternative is Mainstream

Do you really need this one explained?

Aggressor is Victim

We should feel sorry for rapists and murderers because they had troubled childhoods.

Vast Majority is Persecuted Minority

White people are an endangered species in America.

Censorship is Freedom

It's patriotic to prohibit flag-burning.

Conformity is Equality

We'd rather assimilate the Other than respect and understand diversity.

Retro Is Progressive

It's so utterly hip to embrace long-dead pop culture of decades past.

Hate is Love

We, the loving Christians, really and truly hate gay people. It's God's way.

Pleasure is Pain

My idea of a really good time is to get dizzy and listless, then vomit uncontrollably, then pass out and have a splitting headache the next morning. Dude, I was so fucked up!

Intelligence is Stupidity

Yeah, he makes good grades, but what does he really know? I mean, he doesn't even like sports !

Intuition is Logic

It's true because I feel that it's true, and no facts or rationality can change my mind.