Progressives and "1984"

Way back when, a professor suggested we read the book "1984". He said this is what America would look like under Reagan and Republican government. His intention was to later debate the finer points of the book, compare thought processes, and to embarrass those of us who lean conservative.  I read the book. It was an extremely interesting book, although I could not for the life of me see why he felt Reagan was going to usher an era outlined in Orwell's book. If there was any sort of "danger" from Reagan it was Christian in nature. Reagan most certainly felt we were beginning to lose our moral compass. But he also knew that legislating morality was not possible. Nothing in Orwell's book mentioned religion, at least not in the form most of us understand it. Although the later debate was decidedly one-sided (I got smoked. 20 years my senior, he had the advantage), I think I did OK for someone who had barely cracked 20.

In the book, you were not allowed to have a divergent thought from the official (government) party line. The press was no longer the "forth estate", separate from the government. The press only reported what the government wanted them to report. Religion in the form we know it today was outlawed, you were to worship the state. If you stepped outside the lines determined by an all seeing, all knowing government, you were destroyed, financially, personally, and publically. A very small number of people were in charge and determined what the official policy was and how to merit punishment.  How close are we to that today?

In just the past couple of years, people have been destroyed for having a thought or action that a very limited number of people have determined are not worthy of respect. If you don't believe in global warming/cooling/climate change you are investigated and ostracized. If you try to point out that there has been absolutely no change in temperatures in more than 15 years or that nearly all the baseline data was fraudulent, you called heartless and want children to drink dirty water and breathe dirty air. If you don't support same sex marriage due to heart felt religious views you will have your business destroyed and in some cases, your life ruined.

Just this week, the state of Oregon has decided to utterly ruin the lives of a family. http://townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/2015/04/28/puffedup-leftist-tyranny-punishes-dissenters-n1991139/page/2  The same sex marriage crowd and those in government who kow-tow to them weren't happy that a family business was closed. Nope, these people must be ground into the ground for all to see. The government of Oregon has decided to fine this couple $135,000.00 for not having the proper thoughts. The business isn't being fined (it doesn't exists), but the family will be expected to pay for this out of their personal funds. Anyone out there NOT think this was a message to all of those out there who don't support same sex marriage the same thing WILL happen to you. You will be destroyed if you do not follow the "proper" thought as determined by a small number of people. As an aside: Whatever happened to the philosophy of live and let live that supporters of same sex marriage said was all they wanted?

And I'm so tired of being called a racist because I think President Obama is a lousy President. I thought Carter sucked too, but no one ever accused me of hating southerners, or naval officers, or peanut farmers, or people from Georgia.

Do you notice a trend here? Although I'm fairly certain it was not Orwell's intention, he certainly does a great job of describing today's progressive.