A Polemic Regarding the Orwellian Left

A POLEMIC REGARDING

THE ORWELLIAN LEFT

“A truth that’s told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.”
– William Blake

Recently that orange media-circus Donald Trump was used as a propaganda piece in an Al-Shabaab recruitment video, and as is protocol with anything Trump, this was all the left-wing media needed to vilify him some more. Hilary Clinton went so far as to call Trump “ISIS’s best recruiter”. The implication is that his remarks—and according to Obama, any criticism of Islam in general—is recruitment propaganda for ISIS. Oh, and also fascist.

But as is visible to anyone with a pair of ears and a set of eyes, the recruitment video was echoing the exact same rhetoric and sentiments of the left-wing media and its credulous parrots. Yes; according to both Al-Shabaab and the left-wing media (within which I would also place social media), Trump is some fascist monster akin to Hitler who is destined to enslave Muslims, toss them into concentration camps, and undoubtedly commit future holocausts. Of course, none of this has yet happened, and nothing shows that it might, but we can vilify him for thinking and saying some certain things which we would deem thought and speech crimes. And even though he explicitly expressed the exact reasons for wanting to halt Muslim immigration—to figure out what was going on, a declaration of ignorance and stupidity on his part (all the more reason not to vote for him)—many attributed his remarks to some specious form of bigotry or racism that would surely lead to atrocity if carried out. Besides refuting him we should ruin him. It makes for good entertainment. None of this according to any facts, mind you, but according to consumer demand.

This absurdity has even been promoted by many good members here at ATS, doing something less than denying ignorance. In regards to Trump’s immigration proposal, there were posts such as “this is America’s Reichstag moment”, or in another, comparing such a proposal without restraint to the atrocities at Kristallnackt. One can go on Twitter and find the exact same thing. The emotional content of these kinds of statements are hard to deny. But comparing Trump with Hitler, and at the same time, 2015 America to 1930’s Nazi Germany has no sincere merit, obviously, but most definitely a political one. When in doubt and in lack of a better argument, make your political enemies out to be evil, and those who support them, guilty by association. That doesn’t sound like such good faith in themselves and their fellow countrymen, if you dare request my opinion, but it works perfectly well on an exceedingly diminished attention span.

It is no strange wonder that Al-Shabaab expresses the exact same rhetoric as the posts I just described. Though Trump was ridiculed by the left as having his face and soundbites shown in the video (apparently as the “poster boy for Al-Shabaab” as the DailyMail put it), his face and soundbites were used in the exact same manner as the left-wing media has always used them. Now if the propaganda put forth by the left-wing media happens to be nearly identical to the arguments of Al-Shabaab, I might have to question who ISIS’s best recruiter really is.

The American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who makes a posthumous appearance in the video, describes along with another Islamist the coming Muslim holocaust with emphasis on America’s history of race relations, the plight of blacks and minorities in that country. He is right in regards to the history of atrocity, of course, but about the present he was silent. How far the West in general has come, especially to minorities, is unprecedented in the history of the universe. Hate crime is rare, and for the most part, results in no more than simple vandalism. And despite the fact that according to law and principle American minorities are considered in the exact same manner as American majorities—as fellow citizens and comrades, something Al-Shabaab could never say about itself—western Muslims and blacks will undoubtedly face persecution and concentration camps at the hands of white Christian and western powers hell-bent on religious persecution. Sound familiar?

I wonder where Al-Shabaab and al-Awlaki get the ideas for their propaganda from. How do they even know who Trump is? Why would they care about America’s immigration and demagogues, when countries like the Gulf states have not lifted one finger to their theological brethren in search of asylum. Maybe these scholars have read up on their world history, studying the legacy of western society and its core values, which, though not without its own treachery, seems to be a little more inclined to notice and correct it. Or, as is more likely, they too use Twitter and gorge on Salon articles, or in the case of Anwar al-Awlaki, get a good progressive education. Either way, it must be encouraging to Al-Shabaab that many western intellectuals, progressives and talking-heads, agree with them on nearly every point, and indeed, tend to point out the same unsubstantiated irrational fears in order to bolster their political agenda towards their own recruitment and conversions.

The truth is what matters, is it not? And this is why it is Orwellian. Orwell wrote about something reminiscent to the sort of propaganda we see today:

“I suppose it would be agreed that Nazi Germany represented reaction in its worst form, or one of its worst. Well, the people in this country who gave most ammunition to the Nazi propagandists during the war are exactly the ones who tell us that it is “objectively” pro-Fascist to criticise the U.S.S.R. I am not referring to the Communists during their anti-war phase: I am referring to the Left as a whole. By and large, the Nazi radio got more material from the British Left-wing press than from that of the Right. And it could hardly be otherwise, for it is chiefly in the Left-wing press that serious criticism of British institutions is to be found. Every revelation about slums or social inequality, every attack on the leaders of the Tory party, every denunciation of British imperialism, was a gift for Goebbels. And not necessarily a worthless gift, for German propaganda about “British plutocracy” had considerable effect in neutral countries, especially in the earlier part of the war.”

- Through a Glass, Rosily (1945)

For some reason it is wrong to criticize Islam and the Muslims who kill and die for it. Apparently by doing so we give them what they want, which according to Obama, is the romantic notion and propaganda tool of a West vs. Islam slugfest. Given the current influx of diverse Muslim peoples into western countries, welcomed into accommodating nd open arms, an argument could be made for the exact opposite. He is quite right. But to go further and deny the theological legitimacy of this species of violence is suspect. With this comes the implication that it is impossible that one would strap bombs to his body because he was promised paradise. It is impossible that Islam has anything to do with the treatment of homosexuals in countries under Sharia law. And even though Islam is the only thing connecting Al-Shabaab, Al Queda, ISIS, the Paris attackers, the 9/11 attackers, the 7/7 attackers, and the folks who throw women into holes and stone them with rocks for being raped, it is impossible that we should criticize them—for it only makes it worse.

“Whenever A and B are in opposition to one another, anyone who attacks or criticises A is accused of aiding and abetting B. And it is often true, objectively and on a short-term analysis, that he is making things easier for B. Therefore, say the supporters of A, shut up and don’t criticise: or at least criticise “constructively,” which in practice always means favourably. And from this it is only a short step to arguing that the suppression and distortion of known facts is the highest duty of a journalist.”

“The whole argument that one mustn’t speak plainly because it “plays into the hands of” this or that sinister influence is dishonest, in the sense that people only use it when it suits them. As I have pointed out, those who are most concerned about playing into the hands of the Tories were least concerned about playing into the hands of the Nazis. The Catholics who said, “Don’t offend Franco because it helps Hitler” had been more or less consciously helping Hitler for years beforehand. Beneath this argument there always lies the intention to do propaganda for some single sectional interest, and to browbeat critics into silence by telling them that they are “objectively” reactionary. It is a tempting manoeuvre, and I have used it myself more than once, but it is dishonest. I think one is less likely to use it if one remembers that the advantages of a lie are always short-lived. So often it seems a positive duty to suppress or colour the facts! And yet genuine progress can only happen through increasing enlightenment, which means the continuous destruction of myths.”

- Through a Glass, Rosily (1945)

Yes; criticize Islam, and be labelled racist and a bigot. Even reformers such as former Muslim Ayan Hirsi-ali, who has a growing list of fatwas against her by “unscrupulous opponents”, have been refused platforms to speak in leftist arenas due to so-called racism and bigotry, a charge that would never pass in anything but a social-media inspired leftist kangaroo court. Even muslim reformers have even been called Islamophobic, that insidious neologism used to reduce criticism of Islam to a pathology. (Think about that for a moment—Islamic Islamophobes). Anyways, dare criticize Islam, and worse, dare be proud of the west and western values, you get thrown into groups with Hitler, Nazis, extremists, and with white supremacists, because really that’s all we’re good for.

Orwell again spoke of this tendency to attempt to silence critics on the same article, predicting the state of political correctness, predicting truth as a micro-aggression in our times by about 70 years, and knowing this, it might do it best to consider his writings further.

“There are always the most excellent, high-minded reasons for concealing the truth, and these reasons are brought forward in almost the same words by supporters of the most diverse causes. I have had writings of my own kept out of print because it was feared that the Russians would not like them, and I have had others kept out of print because they attacked British imperialism and might be quoted by anti-British Americans. We are told now that any frank criticism of the Stalin regime will “increase Russian suspicions,” but it is only seven years since we were being told (in some cases by the same newspapers) that frank criticism of the Nazi regime would increase Hitler’s suspicions. As late as 1941, some of the Catholic papers declared that the presence of Labour Ministers in the British Government increased Franco’s suspicions and made him incline more towards the Axis. Looking back, it is possible to see that if only the British and American peoples had grasped in 1933 or thereabouts what Hitler stood for, war might have been averted. Similarly, the first step towards decent Anglo-Russian relations is the dropping of illusions. In principle most people would agree to this: but the dropping of illusions means the publication of facts, and facts are apt to be unpleasant.”

- Through a Glass, Rosily (1945)

Thank you for reading,

LesMes

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Now if the propaganda put forth by the left-wing media happens to be nearly identical to the arguments of Al-Shabaab, I might have to question who ISIS’s best recruiter really is.

This is my take as well and the treatment of Ayaan Hirsi-ali truly shocks me.

Very good read.
I really wish I could contribute more, but the reality of it, is that you and Orwell have pretty much hit the nail on the head as it were, and as it concerns the topic.
If I were to add anything I am afraid that it would only cause thread drifting, and detract from the clear reasoning presented.

a reply to: Punisher75

I'm just glad someone read such a wall of text.

I can't help but feel you are over-thinking the situation. The "country boys" and the "idealists on a mission" with guns will eventually tire of fighting at some point. New boundaries may be drawn in the end. It's the same old monkey game that's been going on since the beginning. Meanwhile, I will tend my farm.

Unfortunately your argument is based on a straw man fallacy.

Could you please link some proof that those on the left support radical Islamists and get offended when others criticize jihadist and terrorists?

I think those on the left, myself included, get a bit riled up when the other side starts to spew fascists solutions to the problem of terrorism.

Creating Muslim databases?
How will it be determined who is a Muslim and who is not? Do we create a religious test?
Massive raids of immigrants?

To me that sounds way more Orwellian than the Orwellian left you're trying to portray

You can feel history repeating itself as you read this, very good writing.

Obama's policy to never under any circumstances utter the words radical Islam is a hyper form of this fear to rouse suspicions, as Orwell put it.

To have a Leftist Mayor state to the public that Islamic terror was not involved only moments after the chief of police informed the public of the perpetrator's sworn allegiance to radical Islam is the end result of these policies.

Baghdad Bob couldn't have declared no tanks with one rumbling behind him any better than these lieing mouthpieces the Left has provided for us today.

I am a liberal in most cases, but I do criticize religious extremists. I especially dislike Islam and Catholic doctrine concerning women. I don't really care if is political correct because I don't think that exists in politics. Is it truth to say it is only leftists that are capable of illusions?

a reply to: muse7 the debate is now being framed that if you don't want to ban all immigration you are Isis hugging sexual assault enablers. Orwell would have been seen as a traitor by many on ATS for fighting against Francos facist forces in the Spanish civil war.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

To simplify somewhat...the game designer has no intention of there being a winner,only a lot of rehashing and going around in circles...

Interesting read thx for posting

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
a reply to: muse7 the debate is now being framed that if you don't want to ban all immigration you are Isis hugging sexual assault enablers. Orwell would have been seen as a traitor by many on ATS for fighting against Francos facist forces in the Spanish civil war.

Yeah, Ironic article is ironic.

It's okay to accuse the left of supporting ISIS and extremist Islam when they criticize hate speech..
But it's so unfair that if you rail against Islam you get lumped in with the bigots and extremists..

I guess you can have it both ways..

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

There is a war raging across the planet, and it uses a keyboard as it's weapon and everyone is armed and able to engage in the fight. The war is a battle for the hearts and minds of men and women, a war for truth....where lies, double-standards and blatant state-sanctioned hypocritical propaganda is the battlefield.

And, deception is the art of war

It could even be construed that the idea and meme of terrorism, or Islamic terrorism, or left-wing/right-wing thought crime is a hell of a lot more effective in perpetrating the "divide and conquer" agenda than actual terrorism, or Islamic terrorism, or left-wing/right-wing thought crime in as far as the relentless pre and post event propaganda is concerned.

It is as if there is a great underlying force at work in the world - working to turn peace-loving folks against each other in it's relentless quest for control of the human collective mindset.

Great read Les, very well articulated.

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
a reply to: muse7 the debate is now being framed that if you don't want to ban all immigration you are Isis hugging sexual assault enablers.

No, reality is there are an unprecedented number of military aged men among the throngs of refugees, who actually have committed mass rapes in the numerous countries they were shipped off to. The historical makeup of refugees has been women, children, elderly, the lame, those that are helpless fleeing certain death from war zones.

This makeup is different.

Radicals are among them, but that word should never be brought out, kept in check by the Left's PC trained officials and willing media agents. Their deeds hushed, or minimalized. Any who question get labeled with bigotry. Fear keeps the policy alive, truth is nowhere in sight.

a reply to: muse7

Unfortunately your argument is based on a straw man fallacy.

Could you please link some proof that those on the left support radical Islamists and get offended when others criticize jihadist and terrorists?

I never said that nor implied that. I argued left-wing propaganda is utilized more than Trump by Islamic extremists, and that the left get offended when others criticize Islam, for the exact same reasons I mentioned in my post. So not quite. Your argument is the straw man for misrepresenting my points while pretending to refute them.

As for your feelings, I really wish I had more empathy for them, but I just don't. I don't care that you're riled up anymore. I don't care about your fear of Trump. Of all the violence and atrocity going on in the world, you fear the host of the Celebrity Apprentice.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

LOL Like I said no need to spend any effort on commenting on a good post, for threat of derail.
It seems it does not take long at all, for good reason to be cited as unreasonable.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

No, reality is there are an unprecedented number of military aged men among the throngs of refugees, who actually have committed mass rapes

So guilty of mass rapes, with absolutely no proof or evidence. Just hear say and biased media reporting. Thanks for making my point. Who needs evidence these days when we all have opinions?
Trial by right wing media. I hope you never suffer the same fate

a reply to: LesMisanthrope
My daughter came home from school yesterday and told what was going on in her 'Tech- Ed' class (think shop class).
She is in 7th grade.
She said that they are building a model bridge.
The purpose of the bridge...
To bring in Syrian refugees!
I asked her why Syrian refugees.
She said that their teachers are told to connect the project with a current event.
Indoctrination, it's not just for social studies anymore.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: LesMisanthrope
My daughter came home from school yesterday and told what was going on in her 'Tech- Ed' class (think shop class).
She is in 7th grade.
She said that they are building a model bridge.
The purpose of the bridge...
To bring in Syrian refugees!
I asked her why Syrian refugees.
She said that their teachers are told to connect the project with a current event.
Indoctrination, it's not just for social studies anymore.

It always has been socialist studies.

Somewhere in all this lies that blind belief we are all equal.

No nation, no ism, no locale, religion or group is superior to another. In fact, destroy, vilify and ignore any that pose it.

Thus Nirvana will be achieved.