Double-speak was defined by George Orwell in 1984, that dystopian and depressing novel that so masterfully outlined the dangers of fascism, but historians might have to change the date to 2024 when analyzing the events that turned the US and the world to fascism yet again. The US and several other traditional democracies are definitely heading in that direction. Some like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, and Turkey are already more fascist than democratic.
In the US, the Good Ole Piranhas have added double-see to double-speak as they lie about what our own eyes saw so clearly: The attempted coup engineered by their fuehrer Donald J. Trump on January 6, 2021. This new Orwellian sequel in the US starts with video records of the insurrection being leaked to fascist Fox News and continues with the new House speaker’s general public release of the same material so the far-right can cherry-pick images to prove their lies.
From claims of casual tourism to a pen becoming a government agent’s badge and Oathkeepers and Proud Boys becoming Anti-Fa, the Piranhas and the far-right fascists they represent are morphing double-speak into double-see, i.e., providing erroneous and blatantly obvious lies to all of us who watched that attempted coup in horror, giving their interpretation of those historical events on January 6 so clearly seen in the attack on Congress. We all watched them unfold and have no need for Fox News’s or any other idiots’ Machiavellian interpretations. Il Duce aka Trump led an insurrection and thus became a traitor to the US. Period. We should only have to decide how to punish him. (I have my own suggestions if anyone is interested.)
I don’t know if the Piranhas have paid evil spin doctors millions to lie about these events, but I wouldn’t put it past the congressional Piranhas who are likely to fatten their 2024 campaign chests in the process, all of them American traitors along with their fuehrer. I do know they and the marching morons who are followers who vote for that “f^%$ing moron” (ex-SecState Tillerson quote), a solid 30% of American voters whose intelligence lies far below those lemmings who will follow their leader over the cliff’s edge, that orange-skinned and balding poofed-and-puffed psychotic and sociopathic leader, are a receptive audience of these double-speak and double-see lies.
This version of American history the far right is trying to create is no surprise. Every two-bit autocrat in history is a dedicated liar (maybe not as much as Trump?), and their followers are like Pavlov’s salivating curs responding to the chimes. But what about other voters beyond that that 30% of losers?
Unfortunately, they might not matter. The fascists have now set up the US to fail and become a dictatorship run by that minority of crazy SOBs. It will become a completely fascist country because, even in those so-called purple states and swing states, legislatures are reliably fascist due to the gerrymandering of the states’ electoral geography. SCOTUS’s attack on voting rights will finish the job of disenfranchising even majorities of voters. Yes, majorities! Fascists in the US are in the minority, but they hold more and more power. Moreover, democracy is hard—compromises need good will and take work, which lazy Piranhas don’t have—so even the middle and progressive elements will be tempted to take the easy route and give into the fascists. (One obvious explanation for the rush to not run and leave Congress now occurring!)
I don’t have much hope for America’s future. It won’t matter too much in my case. Whether I die from a fascist’s bullet (or multiple ones shot from his automatic military-style rifle) or natural causes, I’ll soon be dead. But I’ll lament that future generations will no longer be able to enjoy the freedoms and rights I enjoyed as American fascists take over the country, especially my children and grandchildren. What about you?