I tend to gravitate toward pop culture and how it contributes to our perception of the world. This includes how the audience communicates through various mediums or how their attitudes toward journalists are shaped through fictious portrayals. We can use fiction for political commentaries and comparisons as well.
And considering a certain political actor claims any criticism toward them is fake, then we might as well use fictious concepts and characters to highlight reality. It only makes sense in this universe.
Our “1984” obsession
The “1984” references have been a popular form of criticism toward the current administration, and though warranted, we can take a deeper dive into the nuances of George Orwell’s work.
There are obvious comparisons, social media being flooded with quotes that can be found on the book jacket, but some recent actions by the president of the United States showcase the eerie similarities that simmer below the surface and before the plot even takes place. The similarities that brought Big Brother to power.
The recent firing of Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, can be viewed as how the Ministry of Plenty was formed. The president did not like what they heard, made a bold claim of statistical manipulation, and then, with no evidence, demanded an immediate change.
However, is this not a form of manipulation in itself? They are manipulating the next person to falsify reports if needed, essentially, in order to appease the leader and provide a good look for the administration, even if not earned. If not, the new director will get fired.
Fortunately for the leader, the new director is an ally. They will do what the leader says. They are a puppet. And a puppet produces what wants to be heard rather than what needs be heard. Let’s take a look at an Orwell excerpt:
The fabulous statistics continued to pour out of the telescreen. As compared with last year there was more food, more clothes, more houses, more furniture, more cooking pots, more fuel, more ships, more helicopters, more books, more babies – more of everything except disease crime, and insanity. Year by year and minute by minute, everybody and everything was whizzing rapidly upwards. – “1984”, p. 59
The Ministry of Plenty never provided any concrete evidence that this was true. They hid all information and forced people to believe them. Similar to what the president’s ex-treehouse pal did with their made-up department earlier this year, and what is happening now by placing the correct liars in position to manipulate the numbers.
Oops, I forgot, only one side manipulates. The other is a victim. How stupid of me.
Everything is a trade-off, as the president is actually delegitmizing their own job and employees through their strategies. In the political domain, when one strategically boasts their own accomplishments, abilities and ego, another’s name must be sullied and sacrificed. In this sense, the intentions of personal praise has come at the name of the government’s credibility. The government is supposed to be a partisan system promoting democracy, and eventually said system falters through the support for and ideaology of an individual.
Sounds like the start of dictatorship.
Also, baseless claims work both ways. An average mind should at least be asking the question, “Why are you allowed to say people make baseless claims about you when you make baseless claims about them?” Or, they could ask, “Why are you the only one who is right?”
The easy answer is: everyone is wrong, or at least in the wrong, and the leader isn’t solely to blame. Yet, this is not how an adult acts. These actions have belittled the credibility of the government as a whole.
Now, it must be said, this actor has put forth some agreeable decisions in the best interest of multiple parties and is knowledgeable and intelligent, so let’s not completely deny them of such. Intellgience, however, is relative, and separates a person who is aware of things from an expert.
People are believing everything said about everything by a person who has no expertise in anything other than business, and one can even question such considering they have declared bankruptcy multiple times. Doesn’t seem like a credible expert to me. I know a plethora of business owners and people with MBAs, of different ages, status, fields and goals, and only one of them has declared for bankruptcy once.
I’m sure those records were manipulated, too.
I should be careful, though, for when you piss off a thin-skinned child who has access to military resources, you never know what will happen. Or maybe you do.
Our beloved Kingpin
The following should be prefaced with a quick character bio. Kingpin, Wilson Grant Fisk, is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel universe. Kingpin is a crime lord, but masks his true identity as a legitimate businessman and philanthropist. Hey, don’t we know someone who says they’re a legitimate businessman and peacemaker, but has declared bankruptcy six times and is turning their country’s military against their own people?
Oh, was I not suppossed to say that yet? I’m getting ahead of myself.
One other thing: Kingpin also tried to silence J. Jonah Jameson from reporting on the villan’s crimes in the Daily Bugle. Hey, don’t we know someone how forces media members out of their roles and defunds news outlets on baseless claims?
Moving on.
In “Daredevil Born Again,” Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), the notorious rival of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), becomes mayor of New York City. Let’s look at a clip from the series:
The martial law announcement was complemented by the villain – SPOILER ALERT – crushing the head of Police Commissioner Phil Gallo (Michael Gaston). Seems like a bully move. Hey, don’t we know someone who bullies people into getting what they want?
Assumingly, the president can probably not crush a man’s head with his bare hands, but who knows. He tends to hide a lot of secrets. And considering he has a very short temper, is hypersensitive and lacks transparency, he may be capable of doing so.
But they can deploy the National Guard on its own citizens, which doesn’t necessarily scream “land of the free.” It doesn’t sound like much of a democracy.
It does, however, contribute to an unsettling trend happening in this country.
Fiction is reality
I was playing in a local American Legion golf tournament years ago with some older gentlemen. There was a beer or two flowing, and when a different group was slowly passing us in their golf cart after getting off the adjacent green to our tee box, one of our players asked one of theirs, “What are you guys at?”
The other man said, “2-under.”
Our player untruthfully said, “That’s good, we’re 3-under.”
He then turned to me and whispered, “Always be second to answer.”
Your leader is lying to you by saying other people are lying after a claim is made. Always second to answer. It is evident and obvious. Is this what we truly wanted?
In addition, in all this desire for less government and the subsequent actions of firing a multitude of employees, the government is more in our life than ever before, especially considering that they want so much access to all our sensitive data. It’s just more intrusive and less credible. Instead of giving people too many things, they just want our complete and utter obedience.
But we love Big Brother and Kingpin is just a misunderstood businessman. We love fiction, which is good, because we’re living it.
Carl Lawrence Knauf 