Orwellian Addiction

The term "brainwashing" was in vogue 

in the USA around the time of the Korean

War. It referred to the implementation of

various psychological techniques on 

captured American troops. The movie;

"The Manchurian Candidate" was a 

distillation of that concept. But the term

brainwashing is anachronistic in popular

usage. The fact of the syndrome, however, 

is everywhere apparent in the world, and 

particularly in the USA, so, I decided it 

would be good to update the term as 

"Orwellian addiction".

Addiction, as a concept and a fact, is 

everywhere apparent in American society

and culture. It usually is used in reference

to the chemical or substance variety of

addiction, but I propose that addiction in

the broader sense is valid to describe the

forces shaping American culture as a whole.

The political foment that is occurring during

these elections is a direct example of this 

point. You have two candidates, Clinton and

Trump, at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Hillary Clinton stands for the status quo. 

Many Americans think their country is the

same great nation it seemed to be in the 

Fifties, particularly the elder generation. 

Any person with their eyes open has already

been disabused of that notion. Whatever it 

is now is nothing like it was then. Yet, there

is comfort and seeming security in having 

life go on as usual. 

Trump is for real change, not the platitude

change of Obama, but real, somewhat 

painful change of institutions and attitudes.

He has so many supporters because the

middle and lower classes are waking to the

fact that government is not working, that 

media is a manipulative mechanism to

maintain the status quo; that, perhaps, only

Bernie and Donald are willing to say what

they feel is the truth, painful though it may

be. 

And there are those that believe what they've

been fed and told by a power intent on 

distraction: Orwellian addiction to a lying media,

entertainment that stresses the appropriate 

ways to regard what's happening, appropriate

language that obfuscates communication, ideas

that please and sooth, such as "We're Number 

One!" as a glaring example. Many Americans 

are addicted to the junk of nice sounding words,

pleasant, smiling, reassuring faces, the feeling

of being "us", not "them". 

So, of course, when a red faced, independent

billionaire stands up and says "I'm mad as hell,

and I'm not going to take this anymore!" the 

Orwellian addicts react with vicious anger that

their comfort is being threatened and challenged,

even in the face of the truth. They don't want to 

wake up. They don't want to have the lessening

boundaries of their comfort challenged, just as

an addict feels threatened by an intervention. 

The power in America, the corporations, the

pharmaceutical companies and others, have gone

to great pains to maintain their profits at the

expense of the health and welfare of the ordinary

American citizen. This truth is being exposed,

and the addicts are starting to freak out. It is one

reason why, no matter what the media slings at 

Trump, his followers appear steadfast. It is why

many people that have given up on the electoral

process will vote this time. People are getting 

tired of the crap, both material and psychological,

they've been forced to consume. Some sheep

are taking notice and looking around and 

beginning to understand the feeding pens they

have to live in. Yes, this is revolution. The 

outcome is highly in doubt, the time is extremely

dangerous.