Jerusalem Post
1984
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In George Orwell’s classic book about an evil society, 1984, he creates for the reader a frightening world where black is white, good is bad, evil is justified and the innocent are guilty. Well, this is the end of 2008 but we haven’t moved far past Orwell’s 1984.
Two recent books by Pat Buchanan and Nicholas Baker respectively have now turned World War II on its head. The two books claim that World War II was really caused by Winston Churchill and his intransigence in satisfying Hitler’s “reasonable” demands in Europe. Baker is an out and out pacifist, somehow believing that making nice to the tiger diminishes its appetite. In the surreal world in which he lives, defending one’s self is easily equated with aggressive attacks upon others.
Both the defender and attacker are equally guilty and therefore Churchill is as guilty – if not more so – as Hitler in the destruction of Europe in the ensuing war. It certainly is not much of a jump for these peace-loving Israel bashers and Jew haters (even though some of these people may themselves live in Israel and be Jewish) to make Hamas the victim and Israel the bully who is not allowed to defend itself.
Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement of Hitler is deemed to be correct and the mistake of Chamberlain was that he guaranteed Poland’s borders against German attack. If he only would have continued his policy of appeasing Hitler, World War II would have been less massive if not completely avoidable.
The book and its arguments would truly be laughable if it were not taken so seriously by many book reviewers and academics. In the world of academia, many times black and white are completely non-identifiable and are not different. Many a thesis and scholarly work is written to prove that this ridiculous point is really correct and eventually it is solemnly adopted by many who should know better.
Pat Buchanan, a one-time speech writer for Richard Nixon and a perennial candidate of the far Right for president of the United States, is well-known for his dislike of Jews and his enmity towards Israel. Buchanan’s take on World War II is that it was a “Jewish war” – the Jews wanted it to happen and encouraged the West, namely Churchill and Roosevelt, to engage in it against Hitler. Again it is Churchill who is the main villain of the war. His aggressiveness in speech and in action against Hitler left the poor Nazi leader no choice but to conquer France and Western Europe in order to protect Germany and himself from British aggression.
Of course, Hitler’s war of annihilation against the Jews comes in for little shrift in these books. There is a drift in the book that the Jews somehow got what was coming to them, though their crimes and evil is never really detailed and outlined. Orwell would certainly understand and appreciate these statements and arguments.
It fits exactly into the mindset of blindness that he so brilliantly described in his book, 1984. Right is wrong, black is white and evil is good and innocent. What a strange and dangerous world we live in! It is mind-boggling and heartbreaking all at one and the same time.
Israel went to war again this week. No one wanted the war but it came upon us not of our volition and choice. No nation would withstand the continuous attack upon its cities and citizens for the period of time that Israel has. So now naturally all of the “peace lovers” are jumping all over Israel. They want proportionate force as though there is such an animal in the world.
The fact that Israel is successful in inflicting heavy blows and destruction against Hamas must mean, according to these Orwellians, that it is using disproportionate force. Hamas and Israel are to be treated, at best, equally in their moral scales of right and wrong. A terrorist group whose avowed aim is to destroy Israel is nevertheless recognized as being worthy of support and sympathy. Black is truly white.
The nations of the world have poured in billions of dollars into aid to the Palestinian cause and have nothing to show for it. The leaders of the Palestinians are all Bernie Madoffs compounded. Yet the cries of the world still resound with mock sympathy and their wallets bulge with continued aid to this gang of terrorists and haters. George Orwell would understand it all and not be one whit surprised by it. !984 lives.
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