Doublespeak

Growing up on the south side of Des Moines, Iowa, I've always been offended by pretentiousness. From the fact that Paris Hilton was arrested for drunk driving in a McLaren Mercedes SLR (a car that she couldn't appreciate, nor could she afford it if it wasn't for our culture's embrace of the wealthy elite) to the overwhelming support of the Republican higher-ups by the socially and economically elite. From big enough boats to well-timed smiles to maintaining proper appearances at White House sponsored events (page 6), the socially elite, and now politically elite, maintain an air of amiability and pleasantness through the art of well-groomed public appearance both physically and rhetorically.

Of course now that the patented doublespeak of 1984 is back in style (retro fashion I expect), the pleasantries enjoyed by the elite are being exposed for what they really are, because much like an Iowa river, the surface may be smooth, but beneath the mucky waters are dangerous currents and jagged rocks.

Let's take the War on Terror for example. What began as an all out, bombs-away attack on the terrorist strongholds of the middle east under the banner of extreme patriotism and the preservation of democracy quickly became suspect as motivation from oil, fulfilling campaign contributions from private contractors, and recompense for Bush Sr.'s mistakes. Besides throwing us shoulders deep into a war that we only supported largely enough for action for a few years, the White House continued to defend the position despite cries to reconsider our strategy. Furthermore, Bush Jr. continues to push us deeper into the quicksand despite obvious results from pollsters that the American people feel the cause is either lost or that we need comprehensive help from foreign allies to attain our lofty goal. Despite initial promises to protect the people, Bush and Co. continue to speak out of both sides of their mouth, promising to do the will of the people, yet pressing on with personal interests.

Even the right's up-and-comings are playing into the game. Who could forget the countless attacks on John Kerry as a flip-flopper? Now, leading by example, the President's views on justice seem to change with the wind, giving one stance on the treatment of criminals and then taking another when the chips are down. Following in his footsteps comes Rudy Giuliani, adamantly pointing the figure at Democratic former president Bill Clinton and then backpedaling along the party line.

Not is this prevailing trend of hypocrisy becoming pedestrian with the current administration, but all around the political landscape are outlandish claims with no true connection, such as the Fox News claims that socialized medicine is a breeding ground for terrorists. Fortunately for the powers that be is psychological research that as long as an opinion is repeated, especially from a credible (this time "credible") source, it has more effect than another opinion expressed by a true majority. This means that, as long as Fox News keeps crawling the evils of socialized medicine, Hillary Clinton, environmental protection, and any and all scientists that agree with global warming across the bottom of the screen, people will believe it.

So why do 9 in 10 Americans believe that the founding fathers would be displeased with the country today? Pay attention and I'm sure we'll have an answer soon.