Orwell’s words are an arresting foretelling of the brave new America we find ourselves living in today. Huxley may have coined the concept but Orwell is it’s truest prophet:
“The object of being at war, and therefore in danger, makes the handing-over of all power to a small caste seem the natural, unavoidable condition of survival.”
I am sorry if I wasn’t clear, but yes Orwell does well to portend current events. Though not as extreme as the “minute of hate”, there is a feeling that the Bush administration wants their “Goldstiens” (Saddam and Bin Laden) to keep the country focused on its war on terror. As for the war on terror, which according to Bush may never be over, “War is Peace” – as long as we are focused on a war overseas, there will not be conflicts at home among its citizens. Patriot Act and the TIP program turning neighbors into spies. The list goes on.
The point I was trying to make is that the phrase “Brave New World” is taken from the title of the book by Aldous Huxley, written 15 years before Orwell wrote 1984. That book does not portend what the link describes or what is described above. The government in the “Brave New World” genetically engineers citizens and takes freedom from its citizens by making them content, i.e. promiscuity and legal drug use, exactly opposite of the current path of the United States.
The phrase
Ah, well, poetic license, like the ‘war on terrorism,’ covers a multitude of sins.
the horror…the horror…
[quote]Mustafa, 26, a college graduate with a degree in Psychology, seems an unlikely candidate for the Iraqi resistance. All that changed one afternoon when US soldiers raided the modest home he shares with his mother in Mosul.
“The soldiers, they are to be coming into the house without the knocking,” he recalls. “I was in the basement, innocently to IM some of the friends on the AOL Messenger, as for not to listen to Mother always for complaining about the job-seekings.”
After his mother allowed soldiers to search his room, a detachment of Marines soon found one of Mustafa’s dreaded secrets: his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Underoos.
“It began with the laughings,” he recalls tearfully. “Then they began to toss the Underoos from crusader to crusader, and to interrogate about the, how you say, ‘skidmarks.’”
By the time the soldiers had left, the devastating experience had taken its toll. After slapping his mother uncontrollably, Mustafa had vowed to join the resistance to exact revenge on the Americans.
“I will behead the Infidels, and show the world that they are the ones with the humorous underpants, not me,” he says, angrily. [/quote]
The above was a joke. This is real. No joke. 
[quote]Imaad and his mother said the soldiers rushed in, ordering them to sit together while they searched the house. “You look poor,” Imaad recalled one of the soldiers saying. “Why?”
Imaad answered in English: “I have not been able to find a job, although I’m a graduate of the College of Arts.” His heart was pounding, Imaad said. His mother, a chatty widow who adores her son, sat next to him, shaking.
The soldiers went to search his bedroom. He heard laughing, and then they called for him, he said. Imaad went to his room and saw that the soldiers had found several magazines he kept hidden from his mother. They had pictures of girls in swimsuits and erotic poses. Imaad said the soldiers spread the magazines on his bed and put his Koran in the middle.
“This is a good match,” Imaad said one of the soldiers told him.
“It was a nightmare,” he said. “I will never forget those bad soldiers when they put the Koran among the magazines.”
Within 20 minutes, the soldiers left without arresting him or his mother. While the soldiers went next door to search his neighbor’s house, Imaad began to slap his mother, he said. “The American people are devils,” Um Imaad recalled her son repeating. [/quote]
Dear Comrade Stalin and Tainan Cowboy:
I would appreciate it if you would stop talking so openly in front of Spook about our plans to dominate the world. While I realize that some of this information was allowed to get out and was revealed in the last James Bond movie, I would really appreciate not having to postpone WORLD DOMINATION for yet another season. In the interests, therefore, of the CAUSE, would you all please pipe down and use the private messenger service. I don’t want Spook to find out that we are in cohorts with the Jews and Zionists to take over the ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST boohahahahahaah which will make us RICH BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS. So, play by the book and keep this under cover.
Most appreciatively yours,
Frederick P. Smith V.
Taipei Branch
World Domination R US
Wonder if those Iraqis who are detained would prefer to be in an Iraqi jail?
[quote]Iraqi authorities routinely torture prisoners, a leading human rights group said Tuesday, citing examples of abuse which will sound all too familiar to those who suffered under Saddam Hussein.
Prisoners have been beaten with cables and hosepipes, and suffered electric shocks to their earlobes and genitals, the U.S.-based group Human Rights Watch said. Some have been starved of food and water and crammed into standing-room only cells.
``The people of Iraq were promised something better than this after the government of Saddam Hussein fell,’’ said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the group’s Middle East and North Africa division.
``The Iraqi interim government is not keeping its promises to honor and respect basic human rights. Sadly, the Iraqi people continue to suffer from a government that acts with impunity in its treatment of detainees.’’
Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 90 Iraqi prisoners between July and October last year, just after the government of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi assumed power from the U.S.-led forces which toppled Saddam.
Seventy-two said they had been tortured or mistreated.
``Detainees report kicking, slapping and punching, prolonged suspension from the wrists with the hands tied behind the back, electric shocks to sensitive parts of the body … and being kept blindfolded and/or handcuffed continuously for several days,’’ the group said in a report.
``In several cases, the detainees suffered what may be permanent physical disability.’’[/quote]
Stalin, is it surprising that a Muslim would call American troops devils after [quote]They had pictures of girls in swimsuits and erotic poses. Imaad said the soldiers spread the magazines on his bed and put his Koran in the middle.[/quote]
Somehow he just didn’t see the humor in it. Poor kid. But are actions like that ever justified? Try going to Alabama and pissing on someone’s Bible. You’ll have a whole tobacco-spitting posse (headed by Uncle Jesse) after you in a heartbeat.
Fred, interesting note that you [quote]Wonder if those Iraqis who are detained would prefer to be in an Iraqi jail?[/quote]
So basically you’re stating that since some US troops torture(d) LESS than Saddam and current jail leaders they are not bad. 
Personally if I was to be tortured I would probably choose to watch Britney Spears videos. The Indians and the ‘honey & ants’ routine would probably be a bit much. The Inquisition was just asking for too much. I mean, that kind of torture is just uncalled for. Chinese water torture would probably not be all that pleasant, either. Most Hollywood movies, classic French movies and all of Taiwanese TV to some degree qualify as torture and I’m sure they are mentioned somewhere in the Geneva Conventions papers.
Never said that any abuse was correct sbmoor, but people like you sometimes live on this planet where the US is expected to act with perfect perfectness all the time or it is deserving of the utmost scorn and censure. YET, the abuses (not torture) in the US case are being tried and punished. Where is that true in the Middle East? Hmmm? I am merely highlighting that for all the outrage about the evil US treatment of Iraqis that most of them treat their own people far worse. Any al Jazeerah headlines for this? Hmmm? Why not? Oh, the US must live up to a higher standard and even though all the abuse is being punished, it should be held up for ridicule and scorning headlines day after day while this, which is perfectly normal in the Middle East, should just pass without comment because you know that is just what THOSE people are like right?
Also, didn’t you find it a bit odd that this respectful young Muslim man gets so offended at the US troops that he starts beating his own mother? For Christ’s (intentional) sake, what the hell kind of people wear cartoon pajamas (first case) who also beat his mother after being teased about his pajamas and the second who also beats his mother after receiving ridicule from US troops? What does the mother have to do with this? Why is she being beaten in both cases? Fuck. If these are the kinds of little shits that are joining the insurgents, hell, let’s take out a few more. CAN anyone on this forum ever recall EVER hitting their mother ONCE or father for that matter? Can you imagine coming home from school after being teased by some other kids and attacking your own parents? What the fuck?
Does hitting on your mother count?
"In the case of Hadi Abdul Hasson, an Iraqi who died in U.S. custody at a prison near the southern port of Umm Qasr, Army criminal investigators were unable to locate meaningful prison or military records on his capture or fate.
Due to inadequate recordkeeping, this office could only estimate that Mr. Hasson possibly died between April-September 2003," and so the case was closed, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command said in October."
“A January 2004 probe, for example, found that nine soldiers in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment based at Fort Carson, Colo., and deployed in Iraq “were possibly involved in a criminal conspiracy to rob Iraqi citizens of currency” at traffic-control points. Two members of the unit affirmed the plan in sworn statements and named its participants. But the investigation was terminated after the commander “indicated an intent to take action amounting to less than a court proceeding,” the report said.”
Does hitting on your mother count?[/quote]
1st rule -
NO MOTHERS.
[quote=“fred smith”]Dear Comrade Stalin and Tainan Cowboy:
I would appreciate it if you would stop talking so openly in front of Spook about our plans to dominate the world. While I realize that some of this information was allowed to get out and was revealed in the last James Bond movie, I would really appreciate not having to postpone WORLD DOMINATION for yet another season. In the interests, therefore, of the CAUSE, would you all please pipe down and use the private messenger service. I don’t want Spook to find out that we are in cohorts with the Jews and Zionists to take over the ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST boohahahahahaah which will make us RICH BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS. So, play by the book and keep this under cover.
Most appreciatively yours,
Frederick P. Smith V.
Taipei Branch
World Domination R US[/quote]
Well said Most Honored Worshipful Master Smith.
Mum’s the word !
As our secret song says…
[quote=“secret song”]Who controls the British crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We do! We do!
Who leaves Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the martians under wraps?
We do! We do!
Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?
We do! We do!
Who robs the cave fish of their sight?
Who rigs every Oscars night?
We do! We do![/quote]Victory wil be ours…heh heh heh…
Funny
Well let’s look at the “civilized” world spookie:
How come Germany gets to discuss torture and its appropriate uses and have a whole national debate on it and then not only do we not get to do so in the US but we have Germans lecturing us about our barbaric ways? Bit rich no? And why do the French get to have a torture policy? There are a few other nations in Europe that with a little prodding (intentional) would probably reveal police or intelligence torture policies as well.
Do you want me to go and repost the information on German and French torture policies? Do you want me to repeat that many a German politician has come out in favor of such policies if it would mean saving a lot of lives? Do you want me to point out the obvious that it may in fact be more immoral not to torture someone if there was a chance that 50,000 people would die in a dirty bomb attack? This misguided idea that ALL torture is wrong under ANY and ALL circumstances is what is worrying.
Now, most of the Abu Ghraib stuff was abuse. Not nice. It is being punished. It was isolated and until you can prove that it was not or that higher ups in fact ordered this, then I don’t believe it.
My final comment. There needs to be a rational and calm discussion about torture policy. Right now, it involves nothing but hysterical democrats shrieking about things without thinking. Why not have the same debate that Germany did? Do you really think that such a debate is not needed and that torture is wrong under any and all circumstances? What about coercive interrogation methods like good cop, bad cop? Again, on the left there seems to be this worrying trend that only the criminals have rights and that their victims are somehow supposed to have none because looking after their interests would somehow compromise the ethical code that our nation lives by. There has to be more “nuance” than this.
And when did you start going Alien by posting Tommy Tomorrow cartoons? Getting weak or hysterical or is it that time of m… never mind.
Col. Thomas M. Pappas, Commander, 205th MI Brigade, was the officer primarily in charge of interrogation at Abu Ghraib. The U.S. Army’s official findings of events at Abu Ghraib were that the investigating officer found “sufficient credible evidence” to suspect that Col Pappas was either directly or indirectly responsible for events at Abu Ghraib and recommended an official investigation to determine the extent of his culpability, if any. No such inquiry has taken place or is currently planned.
“13. (U) I find that there is sufficient credible information
to warrant an Inquiry UP Procedure 15, AR 381-10, US Army
Intelligence Activities, be conducted to determine the
extent of culpability of MI personnel, assigned to the
205th MI Brigade and the Joint Interrogation and
Debriefing Center (JIDC) at Abu Ghraib (BCCF).
[u]Specifically, I suspect that COL Thomas M. Pappas, LTC
Steve L. Jordan, Mr. Steven Stephanowicz, and Mr. John
Israel were either directly or indirectly responsible for
the abuses at Abu Ghraib /u and strongly recommend
immediate disciplinary action as described in the
preceding paragraphs as well as the initiation of a
Procedure 15 Inquiry to determine the full extent of
their culpability. (ANNEX 36)”
spook:
You keep finding credible evidence. Yup. There very well may be but what you keep studiously ignorning is that all of this is going to trial. All of this evidence is being weighed and some of it (gasp!) is being discarded. That my dear friend is how trials work. Get over it.
[quote=“fred smith”]spook:
. . . what you keep studiously ignoring is . . .[/quote]
Yo, baby, you’re good.
Yo baby:
Give me the proof right now that there is a cover up or that anyone who should be prosecuted is not. Show me that the system has not worked. Don’t give me little clipping that x recommended that y be investigated and that z thought that a might be involved in the abuse. Give me proof that they were not tried and should have been or that someone is getting off the hook. Can you? If so, I welcome anything you have but for someone who doesn’t like to be labeled anything and has a problem with slander…
Yo baby you are very good yourself.