To Orwell Today,
BYE, BYE AMERICAN PIE

Hi Jackie,

First I would like to welcome Jordan's contribution. It's refreshing to see the new generation here and being prepared to probe and question or argue.

AMERICAN PIE I believe was about the simplicity of Holly's music. I remember when rock was young BEFORE Elton. Rock n Roll was considered by many as being devil's music. Elvis records were stockpiled and burnt and in later years Beatles also. This fear was entrenched in sections of society along with "the commies are coming".

Strange your association with this fear element considering the fear factor ORWELL himself warned us would influence our common reasoning. We have more to fear from "DEMOCRACY".

Regards,
Raymond Wills

PS - American Pie I assume is good old apple pie, or pecan pie?

Greetings Raymond,

You use the term "the commies are coming" sarcastically, as though you don't believe in the existence of "commies". But in America, in the years after the war, the Communists WERE a threat to America AND to Britain and elsewhere in the FREE world (and still are). Communist spies were found in the highest levels of government, ie Philby, MacLean, Burgess et all in England and Alger Hiss and Dexter White etc here in "America". Politicians who tried to expose "Communists" were ridiculed and made into objects of hate, ie Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The two men I have devoted this website to, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Orwell, took the Communist threat very seriously. JFK spoke out against Communism in speeches before and after being elected President of the United States. And Orwell spoke out against Communism - and its unholy partner, Capitalism - all his literary life. That's what "Animal Farm" was all about - although some people think it's a children's story about animals on a farm. And what do you think "1984" is all about, a love affair between Winston and Julia? Hardly, that's just its wrapping.

In pointing out the "communist" undertones of the song "American Pie" I am doing work Orwell would approve of, contrary to what you imply.

And DEMOCRACY is NOT what we have to fear. But what is done in democracy's NAME is presently fearful. See my essay COLD WAR, WARM WAR. What is being done in America's name is NOT democracy even though it is being described that way. That's a perfect example of Orwellian "doublethink" where "war is peace" and "communism is democracy".

Contrary to what we've all been told, Communism is NOT dead. It's joined forces with Capitalism and is more powerful than ever. That's what Orwell warned us about in "1984".

All the best,
Jackie Jura

PS - Yes, American pie is apple pie. See my new commentary BYE, BYE APPLE PIE