George Bush Channels George Orwell

Can a sitting President be charged with plagiarism?

As President Bush wages his war against terrorism and moves to create a huge homeland security apparatus, he appears to be borrowing heavily, if not ripping off ideas outright, from George Orwell's 1984, the prophetic novel about a government that controls the masses by spreading propaganda, cracking down on subversive thought, and altering history to suit its needs.

1984 was intended as a warning about the evils of totalitarianism - not a how-to manual. We're a long way from resembling the kind of authoritarian state Orwell depicted, but some of the similarities are eerie.

In1984, the state was perpetually at war against a vague and ever-changing enemy - a convenient way to fuel hatred, nurture fear, and justify the regime's autocratic practices. Bush's war against terrorism is almost as amorphous. Exactly what constitutes success in this war remains unclear, but Bush is clear on one point: the war will continue indefinitely.

In1984, an omnipresent and all-powerful leader, Big Brother, commanded the unquestioning support of the people. He was both adored and feared. No one dared speak out against him. President Bush is not as menacing, but he has quietly achieved the greatest expansion of executive powers since Nixon. His minions cultivate an image of infallibility and impugn the patriotism of anyone who questions his leadership.

In1984, Big Brother's ever-watchful eye kept tabs on the citizens of Orwell's totalitarian state. The Bush administration has its new TIPS program to enlist citizen-spies as extra eyes and ears for law enforcement. And the Justice Department, thanks to the hastily passed USA Patriot Act, has sweeping new powers to monitor phone conversations, Internet usage, business transactions, and library records.

Could America become an Orwellian society that accepts war as peace, freedom as slavery, and ignorance as strength? Can it happen overnight, or would it involve a gradual erosion of freedoms with the people's consent?

So powerful was the state's mind control and manipulation in 1984 that, eventually, everyone came to love Big Brother.

Perhaps in time we all will, too.