Catastrophic climate change is undeniably upon us, especially in Washington, D.C. Witness the blizzard of neo-fascism raging since Jan. 20. Amidst this snowjob, I stumbled on a news item that George Orwell’s novel, “1984” had sold out on Amazon. It was after White House press secretary Sean Spicer blatantly lied in his first press briefing and then counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, explained in all seriousness that he used “alternative facts.” Seth Meyers joked on Late Night: “Kellyanne Conway is like someone trying to do a Jedi mind trick after only a week of Jedi training.”
Catastrophic climate change is undeniably upon us, especially in Washington, D.C. Witness the blizzard of neo-fascism raging since Jan. 20. Amidst this snowjob, I stumbled on a news item that George Orwell’s novel, “1984” had sold out on Amazon. It was after White House press secretary Sean Spicer blatantly lied in his first press briefing and then counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, explained in all seriousness that he used “alternative facts.” Seth Meyers joked on Late Night: “Kellyanne Conway is like someone trying to do a Jedi mind trick after only a week of Jedi training.”
Why the surge in sales of 1984? Perhaps because Orwell invented the term “Doublethink” from which came “Doublespeak,” now defined by Webster as, “language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth; also: gobbledygook.”
Yep, I’d say “alternative facts” belongs in that lexicon. Incredibly, these are the spokespeople for the President of the United States of America insisting that Trump’s beliefs are facts no matter what we see with our own eyes. Just shut up and follow Donald in Wonderland down the rabbit hole.
Segue to last month’s annual “March for Life” in Washington, D.C. where Vice President Pence declared, “Life is winning again in America!” What’s the connection? Doublespeak. In Orwell’s novel, the totalitarian regime invents Newspeak, a language designed to control the way people think by means of the words they have available. The language is encouraged by the Ministry of Truth, which is in charge of propaganda and revising history.
Here in the real world, pro-life is the term that people who want to overturn Roe v. Wade, who gather at “March for Life” anti-abortion rallies or harass patients outside clinics use to characterize themselves. But like “The moral majority,” and “alternative facts,” pro-life is doublespeak. By altering the language, they shapeshift what they really are. As demonstrated by their venomous, often violent, sometimes deadly harassment of women’s clinic doctors, staff and patients, self-proclaimed pro-lifers are simply anti-women’s rights and anti-choice.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being anti-abortion, anti-contraception or abstinence-only, so long as you’re choosing it for yourself. I support your right to choose 100 percent. It’s your body, your religion, your conscience, your right. Not mine. How outrageous it would be for me to claim authority over your body!
If they were honest, pro-life would call themselves anti-abortionists. Pro-life sounds nice but it’s a disguise worn by self-righteous people who are convinced that only they know what is moral and what God decrees — for everyone.
They rejoiced when Trump reinstated the anti-abortion global gag rule banning U.S. funding for any international health care organizations that include abortions, advocate for abortion rights or even mention abortion as part of their care for women; even if those activities are funded by non-U.S. money.
Women’s rights groups estimate this could cause the deaths of 70,000 women per year, world-wide, which was the toll before Obama took office and rescinded the rule. Declaring that “Life is winning again” by condemning women to death in the name of Pro-life fits the definition of doublespeak like a glove.
Jake Jacobs is a pilot and Kailua-Kona resident who writes an opinion column for West Hawaii Today.