Animal Farm: The Clinton Years

 

 

When George Orwell wrote Animal Farm, he intended it to be a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the Russian Revolution. Little did he know that he was also portraying a future United States Presidential Administration with parallels similar to those he established with the development of the past Communist regime. The similarities to The White House occupied by William Jefferson Clinton are stark, although some of the comparisons are made in relation to a single character and some are single characters representing a group or ideology. The comparison of events is another area of parallel interpreted in this satirical exercise. Some of the comparisons are somewhat of a stretch, but with tongue in cheek, it isn't a far stretch.

The cast-of-characters are parallel to present-day political figures in many instances through out the story. The nature-of-events parallel the present day political climate such as the taking of the Manor Farm and the 1992 Presidential Election, the taking of the White House.

Mr. Jones was the owner of Manor Farm, the farm taken over by the animals. The Conservative Republicans were the occupants of the White House. Mr. Jones was accused of neglecting the animals when he forgot to feed them besides being mean and cruel to them - the conservative Republicans have been mischaracterized as wanting to cut programs thus neglecting and wanting to harm children, the poor, and the elderly. Mr. Jones was usually kind to the animals, for instance he would often mix milk in with the animal mash. Republicans tried a number of conciliatory moves to get along with the Democrats. Mr. Jones and his men tried once to retake the farm, but Napoleon and Snowball defeated the advance with the help of the animals. Although the republicans did gain the majority in the House and senate in 1994, Bob Dole tried to regain the White House in 1996, but the Clinton was able to use his willing accomplices in the media to defeat him.

Old Major, the prize boar, told all the animals in a late night meeting about a dream he had of a time when "Man had vanished". He taught the others about Animalism. Liberalism has been creeping in to our education system for many years. The indoctrination of young people to Liberal ideals with dreams of the "oppressive" right vanishing is the cornerstone of Liberalism. Old Major loved to encourage class envy among the animals by telling them that they do all the work and the rich have all the money. Liberals have taught and encouraged class envy for many years. Old Major died before the Animal Farm Revolution. Communism, the precursor to present day Liberalism, "Died" in the Soviet Union before the Clinton Presidential Election. Animalism is a scary example of the intent of Liberalism. It teaches that nobody should ever have to own anything, nobody will need to be rich, nobody will ever be poor. Liberals have incrementally inched in that direction over the years and want to see it come to fruition for all, but, just like Animalism, the leaders are excluded. Life will be much better for workers under Animalism, after all everybody is equal. Liberals want more regulation in the workplace to assure an equal environment with a guarantee for the sameness of results.

Snowball the young boar, main rival to Napoleon, was smart, a good speaker and idealistic. Newt Gingrich, Clinton's one time arch nemesis, is smart, a good speaker and idealistic. Snowball wanted a better life for the animals. He wrote the Seven Commandments on the barn and had the idea to build the windmill. The Seven Commandments were intended to make everything fair on the farm. The windmill was intended to make life easier for the animals. Gingrich wanted life to be better for Americans. He was one of the leaders of The Republican Revolution in 1994, and was not on the same side as Clinton but he was a leader similar to Snowball. He helped write the Contract With America as a promise to the American people to bring 10 specific ideas to a vote on Congress. Snowball was chased away by the nine big dogs Napoleon raised from puppies and trained to intimidate the others. Newt was "chased" away by the attack dog media and willing accomplices in the press trained to do the bidding of the Democratic Party. His own party, The Republican Party, was partly responsible for Newt's political demise also because they lacked the resolve to advance the Contract With America which had such a good start in 1994. They eventually sold Gingrich to the big dogs to save their own careers. Snowball's roll was mischaracterized and lied about by Napoleon and Squealer. He was blamed for the windmill destruction and was said to have been a spy for Mr. Jones the whole time. Newt's roll was mischaracterized and lied about. He has been blamed for the break down of the Republican Party and the loss of seats in the House in 1996 to Democrats.

Napoleon and Bill Clinton come from very similar molds. Napoleon was not a good speaker and is not quite as clever as he thinks. While Bill Clinton is a good orator, he too, is not as clever as he would like people to believe. Napoleon was self-centered, brutal, and corrupt as well as devious and spiteful. Bill Clinton is self-centered and corrupt as well as devious, spiteful, and cruel to his opponents. But Clinton is a good speaker. Napoleon was obsessed with his ambitious, power hungry appetite for complete control and to have rules apply to everybody but himself. Clinton has been obsessed with the acquisition of power since he was a young man. He plays with the law and ethics as though he were at recess in a schoolyard. He is a lawyer and knows how to manipulate the truth so that it sounds technically lawful in legal language. Napoleon was concerned with how his animals viewed him, so he manipulated the truth to suit his needs and to make himself look the best. Clinton is on a legacy-building mission and is known to tell half-truths or lies to suit his needs and to take credit for ideas he once condemned. For example he was against welfare reform (He vetoed several bills) until he was able to use it to his political advantage. Napoleon used the nine big dogs to intimidate the masses - Clinton has the FBI and the IRS to intimidate his opponents, and Craig Livingstone, hired to investigate individuals not in line with The White House.. Clinton also has the mainstream news media at his disposal. They run stories with a bad light on Clinton, then come back and repair the damage on their own or let his minions explain it away. He also has The Pornocrat, Larry Flint, available to keep opponents at bay by releasing dirt on targeted opposition Politicians, mostly Republicans. Napoleon had Squealer, who was sent out with the latest line on the current policy changes to make the changes more palatable to the animals. Clinton has the White House Press Secretary to present his daily mantra to gloss over the explanation the latest White House scandal. He also has the willing accomplices in the mainstream press and almost every Democrat in his party to shout that same daily mantra.

Moses the Raven is a symbol for institutionalized religion. He is allowed by Napoleon to tell the animals about Sugarcandy Mountain, symbolic of Heaven and a glorious after life. Napoleon permits Moses this because it keeps the animal working and looking forward to a possible better life. The Religious Left or the groups that live by the Liberal agenda is the present day Moses the Raven. The Religious Left tells their constituency about the Utopian and politically pure society achievable by incrementally establishing policies to thwart future growth of big business and industrialization. The Vice President Al Gore has been a champion of selling environmental doom and gloom especially in his book, Earth in the Balance. Al Gore could easily be compared to Moses the Raven, also.

Mollie the vain and foolish young mare has a clear parallel to The Hollywood Left. She was beauty conscious, wanting ribbons and sugar lumps. She could not care less about the farm or the rebellion. She went along with who ever could help her get what she wanted. The Hollywood Left pretends to care about politics to get attention, but constantly proves its bias and lack of knowledge on the subject. It is Just too bad most of them do not take the sugar lumps and go away the way Mollie did.

Benjamin is the wise old donkey similar to the apathetic portion of the voting public. He was suspicious of the revolution, but went along to keep the peace and stay alive. The apathetic middle-of-the-road or independent voters go out and voted, but don't really bother themselves with the facts beyond what they see on the six o'clock news. They have never trusted Clinton, but have not taken to the conservative ideology either.

Quite simply, the Battle of Cowshed was the 1996 Presidential Election. Mr. Jones and his men attempted to regain the farm only to be driven away by the animals. Bob Dole and the Republicans tried to regain the White House only to be driven away by the press and the way they portrayed each side of the election.

The windmill is a symbol for the legacy Clinton is building. The animals had their windmill knocked down one time by the men. Clinton had his windmill knocked down by Ken Starr when he was exposed as a liar in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The animals windmill was knocked down again, this time by a storm, Snowball was blamed for the deed. Clinton had his windmill knocked down again, this time by impeachment; Ken Starr was blamed as Clinton always uses the attack-the-accuser method of defense.

Through out the reign of Napoleon all problems that arose on the farm were blamed on Snowball. He said Snowball was sneaking in and doing evil deeds in the darkness. All problems during the Clinton Administration are blamed on Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Such as the "worst economy in fifty years" and when it was discovered that the Chinese had stolen nuclear technology, giving them the "bomb" but not the means to propel it to a destination, Al Gore said that it was a problem from the previous administration. He left out the fact that the Chinese were given permission to buy the needed technology to propel the warhead during Clinton and Gore term in office, the present administration.

The sheep had a chant they were given by Napoleon to be bleated to in unison to drown out anti-Napoleon talk: "Two legs bad, four legs good". The chant was changed to suit Napoleons needs. The Democrats have mantra they bleat to drown out conservatism. It changes daily to suit the needs of the day.

Napoleon's business dealings with Mr. Whymper, Pilkington and Frederick are similar to Clinton's business dealings with the Chinese and Indonesians. Dealing with the enemy and giving special concessions for special favors, such as campaign financing in exchange for technology.

The banquet at the farmhouse where Napoleon and the other pigs are cavorting with the humans is equivalent to Clinton and the way he panders to the constituency that he needs for the advancement of his agenda.

 

 

 

Tony Gagliano