The Fork-Tongued Express

Where is George Orwell when we need him? He’d love the current black-is-white, up-is-down American political world.

A draft dodger accused a war hero of not being a patriot — and won. Multimillionaires accused a just-out-of-debt, self-made man of being an elitist. The family-values right wing is applauding an unmarried pregnant teenager and her boyfriend as models of responsibility. Women are considering the possibility of electing as the first woman to the highest executive office in United States history one whose record on “women’s” issues — particularly the controversial abortion question — is contrary to the passionate views of the majority of women. (She, by the way, applauds her teenage daughter’s personal “choice” to have a baby at the same time that she opposes “choice” for women generally. And she pleads for her children’s privacy, while parading them before national television—including an infant held before late-night cameras like a prop, and her pregnant daughter and her boyfriend holding hands on a national stage before an audience proclaiming “family values.”)

The party in power portrays itself as the opposition party in favor of change? The new hope, fresh face, veep candidate asks CNBC, “What is it exactly that the vice president does every day?” The Republicans claim they are the inclusive party at a convention attended by 36 blacks out of 2,380 delegates. In a national economic crisis, the presidential candidate says he doesn’t know much about the economy while his adviser on the subject tells the public to stop whining (he doesn’t share their pain?).

Someone pinch me; I’m dreaming this, right? Blame the media for portraying the enemy—us!

Visit www.ronaldgoldfarb.com.