So during a comment war pie fight I let myself get dragged into I ran across a hilariously ill informed gem. Someone comparing Bernie to Squealer from that classic banned Orwell book Animal Farm.

Squealer of course being the pig who declared everyone who dared question enemies of the revolution. Ones who had to be dealt with harshly. And I can see where he was going with it, PP leadership endorsing Hillary, so there go the "bros" Clyburn, Huerta, so on.

Of course as someone who ranks said novel even above 1984 I couldn't resist my own take. Snarking back that Squealer was more DWS of course. Playing press flack for comrade Hillary, taking all the milk and apples for the good of the farm while the rest of the "free" animals keep making do with less. Like old Boxer (representing the middle class) says, "I will work harder." even as the work kept coming.

Said comment ending with the fact that when Hillary does come trotting out with the whip in her hand I'm dead certain sheep like him (and Kosland sadly enough...) would be the first to bleat out "Four legs good two legs better!" As was pointed out in comments here the other day.

And of course the warning the end of the book provides us. After Bernie/Snowball has been driven off, and when the fight breaks out during the poker game, "And the animals looked from man to pig to man, and none could tell the difference." If there's a better example of how the two parties have become virtually interchangeable I'm hard pressed to find it.

But the snark got me to start re-reading Animal farm again, to get deeper into the details once more, and I'll admit the parallels are more then a little unsettling. Not to mention fury inducing at how powerful a weapon fear can be.

Let's rewrite Squealer's remarks for the modern DNC age for instance. I think I know who he also could be... (Yes I can't resist)

We Democrats are pragmatists. The continued success of this country depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare to make sure you don't lose what we fought for. It is for YOUR sake that we take that bank money and have to stop the rhetoric. Do you know what would happen if we Democrats failed in our duty? Trump would win! Yes, Trump would win! Surely, liberals," cried Kos almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Trump win?"

Now if there was one thing that the Democrats were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Trump. When it was put to them in this light, they had no more to say. The importance of keeping the party unified was all too obvious. So it was agreed without further argument that the control of the party (and also the main crop of donations) should be reserved for the establishment alone.

I remembered this quote offhand, but I had forgotten about the second, which sums up the DNC, most notably Rendell, and little miss closed primaries for all now to a tea.

"Comrades," Kos said, "I trust that every diarist here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Hillary has made in taking this extra labor upon herself. Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Hillary that all Democrats are equal. She would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided to follow Bernie, with his moonshine of free stuff–Bernie, who, as we now know, was no better than a vote divider?"

"He fought bravely in the Primaries" said somebody.

"Bravery is not enough," said Kos. "Loyalty and obedience are more important. And as to the primaries, I believe the time will come when we shall find that Bernie's part in it was much exaggerated. Discipline, comrades, iron discipline! That is the watchword for today. One false step, and we get Trump! Surely, comrades, you do not want to lose the courts to him?"

Once again this argument was unanswerable. Certainly the Democrats did not want Trump; if the holding of more debates and the rhetoric questioning Hillary's record was liable to bring him back, then both must stop. Boxer, who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general feeling by saying: "If Comrade Hillary says it, it must be right." And from then on he adopted the maxim, "Vote Blue no matter who." in addition to his private motto of "I will work harder."

And of course it was the young pigs daring to question, who were drowned out by the sheep, but we'll get back to them later.

Regardless I never thought I'd hear myself utter these words, but when you look at the state of today's Democratic electorate?

Trump was right.

Granted not in the way he thinks mind you, but his point was proven. It's not just his base that is so unquestioning, that takes any criticism as disloyalty that must be silenced for the sake of "unity", and that is so god damn afraid that I honestly wonder...

If Hillary shot someone on 5th Avenue, do you think it would cost HER votes?

And it's appalling. I sit here and look at it, and I can not believe the party I used to call home has hit this point. That we consider acceptable discourse (Heard on Norman Goldman's show last week) "The problem the Democrat party has is we aren't afraid enough of Trump yet!"

It doesn't matter where you are left or right, the words/positions may change, the fear stays the same.

And the insane part from a tactical standpoint is this argument completely cedes the moral high ground. On top of proving the Repubs own scare tactics right.

Vote red to keep the left from wrecking the country with liberal activist judges who will let the gays in everywhere!

So our response has to now be this?

Vote blue to keep the right from wrecking the country with conservative activist judges who will put all your gay friends in camps and make women nothing more then baby carriers.

We have met the enemy and they are us. I just want to go, when and why did it have to become this way? The best solution to a right wing Scalia is a left wing one?

Yes I know in many places (Hi Roy Moore) judges do inject political bias into rulings. But this is the one place where I still have a spark of idealism. And I'd rather have a judge who I would hope agrees with the law, instead of a judge who agrees with me politically. And the fact that the one branch of the govt that should be apolitical is now being used by BOTH sides as additional chess pieces in the power struggle, and is treated as a means to get things we want or keep/take away things we have disgusts me to no end.

This is where I have a major disagreement with Bernie and the left. A litmus test on Citizens United is no better then one on Roe V Wade. We are better than this, why do you need the tactics of our enemy to succeed Dems?

Oh right, cause you don't give a damn about us, you just want a warm body voting for you.

Cause you and many others have made it clear that "We have to win!" Because after all, "Do you want Trump?"

And this is where again Orwell proved all too accurate, as some of us out there are willing to take this to that extreme, to win at any cost. Even if it does mean we compromise everything we stand for (Or the Seven commandants of Animalism) because of that fear and a devotion to blind loyalty. Even when we know it's wrong. . .

“Muriel,” Clover said, “read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never working directly with a PAC?”

With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out.

“It says, ‘No Democrat shall work directly with a PAC' (except if it's online communication)” she announced finally.

Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned online activity; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so.

And of course who is right there? Squealer again, and what is his response to the questioning?

"The rule was against Coordination, which was a FEC invention. We have removed the Coordination, and make sure the bloggers stay between us and the speech. And a very comfortable arrangement it is too! But not more comfortable than we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. You would not rob us of our supporters, would you, comrades? You would not have us unable to correct the record? Surely none of you wishes to see Trump win?”

A personal side note on this essay. Regarding this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9aek5FRZNY&feature=youtu.be) And the online attacks on Bernie's FB pages. which of course *eyeroll* were certainly neeeever endorsed by Pro Hillary groups. (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/277657-hillary-supporte...)

One user my ass.

But when I showed that video to one of the hardcore vote blue people I know, and asked her flat out. "Is THIS how you want to win?" The response I got back was a laughing snoopy picture.

At possible child porn being used as a political tactic.

Yeah. That was one less friend on the ol list. But how do you even begin to respond to that closed of a mind?

I'll confess this is where I feel a touch like Clover later in the book, if more rebellious than she. After (in shades of current events again) Napoleon had just carried out his slaughter. And who were the first four victims?

Our young porker friends, who were forced to confess to their crimes against the true revolution, and promptly murdered for it. Tell me if this sounds familiar to anyone.

"Instead — she did not know why — they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes."

But on the vote blue side? (and where Clover and I seriously part ways)

There was no thought of rebellion or disobedience in her mind. She knew that, even as things were, they were far better off than they had been in the days of Bush, and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the Republicans. Whatever happened she would remain faithful, work hard, carry out the orders that were given to her, and accept the leadership of Hillary. But still, it was not for this that she and all the others had hoped and toiled.

And of course right after this and the final singing of "Beasts of England" what does Squealer have to say?

"The enemy both external and internal has been defeated. In ‘Beasts of England’ we expressed our longing for a better society in days to come. But that society has now been established. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose.”

And we see the next day "No Democrat shall Attack or BOJO another." (without cause)

But remember, they're the party of the people. Even as the facts are right there in your face to say otherwise.

Even though life is harder, colder, shorter, but we're "Free."
Even as we work harder for those at the top doing squat for us.
Even though we make do with less as those who claim to be for us seem to keep getting more. "It's just a readjustment"

But they have plenty of figures to say how much better things are.

As my fiancee and I work 60-70 hours between us, myself 40 of that, and at $10/hr each can barely afford a 1BR in NC (Hendersonville) much less even think of starting a family at this point. Too busy living off canned food and ramen, and watching a wheel bearing repair put my checking account at -$74

And even as you can show the entire damn farm our substitute Squealers having just fallen off the ladder. With the paint bucket right beside them, and written on the wall now? When everyone agrees one of the biggest problems is money in politics and it's corrosive influence?

"No part of the DNC shall take lobbyist money" (To excess)

Even as they wrap themselves in the spirit of the old guard and say how great things are, and we have to keep them going.

There's part of me too that want's to compare the hardest working horse on the farm, old Boxer being sold to the knackers for whiskey to TPP too. But I don't know, straining this metaphor a bit too far at that point?

Maybe we could have the hosts of Republican's right down to the Koch's coming out for Hillary being the humans coming to visit the farm at the end?

Regardless, as a closing note. I'm convinced (as noted in comments again here) that we have hit a point where the sheep are willing to accept anything. They've been conditioned to do so, fear will do that.

But not just them.

They may be the ones who bleat out "Four legs good two legs BETTER." but it's the rest of the animals (and us) who don't dare to question and stand up against what we know to be wrong who are no better than them. People who do seem more intent on winning elections than doing what they know in their hearts to be right.

Because if you question? Well we get the bleating and fuss about the fascism they say Trump would bring us. "Aren't you scared?"

Not as scared of that as I am of people who are so afraid of the bullet to the face they can't see the knife headed for their back.

And are so scared of the boogyman over there. They're willing to accept the ever growing authoritarianism of the party I once called myself a proud member of. Be loyal or else, we wouldn't have to sic a paid troll on you...

Because we have to "win". Because we have to stop "them". Because the letter by someone's name is more important than the positions they hold. And don't you dare question those positions, the rhetoric has got to stop, cause do you want Trump!

Blind label voting and blind loyalty trumping critical questioning of those we want to represent us? As was also noted here and as I've been telling my friends elsewhere. This isn't Democracy, this is Tribalism.

And if it does come to pass I say to those who call themselves Democrats, what have we won?

What good is winning if we find ourselves at the end living in a world where you can't tell one side from the other?

And the end result is still all of us, regardless of our personal political views, in a world where...

"All animals are equal." (Some are just more equal than others)