We're Back in the USSR...

...or maybe we're in Oceania, that "1984" country where the Party controls history and language and bars all individuality. Maybe, if we're real quiet, we can take a peek into what's happening in Oceania, formerly known as the United States of America.

Let's take a look at what's happening in the Ministry of Truth, which alters historical truths in order to accommodate the Party's current needs. Once the Party changed the definition of marriage as now being between any two people, those slow to adopt to the new rule were, of course, rightly called bigots and haters and enemies of the Party. Those who tried to "cling to their religion," religion having been banned, were the most difficult to persuade.

But Party loyalists were busy admonishing those recalcitrant few. Said one Rekhu Basu: "Of course some institutions, especially religious ones, will need time to adapt and change, and figure out how to reconcile their teachings with the law." (Mandatory reading in one of the Party's news organs, the Ventura County Star, 7/2/15 edition.) You see, the Party will not accept deviation from the Party's political dogma. Any group believing in the traditional definition of marriage must "adapt and change" their beliefs, even if those beliefs had been part of their religious tenets for thousands of years.

Some, such as a few who used to belong to the now outlawed Republican Party, were outraged that the Party could tell them to change such fundamental beliefs. Most, however, agreed that it was the government's duty to tell people how to think - that group having long forgotten how to engage in independent thought.

Let's see what else is going on in the Ministry Truth. It seems that any evidence of the existence of the Confederate States (which fought against the former United States) will be eliminated from all books; and any and all paraphernalia or references to the Confederacy or individual slave owners will also be banned.

One news organ reported that many steps were already being taken. The former Confederate flag was banned from all local governments and retail outlets. In Connecticut, there was an effort to change the name of Calhoun College (part of Yale University, one of the Party's many propaganda schools existing throughout Oceania), because former Vice President John C. Calhoun was a supporter of slavery. In an area that used to be known as Southern California, the local residents were following the Party's lead in removing the name "Robert E. Lee" from all schools.

Meanwhile, throughout Oceania, efforts were underway to take down all statues depicting any Confederate officers. At Party headquarters (formerly known as the Capitol building in what was once Washington, D.C.), it was decided that the flags of the former states would have to come down, as many depicted the Confederate symbol. It was also decided that the Father of our country would now be, and always was, John Adams. George Washington, having been considered the Father of the country for many years, used to be a slave owner. Therefore, his name and likeness was ordered off all buildings, currency and coinage. All books mentioning the name George Washington were ordered destroyed.

Let's see if we can find anything else that the Ministry of Truth is working on. One sports team by the name of the Washington Redskins, lost their trademark registration, on order of one of the Party's judges. It was determined that the name "Redskins" was disparaging to some of the citizens. While the First Amendment to the Constitution of the former United States used to protect a wide range of speech, especially speech that was "disparaging," the Party decided that such speech might create unnecessary conflict. Besides, the Party had long abandoned the Constitution as having any force of law; as the only law now is what the Party orders.

We need to leave the Ministry of Truth now; if we stay too long we might get caught. The punishment could be to remove all references to our ever having existed from all official records. Maybe we can sneak in another time, but the punishments are becoming increasingly severe for not following the Party line.