by Bill Shein

Has “Animal Farm,” George Orwell’s 1946 satiric fable about the rise of totalitarianism, become the blueprint for the president’s re-election campaign? It seems unthinkable, but review the following and judge for yourself.

Bush Campaign—“The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq was arrested Thursday after interrupting a campaign speech by first lady Laura Bush … [she] screamed questions at the first lady as the audience tried to drown her out by chanting, ‘Four more years! Four more years!’ “—UPI, Sept. 17.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“Then, as usual, the sheep broke into ‘Four legs good! Two legs bad!’ and the momentary awkwardness was smoothed over.”

Bush—“The Bush administration warned Thursday that terrorists might launch a ‘large-scale attack’ in the United States to influence November’s presidential election, but critics questioned whether the White House was spreading fear of an attack for political purposes.” —San Francisco Chronicle, July 9.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“The animals were thoroughly frightened. It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.”

Bush—“During Bush’s Columbus visit this month, a select group of people was chosen to ask him questions, many of which were prearranged.” —Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 16.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“Napoleon rarely appeared in public, but spent all his time in the farmhouse, which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs. When he did emerge, it was in a ceremonial manner.”

Bush—“It’s absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November 2nd, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we’ll get hit again.”— Dick Cheney, Sept. 7.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“[Napoleon] 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?”

Bush—“Moments after the landing, the president, wearing a green flight suit and holding a white helmet, got off the plane, saluted those on the flight deck and shook hands with them.”—CNN.com, May 2, 2003.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“Napoleon emerged from the farmhouse, wearing both of his medals (for he had recently awarded himself ‘Animal Hero, First Class,’ and ‘Animal Hero, Second Class’).”

Bush—“The idea for a Sept. 11 commission, championed by many victims’ families, gained inexorable momentum when the Bush administration last week dropped its opposition.”—Associated Press, Sept. 22, 2002.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning.”

Bush—“Three purple hearts and never bled that I know of.”—Bob Dole on John Kerry’s wounds in Vietnam.

Or “Animal Farm”?—” ‘But [Snowball] was wounded,’ said Boxer. ‘We all saw him running with blood.’ “

Bush—“A combination of escalating bloodshed, gloomy assessments and deteriorating security conditions in Iraq are challenging the Bush administration’s upbeat view of the struggle to establish democracy in the beleaguered Middle East nation.”—L. A. Times, Sept. 17.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“They had nothing to go on except Squealer’s lists of figures, which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better.”

Bush—“When the tax cuts are fully in place, more than 50 percent of the savings will go to the richest one percent of taxpayers.”—New York Times, Oct. 5.

Or “Animal Farm”?—“Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer—except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs.”

“And yet the animals never gave up hope.” —“Animal Farm,” final chapter.