Thursday, January 08, 2009

Where Have We Heard This Before?

News Item: "Harper pushes to gain control of Senate"

"Gentlemen," concluded Napoleon, "I will give you the same toast as before, but in a different form. Fill your glasses to the brim. Gentlemen, here is my toast: To the prosperity of The Manor Farm! "

There was the same hearty cheering as before, and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. But as the animals outside gazed at the scene, it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover's old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. Some of them had five chins, some had four, some had three. But what was it that seemed to be melting and changing? Then, the applause having come to an end, the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted, and the animals crept silently away.

But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. An uproar of voices was coming from the farmhouse. They rushed back and looked through the window again. Yes, a violent quarrel was in progress. There were shoutings, bangings on the table, sharp suspicious glances, furious denials. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously.

Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. (Animal Farm -- George Orwell)
Recommend this Post

6 comments:

  1. We kept on hearing that Canadians wanted the old Progressive Conservatives and not the Reformers -- well, they've got them now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We kept on hearing that Canadians wanted the old Progressive Conservatives and not the Reformers -- well, they've got them now.

    In some ways, but in others they are still Republican wannabes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Which is exactly how people in your spot on the political spectrum would have described the old PCs.

    ReplyDelete
  4. In my opinion, you're wrong, Ben. Speaking as an old Red Tory, stacking the senate and acting cynically is not a Red Tory virtue.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nonsense.

    It's an old story. The Tories win government after a long Liberal stint in power. The Liberals use the Senate to frustrate them.

    The Tories whine for a while, then stack the Senate.

    We've seen it all before.

    ReplyDelete
  6. But that's political cynicism at work. And that both exists in and is unwelcome in just about every political party. But if you're saying that Red Tories are all cynical politicians, well, I have to argue with you there.

    ReplyDelete