Animal Farm

            The book Animal Farm by George Orwell is a very interesting book.  Orwell wrote the book during the Cold War, and he wrote it to show was communism is.  In the book the animals get rid of the humans on the farm.  The pigs take over control, and as first things are good, but as time wears on the condition for the other animals decline.  The pigs become extremely lazy, but the other animals had to do all of the work.  There is internal strife, and the humans keep trying to come back to the farm.  This book shows perfectly what happens in a communist society.

            I think that several lessons from Animal Farm.   It shows the progression of a communist government.  When a people become tired of their government, they normally overthrow the rulers.  Once that happens, the masses are looking for people to lead them.  If the ideas sound good, the people are normally willing to follow.  In the book, the pigs began to list the things that the animals stood for:  all animals are equal.  Here is list of their rules:

1.  Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy

2.  Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

3.  No animal shall wear clothes.

4.  No animal shall sleep in a bed.

5.  No animal shall drink alcohol.

6.  No animal shall kill any other animal.

7.  All animals are equal.

            These things sounded really good for the animals.  One of the reasons they got rid of the humans was because they abused and often forgot to feed them.  The rules stated many of the things that the animals had seen the humans do. 

            But what sounded good soon got out of hand.  The pigs could read and write, so they took control of the animals.  They began to direct the other animals in their work.  They took the best of everything.  At first, there was an animal counsel where all the animals could help the pigs plan.  These soon ended, and the pigs directed the other animals. 

            This always happens in a fascist or communist government.  At first the people are willing to follow, so the leaders take advantage.  Under a communist government, everything is government owned.  Everyone was supposed to do their part for the whole people.  Everyone is supposed to work as hard as they can, and everyone will eat.  But invariably, some people begin to be lazy.  They begin to direct, but not actually do any work.  These are the people who lead the masses.

            During the course of the story, the puppies are taken from the dogs.  The dogs don't know where their pups have gone, but the pigs assure them they are well.  When two pigs disagree with each other over a windmill, one of the pigs tells the puppies to kill the other pig.  From then on, the puppies became the pigs bodyguards.  Whenever an animal disagreed with the pigs, the dogs were sent to that animal, and that animal was never heard from again. 

            This also happens in real communist societies.  All world leaders know that if you can teach the young, it is easy to maintain power.  They try to control the childrens' education, to teach them what the leaders want them to know.  If this happens, the kids will grow up believing whatever they are taught.  When Stalin and Hitler came to power, the ordered the burning of many books, which are used to communicate knowledge.  So this is like the dogs, because they were taken from their mothers, but taught by the pigs.

            So for a while the pigs fun unopposed.  Then some of the animals begin to notice that the pigs are abusing their power.  They are getting fat, drinking the farmer's whiskey, and discontent grows.  The pigs send their guard dogs whenever they hear anything.  Many animals begin to disappear.  This breeds fear among the animals.

            Once the communist government is set up, it might appear to be nice.  Maybe it won't to some people.  But the people undoubtedly begin to notice what is happening to the rulers.  They do things that the ordinary people can't do.  If they are questioned or opposed, they send in secret police to silence the opposition.  Communist governments make people fear them, because they cannot control the otherwise.

            The biggest real life example of a communist government in the world is Russia.  They were a communist country from about 1919 to 1991.  This is a long time.  When Lenin first came to power, he began to send the educated people and political opponents to Siberia.  Stalin continued this policy.  They just eliminated all opposition within the country.  They say good things, but good things are never done.  The leaders abuse their powers, and they grow rich while the country grows poor. 

            It is a common belief that under communism equality would be practiced.  This is a lie.  The communist ideals state that the government owns everything, and that everyone would be equal.  But in reality this does not work.  Some people exalt themselves as leaders, and as leaders they do things that they say the people can't do.

            While communism sounds good to many people.  If they have studied communism at all, they would realize that while the ideals are good, the results are not.  At first, the communists proclaim many high sounding ideas.  These are good.  But absolute power corrupts absolutely.  The leaders must be held accountable, as in a republic or democracy.