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Zimbabwe no different from Animal Farm
16 Nov 2014 at 21:24hrs | Views
Animal Farm, a famous satirical novel set on a typical English farm, contains many important lessons for Zimbabwe.
Penned by renowned author George Orwell and published at the end of World War II, the fable is a cautionary tale of the dangers of misplacedsa nationalism, the deifying of so-called liberators and all those tasked with leading, as well as the pitfalls of totalitarianism.
Like the joyous and optimistic launch of our "egalitarian" nation in April 1980, Animal Farm begins with the animals gathering together to listen to the vision of Major, an old boar - who foretells of a time when the much-hated human beings will not be present on earth, and the animals will live in freedom and control their own destiny.
After old Major dies, the pigs - the cleverest, most educated and most manipulative animals on the farm - codify his words into a thought system called Animalism.
The pigs spearhead a rebellion which takes over the farm, and help defend it against attempts to take it back by the oppressive humans.
The other animals rally around the pigs as the pigs set out the farm's new Seven Commandments - which forbid all human behaviour and encourage the animals never to harm or oppress one another.
Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer, the brightest of the clever pigs, assume leadership roles and set about tasks, including improving the living conditions of the animals.
But one day, Napoleon seizes power, drives Snowball from the farm, and systematically takes away all the rights that the animals struggled for. And slowly, step by step, the pigs force the other animals to deify them and to do with less, while assuming more wealth for themselves.
The new pig masters begin to live the same opulent lifestyles as the former oppressive humans, with the manipulative tinpot dictator, Napoleon, capitalising on the lack of education among the animals to take away more and more of their rights and freedoms.
By the end of the book, the clever pigs are even walking on their hind legs, just like the former oppressive humans, carrying whips, and carrying on in a similar manner as the former oppressors they had all fought so hard to drive out.
In the meantime, Squealer, the other clever boss pig, assures the other animals that all this is being done for the revolution, that it is for the animals' own good, and for the good of Animal Farm. Although Orwell doesn't say so, we are sure that Squealer even said "Animal Farm will never be a colony again!".
If this all sounds familiar, welcome to Zimbodia, an imaginary country in southern Africa that was born from the blood and sacrifice of many, which started very promisingly but is today a worse place for its long-suffering citizens than the pre-liberation state, except for the obese pigs at the top.
Yes, Animal Farm's founding Seven Commandments have now been replaced by the statement: "All animals are equal. But some animals, their wives and cronies are more equal than others". Need one say more.
Penned by renowned author George Orwell and published at the end of World War II, the fable is a cautionary tale of the dangers of misplacedsa nationalism, the deifying of so-called liberators and all those tasked with leading, as well as the pitfalls of totalitarianism.
Like the joyous and optimistic launch of our "egalitarian" nation in April 1980, Animal Farm begins with the animals gathering together to listen to the vision of Major, an old boar - who foretells of a time when the much-hated human beings will not be present on earth, and the animals will live in freedom and control their own destiny.
After old Major dies, the pigs - the cleverest, most educated and most manipulative animals on the farm - codify his words into a thought system called Animalism.
The pigs spearhead a rebellion which takes over the farm, and help defend it against attempts to take it back by the oppressive humans.
The other animals rally around the pigs as the pigs set out the farm's new Seven Commandments - which forbid all human behaviour and encourage the animals never to harm or oppress one another.
But one day, Napoleon seizes power, drives Snowball from the farm, and systematically takes away all the rights that the animals struggled for. And slowly, step by step, the pigs force the other animals to deify them and to do with less, while assuming more wealth for themselves.
The new pig masters begin to live the same opulent lifestyles as the former oppressive humans, with the manipulative tinpot dictator, Napoleon, capitalising on the lack of education among the animals to take away more and more of their rights and freedoms.
By the end of the book, the clever pigs are even walking on their hind legs, just like the former oppressive humans, carrying whips, and carrying on in a similar manner as the former oppressors they had all fought so hard to drive out.
In the meantime, Squealer, the other clever boss pig, assures the other animals that all this is being done for the revolution, that it is for the animals' own good, and for the good of Animal Farm. Although Orwell doesn't say so, we are sure that Squealer even said "Animal Farm will never be a colony again!".
If this all sounds familiar, welcome to Zimbodia, an imaginary country in southern Africa that was born from the blood and sacrifice of many, which started very promisingly but is today a worse place for its long-suffering citizens than the pre-liberation state, except for the obese pigs at the top.
Yes, Animal Farm's founding Seven Commandments have now been replaced by the statement: "All animals are equal. But some animals, their wives and cronies are more equal than others". Need one say more.
Source - dailynews
