For whatever reason Sue and I started talking about George Orwell's classic 1984. I haven't read it, but know the gist. Sue has neither read nor, does she really now the gist of 1984 but was really interested when I explained the premise. Since we are all going to Myrtle Beach this weekend, I thought maybe I'd run out and pick up a copy to read at the beach along with another book that I've been wanting read about Cherokee Indians and the Trail of Tears. So, off I went to Waldenbooks (You, however, should buy lots of books through the handy Amazon links on my main page).

While at the bookstore looking in the "Classic" section, I noticed George Orwell's Animal Farm next to 1984 and I decided to give it a look. After reading the back cover, it seemed like it might be relevant to the events occurring today. And so I decided to pick that up too.

Now, I know Animal Farm is supposed to be a allegory of the communist Soviet Union, but whenever Squealer or Napoleon would rationalize some new restriction with "You don't want farmer Jones back do you?" I couldn't help but think of the restrictions imposed since 9/11 in the name of warding off another terrorist attack. If you've read Animal Farm you know that in the end Animalism ends up being worse than the oppression it was meant to replace. Animal Farm is a very good read and coming in at a just over a hundred pages is easy to read in an afternoon or two. And though the Soviet Union is gone, there are still many important lessons that are more than applicable to today's environment.