Here is a brilliant post on, among other things, the way in which the language of the Bush Administration has moved beyond the Orwellian, straight into Lewis Carroll territory.
I have often considered writing a parodic analysis of the discourse of some universities in which I have worked, based on Alice in Wonderland. Jack Balkin is quite right that the reasoning of irrational authorities in Carroll is yet more ominous than what we see in 1984.
Meanwhile in this picture, we can observe Mexican federales marching down a Oaxaca street, as a vecino tells them to go to home, carajo. With their plastic shields and visors, they look like ringwraiths. My tocayo is in Ciudad Juárez. He and his appear to have blocked the international bridge to El Paso, in solidarity with the people of Oaxaca.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Oddly enough besides looking like ringwraiths the federales look like dementors, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementors
“Being blind, Dementors sense and feed on the positive emotions of human beings to move around, forcing them to relive their worst memories. The very presence of a dementor makes the surrounding atmosphere grow cold and dark, and the effects are cumulative with the number of dementors present. Those kept in the company of a dementor for too long are often driven insane, which is the main source of Azkaban’s well-deserved horrible reputation. Prolonged exposure to a dementor can also rob a wizard of his power, which is probably the reason the ministry uses them as guards in Azkaban.”
By the way, one day I may actually read Alice in Wonderland. It has never held my attention. My friend Maren, who comments on my blog has given my daughter a copy and I have tried with no success. I know I am missing out on allusions because many people use it as examples for other stuff.
Well, then I may have to read Harry Potter. I never got into it, too popular or something, but the dementor is a brilliant character (I read the whole description). I have dealt with more than one dementor today, so it is especially a propos.
Alice in Wonderland, they say it is a children’s story, but it is utterly Gothic. Alice, who is polite, tolerant, and rational, but also aware of her girl and child status, goes to this strange land where everyone is absolutely insane and/but, they are in charge.
There is another great trilogy like that by Mervyn Peake. The main book is Gormenghast. The story takes place in a strange landscape dominated by a weird castle, where weak, impaired, but structurally powerful Victorian and Edwardian-esque beings vie among themselves, now for dominance, now for mere survival. Far away, on the other side of the river, it is futuristic (although no less Gothic) and people drive cars with fanciful shapes.
I feel comfortable liking Harry Potter because I loved him before he was popular. By accident. I wanted my husband to read and I saw the book in the Navy Exchange and picked it up. My husband did not read it so I did. Then my daughter was very young, maybe two and wanted the first Harry Potter because of the cover of the DVD. I watched it and it won me over. I was so moved by Harry having to live under the stairs while his aunt, uncle and cousin bossed him around. Harry is so humble. The only thing that as the books increase, the patriachy increases. Hermoine is so smart, super smart and has gotten Harry out of more trouble than he has her, and at times he seems very slow on the uptake. Nevertheless, J.K. Rowlings fall in the G.I. Jane trap. The woman takes/accepts/is forced into the administrate role while the male has the operative role. The operative role always, ALWAYS gets the promotion.
On the Harry Potter boards and lexicon it is said that Rowlings was suffering from depression when she thought of the dementors and is the reason why one needs chocolate after an encounter. Chocolate always made her feel better.
I think I will read Alice in Wonderland to my daughter through December.
Okay I just went back and read the whole thing since you said it held your attention. It seems that I repeated some of it. Well okay.
“The woman takes/accepts/is forced into the administrative role while the male has the operative role. The operative role always, ALWAYS gets the promotion.”
Yes, and administration is exactly like household drudgery, and they sure do like to hand it out to women.
Very amusing about the chocolate. I use steam saunas for this, and my fantasy is to have one attached to my house.