Welcome to the Era of Big Brother

by Rob C.
Art by Jim Morin

So here we are. 2025. The year that Orwell’s 1984 stopped being a warning and became a how-to manual for the Republican Party.

Remember how, for decades, conservatives ranted that Democrats wanted “Big Government,” wanted to control your life, your job, your family, your church, your business? That liberal “thought police” were coming to shove Marxism down your throat?

Well, congratulations America. Republicans have given us exactly that—only with more MAGA merch, Russian propaganda, and fascist cosplay.

Donald Trump, the self-styled “strongman,” has bullied universities into ideological obedience, demanding loyalty oaths like some spray-tanned Stalin. Professors beware: if your syllabus doesn’t include “How Trump Saved Civilization,” you might be disappeared faster than the White House visitor logs.

And speaking of disappearing—Habeas Corpus? That little thing where the government can’t just snatch you off the street without charges? Gone. Trump tossed it out like one of his ex-wives. People are literally being disappeared. Not by aliens. By our own government. But sure, tell me again how Biden was the “dictator.”

National Guard troops now patrol Democratic-run cities, not to protect citizens but to intimidate. Because nothing says “land of the free” like armored vehicles parked outside your coffee shop.

And Trump’s favorite new hobby? Playing CEO of America, demanding state ownership in private companies, shaking down law firms for ransom payments, and calling it “the art of the deal.” If you think this sounds like extortion, congratulations—you understand it better than half of Congress.

And because no authoritarian fantasy is complete without controlling culture, Trump has now declared himself the head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yes, the guy whose idea of “art” is slapping his name in gold letters on a gaudy hotel lobby now thinks he’s the ultimate tastemaker. Spoiler: good art isn’t gold-plated toilets and velvet paintings of yourself. The Met deserves curators, not a man whose aesthetic begins and ends with “Can I slap my face on it and charge for admission?”

But wait, there’s more! Our wannabe dictator isn’t satisfied just trashing democracy at home—he’s holding other countries hostage too. He slaps tariffs around like mob “protection fees,” extorting governments for “deals” that benefit no one except his billionaire buddies and whatever oligarchs he owes money to this week. It’s international hostage-taking disguised as trade policy.

And behind all of it—the techno-fascist fever dream called Project 2025. Picture this: a government where every agency is purged of professionals and replaced with political hacks, civil rights are an inconvenience, and Big Brother is watching through your smartphone while charging you a “patriot tax” for the privilege.

Here’s the kicker: Trump and the GOP are exactly what they always accused Democrats of being. They’ve become Big Brother, but with worse fashion sense and dumber slogans. Orwell was right. Just not about who.

So laugh at the absurdity if you must. But don’t forget — the real show isn’t on television. It’s happening all around us. RESIST!