The Brits have gone completely mad, search for terrorist toddlers

Britain’s Toddlers Trapped in Alice-in-Orwell Land **

At a time when children should be reading “Alice-In-Wonderland” and imagining at least “six impossible things before breakfast,” Britain’s Home Office has just passed a measure for nursery school staff and child minders to report if they believe any toddlers are at risk of becoming terrorists. According to the Government’s 39-page directive, which accompanies the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, child care providers and nursery staff will be trained in how to identify and refer to the authorities children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, including challenging extremist ideas used to legitimize terrorism and which are shared by terrorist groups.

In his classic works “1984” and “Politics of the English Language,” George Orwell warned of this kind of creeping totalitarianism. Warning of how the corruption of politics, corrosive language, and the use of propaganda and loaded images in the mass media fuels totalitarian movements, he foresaw how states would someday use hysteria and the mass media to indoctrinate unthinking populaces. At the same time, he cautioned how incomprehensible and bureaucratized euphemisms, devoid of meaning and unable to provoke debate or resistance, would someday take away the ability to mentally function and question one’s government, even taking away the possibility of political action.

Lewis Carroll’s fun loving Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland also warns of what life can be like when it is absent of democracy and justice, and when characters are encouraged to spy on each other. After chasing a white rabbit down a hole, Alice eventually finds herself in the King and Queen of Heart’s courtroom and in front their thrones. The nonsensical scene is about who stole the Queen’s tarts. Time after time and before any witnesses are called, the King tells the jury to consider their verdict which is guilty. Other underlying themes are that the accused have no rights, contrary evidence is to always be omitted, and that execution is inescapable.

Fortunately for Alice she awakens from her dream at the moment she challenges the Queen with this exchange: “‘No, no! Sentence first-verdict afterward.’ said the Queen. ‘Stuff and nonsense!’ said Alice loudly. ‘The idea of having the sentence first!’ ‘Hold your tongue !’ said the Queen, turning purple. ‘I won’t!’ said Alice. ‘Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.’”(1) Like the King and Queen of Hearts, the British Government has also taken a heavy-handed approach towards children and teachers. The bill is extremely ambiguous over both children’s and teacher’s rights and laws, along with being Big Brother towards family’s belief systems.

The Home Office also appears to be promoting an army of spies among adults and creating an atmosphere of mistrust, alienation, and divisiveness with toddlers. At this age, according to Erik Erikson, children should be acquiring trust instead of mistrust and initiative instead of guilt. In other words, toddlers are very impressionable and must learn feelings of trust and security. If, on the other hand, they become fearful and unsure of their environment and the people around them they will not develop properly. Children should also develop initiative and learn confidence instead of guilt. If guilt and blame persists toddlers will fear failure, seldom participating in or contributing to society.

Thankfully, some are challenging the confusing guidelines for policing and notifying authorities of children that might appear at-risk of “radicalization.“ They are refusing to label toddlers and their families as “terrorists.” They also understand that the real threats are narcissistic leaders and demagogues which play on peoples fears, tribal thinking-or where the ultimate moral good is solely to preserve the glory and militarism of a nation’s past despite how many of its marginalized are expendable, a thirst and quest for revenge by any-means-necessary, and, of course, a totalitarian state which demands absolute obedience. A totalitarian state, that also manipulates its citizens to engage in wars.

After experiencing fantastical adventures, Alice said, “How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another.” Along with ruling through the implementation of an explicitly articulated political doctrine, totalitarian states aim to create a new kind of society forged with a new and malleable form of humanity. This is achieved internally by always keeping people in a state of fear, mistrust, and confusion. It is perpetually reinforced by the Grand Narrative: extreme nationalism and virulent passions inflamed by prejudices, propaganda, and imagined threats. The imagined threats create insecurity and ensures the rule of an all-powerful state.

For Alice, her world was make believe and just a dream. Can the same be said of Britain and its toddlers?

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John‘s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.worldnews.com.

(1) Carroll, Lewis. Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. Printed in the United States., p. 128.

Editor's Note: As of this writing, the Bill has not become law although it has passed Third Reading. The House of Lords has issued a report (January 11) calling on the government to back off a bit and give this Bill a little more serious scrutiny - Cameron's crew is trying to rush it into law before public pressure can raise its head.

- prh, Editor