Orwell and the Cycle of Twelve

   It's been 72 years since George Orwell published his book, "1984," in which he sounded warnings about the dangers of government monitoring the activities of citizens.
   Put another way, that's six cycles in the 12-year system of history and human nature.
   Yet another coincidence? Perhaps.
    But there were three cycles between the publication of the book in 1948 and the subject year of its title. And now we see another three cycles between the book's subject year and America's next election year, 2020.
   And considering current events in America, one cannot help but wonder whether Orwell was right again. At the time, he wrote, "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears."
   These days, we hear the president damning as "fake news" anything that disagrees with or disputes in any way what he says.
   Last April, this column noted that "Literature is filled with warnings about government takeovers by demagogues who claim they support equal treatment for all but really want full control for themselves."
   Earlier, in January of that year, the blog pointed to the advance of technology to monitor where people are, whom they talk to and what they buy. That's a short step to government control, another aspect of Orwell's novel.
   In December of 2015, we pointed out that "Republican candidate Carly Fiorina defended government surveillance of Internet traffic by pointing out that companies do it now, and parents do it now, tracking the activities of employees and children.
   "She also proposed that the FBI ask technology firms to help them monitor Internet traffic, and added that the private sector would cooperate.
   "Other candidates endorsed the practice of bulk data collection by government, as its agents monitor all Internet activity and check all email messages and telephone records as part of efforts to snare potential terrorists."
   And the leading candidate at the time, Donald Trump, referred to "our Internet," implying that it was a government operation dedicated to monitoring citizens.
   Several times in recent months, this blog has covered aspects of the Power of Twelve and its almost mystical significance in life, as shown in a Twelve-Year Cycle of events in history.
   Now we see another, as the year 2020 begins a new cycle and the behavior of the current president coincides with the dangers outlined by George Orwell in the first year of one cycle and its manifestations in a future cyclical year.
   The years 1948, 1984 and 2020 are all key years in the Cycle of Twelve. The danger signs are clear. Can crisis be averted? That's up to voters and politicians.