The politics of Harry Potter 7 (SPOILERS UP TO PAGE 208)

[The Count]

Not since the 5th book did I see so much mirroring the reality politically - in the goings on in the wizarding word.
Voldemort is on the verge of taking over the government (not unlike BFEE). They eventually accomplish it and they do it subtly, without changing the outwards appearances. They put puppets in all important places and proceed enforcing their agenda. They take over the media (papers, radio) and proceed to discredit the one potential leader the resistance might have had, accusing him of killing the previous one, they murdered.
They manage to control people by ignorance and fear...
They also subvert the purpose of the government. It has been for the most part catching Voldemort up to that point, now suddenly, a new enemy was found for everyone to obsess on, and it's Harry - his enemy. Also, from protecting everyone from abuse, now, government, school are to control and discriminate.
A quote:
"There has been such a dramatic change in Ministry policy in the last few days and many are whispering that Voldemort must be behind it. However, that's the point: they whisper.They daren't confide in each other, not knowing whom to trust,in case their suspicions are true and their families are targeted.....Declaring himself might have provoked open rebellion.Remaining masked has created confusion, uncertainty and fear"
(I equate the "masking" with Bush's pretense of being elected)

[blondeatlast]

1. My son reads the books, all I know of is what I've seen in the movies.

"Order of the Phoenix" (the movie) had so many barely veiled references to the Bush cabal I lost count--but Dolores Umbridge as played by Pickles was eerie--and spot-on.

[The Count]

3. They picked the director based on his political shows experience

David Yates produced an acclaimed political show on BBC - State of Affair - and he'll be doing the movies from now on.
Alphonso Cuaron, who directed the 3rd movie said: Fudge is Blair, Voldemort is Bush"
The fascism elements are there - complete with ethnic cleansing, close surveillance of the population (saying "Voldemort" can now get you traced), spouses fingering spouses and the worst of the worst (Dolores Umbridge) raising to power - yet again.

[MelissaB]

8. I didn't know that. Thanks! There is certainly political references

throughout all the books. I couldn't believe how much there was when I started reading them years ago.

[The Count]

10. Actually, JKR directly refers to Bush as "the wretched man" in book 6

In the opening chapter she has the Prime Minister of England waiting for a phone call from "the President of a far distant country"...As the wizarding world interferes, the "wretched man's memory is modified to postpone the call - as more important matters arise...

[MelissaB]

11. I remember that!

:rofl:

[Lisa]

22. I also like the part where she claims that one of the earlier PMs ...

... thought the wizard rep was a hostile intruder, and tried to throw him out of the window -- or something like that. Consistent with Margaret Thatcher's personality, perhaps?

[Lisa]

21. Lemony Snicket's books do this quite directly ...

One of the characters (Sunny Baudelaire) has her own distinctive vocabulary, and in one scene in Book 10 Sunny utters the word "busheney" which Snicket translates as "You're an evil man with no concern for other people."

[The Count]

25. That's great! I have to borrow my daughter's book now!

[blondeatlast]

9. The new "Pirates of the Carribean" ws chock full of them too.

I couldn't believe how dead-to-rights it was.

[AX10]

2. K & R!

The right took over the media and have discredited the moderates and liberals. Harry Potter does indeed reflect our world today.

Great find!

:thumbsup:

[glitch]

4. Huh, maybe I'll have to read those books after all. :) nt

[KiraBS]

5. Always had a take on the world...

It is amazing J K Rowling could never have imagined that Harry Potter would become so
relevent, when she started writing the first book.
It has become the story of how dictatorships are born, the need to "protect the people" from the truth, therefore allowing more power to those that are seizing power. Censorship, repression,
mis-information, use of the media, hatred of groups of people, pure blood ambitions disappearances, torture, blind support, the ignorance of those that support Voldermort even when his brutality worsens, feeding on terro etc.
Many kids that don't see those angles to the books will read them in a few years and by stunned by how close to the bone J K Rowling has been.

[The Count]

7. Agree. Good education. Voldemort wanted control of the education very much

to have both control over shaping the minds of the future generation as well as the physical ability to blackmail the parents by having a hold on their children.
I also like the way she points out how some media people (Skeeter) are used by people like Voldemort who are simply banking on their desire for self-promotion. Others, simply sell out to protect their families...

[badgerpup]

15. Thanks!

Thought I was getting really :tinfoilhat: paranoid there when I noticed that.

BTW...in the movie Goblet of Fire...really got a kick out of the way Rita Skeeter was visualized as a snake-green, venomous Madelaine Kahn...a bit more attractive than I'd pictured her from the book, but it WORKED!

[Der Blaue Engel]

6. Yes, that quote about whispering

really got me while I was reading it last night. Conspiracy theories, don't you know. When Harry warned them all that Voldemort was back, he was discredited by the media, and now, when people are finally beginning to see that he may have been right, they don't dare speak up for fear of being called conspiracy nuts. (And worse, obviously, but to draw the parallel to our government, we're not quite at the full-on interrogation and disappearing phase...yet. Not if we aren't foreign-born Muslims anyway.) :(

[AwakeAtLast]

12. Bookmarking for later

I'm only to 158 (I think)

[Swamp Rat]

13. Notice how Harry Potter pre-emted most of the important news this past Friday?

Bushler declares himself above the law, and the U.S. Constitution null and void, but all I saw on TV was: Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter Harry Potter .... ad infinitum

[Madspirit]

18. Swampy! HP is WONDERFUL!

You would love Harry Potter. I promise.

Lee

[Swamp Rat]

19. I like Harry Potter.

I am just miffed that a children's book pre-emted a lot of very important news. Even Keith Olbermann used up a large chunk of his Friday show talking about it.

The shit Bushler has done in the last 72 hours is so bad that we should be talking about it non-stop on major TV networks.

Also, I cannot stop thinking about the children who will never know a Harry Potter book. :cry:

[Madspirit]

20. "Also, I cannot stop thinking about the children who will never know a Harry Potter book. "

:cry: :hug: You are such a good man.

Lee

[malaise]

23. Well said bro

although I love the fact that kids are reading anything, diversion is everything foe MSM.

[The Count]

27. It wasn't designed to do that. If anything, unlike the blonde victims, celebrities

this book also happens to have some good substance beyond the entertainment value.
So, don't blame the wrong end here - Harry, JKR didn't set up to preempt real news. They were preempted before him, and will continue to be so afterwards.

[The Count]

26. You can't resent a good book because our MSM has twisted priorities...

New York Times stole a book before sale date, did a spoiler review on page one, then refuses to include HP on the best sellers list. Fundies hate HP. Are you going to blame HP for the lack of substance in our media? A bit harsh...

[Marie26]

14. Cheney is Voldemort!

LOL. I'm about 300 pages in & I noticed the same thing. Especially the part about how the real "power" puts in a puppet as the nominal leader. It's really a perfect metaphor for what's happening in our own government. JKR has often commented about the dangers of fascism in her novels - Order of the Phoenix was about how fascists attempt to exercise control by removing civil liberties. This novel shows how fascism can take power in a silent coup w/o most people even being aware of it. It's really great.

[Madspirit]

16. I LOVE HP

We even cover it on my SciFi group. Ever notice the number of Muggles at DU?

Lee

[Madspirit]

17. Almost Forgot...k&r...n/t

[Exultant Democracy]

24. Yes, I noticed that yesterday too. America really messed up

we are failing the world miserably right now. I think someday soon our children and grandchildren will look at us with the same questions that the Nazi era Germans face.

The good news is I think perhaps is that we might get out of this yet and not let it happen again.