Superior Pigs
May 28th, 2007The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. (Animal Farm, by George Orwell)
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the Soviet (I know I have one reader probably squealing in delight at the mention of Soviets!) system of George Orwell’s time is satire. In this satirical novel, pigs stand in for the Soviet leadership.
Part of the pig’s argument that allows them to gain power is the idea that the pigs are superior intellectually to the other animals, and thus know what is truly best for the other animals. A mere animal (that isn’t a pig) couldn’t possibly understand the important decisions a pig must make, after all.
As I was reading this book for the first time recently (I know, many people read this kind of thing in school, but I would never have grasped the meaning in the book then – not even dimly), I thought, “hmmm, some people (or animals) who think they know what is best for another group. That sounds familiar.”
So, who are the pigs of the autism world?
- The major autism organizations have boards largely devoid of autistic people. After all, they believe (as evidenced through their actions) that autistic people couldn’t make good decisions in running an organization that represents autistic people and our families.
- How many autistic people serve in some sort of review capacity for research upon autistic people? I know of one. Unfortunately this person is but one person and can’t possibly review all research, nor is this person asked to. It’s apparently believed that non-autistic researchers know what is best for us when it comes to research ethics.
- How often are autistic people consulted for information about the education of autistic people? Once again, trained – and non-autistic – educators apparently know what is best for us.
- Parents and professionals demand representation in autism matters (and almost always get it), as they rightly have a stake in the direction of autism advocacy. But how often do these people ensure that actual autistic people are also involved?
- Even autistic people ourselves can become pigs, when we think we can speak for someone else with autism. This has nothing to do with “functioning level” or other such nonsense, but rather with the understanding that we don’t all agree, communicate the same way, believe the same things, or draw the same conclusions, and is why we need a large cross section of autistic people before claiming to represent anything more than ourselves.
- There are many more examples – this is just to get people started…
Certainly, before anyone writes me any hate mail, let me acknowledge that I know there are many professionals, parents, and researchers who engage autistic people and allow us to represent our interests. If you’re one of them, thank you. I do not intend to make enemies out of parents who are helping our cause, for instance.
That said, anyone who thinks policy involving autistic people can be decided without the involvement of autistic people is acting like, well, a pig. I’m not sure we have any use for a pig in this movement.
I used to have these personalized checks with my dog’s picture on them. I ordered them from a company, they used a graphic I sent them and I had them print this quote on the checks:
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” -George Orwell
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/af/QUO.html
Which was a joke about how spoiled my dog is, but I was fascinated by the (scary) idea it embodied, too. And I have never read animal farm. My NT kid did in school xe didn’t like it for some reason.
Well, sir, I am squealing, if only with delight that you have found this book and appreciated it. It is, yes, a warning against any sort of bully who minds other folks’ business “for their own good.”
The animals on that farm thought they were going from bad, to good. Instead, they went from bad, to worse.
As I wrote in a comment on somebody else’s blog, I think socialism, or even libertarianism, would work OK if everyone were autistic. As things are, there is a large number of right awkward bastards who will manipulate a system like either of those to their personal advantage, and Devil take the hindmost.
That’s why I think autistic folks (like everybody else) are best served in conservative, traditional societies (of the Northern European, or dang-near autistic, variety
Joel, I nominated you for the Thinking Blogger Award. I’m pretty sure you were already tagged – probably several times -, but you don’t seem to have a post up showing it. See my post.
I wonder, am I the reader you referred to? If not, I’m glad to be in a group of at least two
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I think this post points to the real difference between high- and low-functioning autistics (though you don’t admit it): the high-functioning autistics, whatever special services may need, can decide for themselves after coming of age, while the low-functioning ones, sadly, will depend on what other people decide for their entire lives.
Parents of any under-age child are inevitably in the role of pigs because they decide for the child. Doing this, they of course make mistakes. Parents of autistic children are especially prone to mistakes because of the lack of knowledge and abundance of prejudice towards autism. Therefore, they should listen to autistic adults.
Indeed, some autistic adults, talking about autistic children of NT parents, use the language you will hear from a soldier talking about his comrades captured by the enemy. Others (who have no children) give advice on the presumption that the expressed wishes of an autistic child always reflect his true needs. When reading such texts, I tell myself, “Well, you need not agree with what they say. Just read it, because they are your child’s people.” Often below the superficial anti-NT layers there is a valuable grain of truth.
Let us not forget that many of the autistic adults who complain loudly about the way they are not represented in discussions are themselves the parents of autistic kids, and some of those kids are “low functioning” and totally not interested in, or not able to write blogs and so forth. It’s like parents are the ultimate experts, unless they happen to be autistic, then they are double stupid and useless to the autism orgs and decision makers. It’s that the NT parents of autism specturm kids are “more equal” than the autistic parents of autistic kids.
It’s really astonishing to look at, but it’s how it is. Being autistic makes a person’s opinion worthless apparently, to people in control.
The real pigs with two legs are those autistic people who serve on the boards of autism associations, I should know as I am one of them and not ashamed to admit to it. However worse yet than that is the spectre of NT parents presenting the loudest voice in the Neurodiversity world, yes right here in River City there is trouble and I am talking about the hub here.
Hrm. I really wonder who you were referring to as “squealing with delight” now.
I was just reviewing both the cartoon and movies/miniseries (one has a particular star trek actor you should know) done as well as reviewing 1984 and the “four ministries” that contained “doublespeak”. You know, besides Animal Farm relating to autistic “advocates” of various sorts, the various doublespeak ministries in 1984 are very similar. (also similar to soviet totalitarianism).
After the pigs take power, not only do they make all the decisions, they start acting like their former foes. (the humans). Every revolution has had that happen. Napolean fought against “the crown” but when he gets in power, what does he do? He coronates himself! (Beethoven even wrote Eroica based on that event).
So you get some of the “pigs” in “advocacy” who promise fairness and kindness but in the end, they end up exacerbating the problem they want to ameliorate. They think they are doing “good deeds” like the Jerry Lewis telethon donators do seeing the pitiful kids. What they end up doing is supporting something that hurts rather than helps by way of providing unwanted treatments, help, things that violate a patient’s basic rights…in the name of “patient’s rights”. A lot of people on either side of the Terri Schiavo debate were arguing for “rights”. Right to live, right to die. One side will fall into imitating their foe. It’s like stealing “brand” or something. Perhaps a bit tenuous a ramble but I did enjoy recently watching Animal Farm/1984 and then reading about this here.