Is It Really That Close To George Orwell's Predictions?

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Hello Folks,

Time and time again, I kept hearing the same thing.....1984, 1984, 1984! This was required reading in highshool. I skimmed over it and got a passing grade on the test. But, I wondered recently, did I miss something? Maybe, in my puberty years I just did not understand the full impact of what Mr. Orwell was trying to tell us. So, I reread the book! Interesting as it was, I fould little comparison of his Oceania and the US of A!

We are far, far, far, away from the mind control attempts that Winston suffered in his last days of life!. We do not have tele-screen that watch us and send us daily pablum of government nausea. We do not have thought police. We are not at war with Euroasia or Eastasia. And, our children are not being raised to turn us over to the authorities for speaking against "Big Brother".

So, unless you read between the lines, and twist this fictional tale of one man's failure (Winston), to make a difference in his chaotic world, as being an attempt against the majority of us citizens, I just can't seem to make the comparison!

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

The comparison is made mostly about the theme of "Big brother is watching you " and the incidiousness of government control. The government is now putting up cameras in arenas, sidewalks, highways, airports, even in the rural roads of Alabama, supposedly to catch criminals. Twenty years ago, one did not have the eye of the camera watching one as you walked down a lonely Alabama road on a pleasant summer evening; one did not have the eye of the camera peering at you driving down a major highway, or looking at you and your family as you ate in a restaurant or crossed a busy intersection in downtown NYC. There are cameras nearly everywhere now and folks seem to either ignore them or are somehow unconcerned about their presence. Many, many folks seem to think nothing of the concept of a universal ID which MUST be shown to any police officer for no reason at all. Some folks do not lose any sleep over the efforts by others to make "big government" even bigger..it is little things such as the government telling you you MUST have its approval before wiring your house, or even to have its permission to build your house on your land..it's the quiet take over of things which USED to be every citizen's own decision. Some of us see all of these things as further intrusions into the private lives of citizens and the best reference point for these fears is 1984 (so far). 1984 is one end of the spectrum that some folks see the USA and perhaps the world in general heading for.Perhaps it helps to be a little on the "old" side to have lived differently and therefore, perhaps more clearly see the differences.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 12, 2002.

It is rather eerie, isn't it? I just want to try to stay out of the governments way, kind of fly below the radar! But it seems that it is almost impossible.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 12, 2002.

No mind control????? I believe TV is total mind control. Also most newspapers. I also really believe TV has subliminal messages in it - it's much too easy for certain entities NOT to take advantage of it.

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), January 12, 2002.

Some people can see it, others can't. Lesley said it well.

Three comments especially stand out as obviously incorrect to me:

"We are far, far, far, away from the mind control attempts..."

Pshaw! Watch the "Public service Ads" drummed into us through the tele. The young can recite this drivel like a mantra. Talk to a federal worker (pick any agency) and hear him tow the political line. They've been lobotomized of thinking. Say the buzzwords: diversity, , underserved, underrepresented, intolerance, cutting edge, hate crime. Listen to the language.

"We do not have thought police."

I work at an instituition of higher education that is stongly "guided" by its acceptance of federal funds (student loans, research grants). Have you ever been "encouraged" to attend sexual harrassment seminars or other re-education camp programs? Are you being encouraged to gender reorient? What happens if you don't express the politically (federally sanctioned) thoughts? Are you some kind of constitutional nut? Have you been deconstructed recently?

And, our children are not being raised to turn us over to the authorities for speaking against "Big Brother".

Dios mio! At this stage, children are mostly only being "encourged" to believe that their parents are wrong. Young minds are being trained. Have you seen the pamplet designed by the FBI for issue by the Maricopa, AZ Sheriff's office. Has your child reported to school authorities that you smoke? Have you experience with Department of Social Services?

And, our children are not being raised to turn us over to the authorities for speaking against "Big Brother".

-- charles (cr@dixienet.com), January 12, 2002.


Look at this site

And here is another, just one of many

-- Mr.Noname (aaae@tyu.net), January 12, 2002.



I think that we are losing so much freedom. To me it seems that no mater where I go there is a camera pointing at me. I think they may even be in the ceilings of bathrooms, at least I feel like they are there. It seems like everything that there is to know about me is already out there for anyone who wants some info on me. It is getting worse every year, it makes me wonder if we'll have any time to be alone and unwatched in 20 years. I would hate to live in a city where they have cameras on buildings but, I suppose if I lived in the city and one of those cameras caught a gang mugging me or beating me and help came then I would probably be thankful. I guess the country will be pretty much camera free for a long time, don't think many people are to interested in putting a camera in the trees.

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

I heard on NPR recently that the whiz kids have invented "smart dust", listening devices as big as a grain of sand. Why would they invent them if they don't plan on using them?

I understand your points Ernest but the 1984 scenario we experience isn't as obvious or blatent YET but its still there. Look at the commercialism thats going on in the public schools now. I heard some official from the world bank justifying why they're gonna help Africa. He didn't talk about the suffering people but he did talk about all the consumers dying. Look at the influence of big business on the inner workings of our government and then theres the insidious tube and the banal and shallow crap that passes for journalism. So much of whats available on the tube seems to be a celebration of stupidity. The list goes on and on.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 12, 2002.


Sorry George, cameras ARE in the trees here in Alabama..under the guise of catching "rural littering folks", the Heart of Dixie (of all places) has passed legislation Oking cameras on our rural roads to watch for litterers. Makes me want to stroll down the local roads and scratch my ample behind for the "watchers"...I am glad my father passed away because as an old Oklahoma boy, he'd be out there with his shotgun making short work of the cameras with his address painted on his shirt.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 12, 2002.

Who is watching those camera screens? What uniform do they wear?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 13, 2002.

Here where I live that would be the County Sherrif..

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 13, 2002.


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