2 posts tagged “utopia”
The remarks I heard most frequently while reading this book were all something to the effect of: "Well, 1984 came and went..." "It wasn't the end of the world...", "I guess George Orwell was wrong..."
Orwell's most famous dystopian novel was not written as a prophesy, it was written as a warning. He wasn't setting a date and predicting the Year of Our Doom, he was writing about his own fears in regards to the potential atrocities of a totalitarian government. But of course, like Bradbury's Farenheit 451 and other literary sci-fi from the past, we can't help but measure the modern world against the fictional ones, to see what actually came true.
Orwell's most famous dystopian novel was not written as a prophesy, it was written as a warning. He wasn't setting a date and predicting the Year of Our Doom, he was writing about his own fears in regards to the potential atrocities of a totalitarian government. But of course, like Bradbury's Farenheit 451 and other literary sci-fi from the past, we can't help but measure the modern world against the fictional ones, to see what actually came true.
The name of the USA "Patriot" Act may seem a bit off, judging by its implications. That's because it's an acronym: Uniting and Strenghthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. What a mouthful. The Act was passed in 2001, by a vote of 98 to 1 in the Senate and a vote of 357 to 66 in the House, after the terrorist attacks of September 11. It was then renewed in 2006, though it has created much controversy for its encroachment on citizens' privacy and other civil liberties. Under the Patriot Act, the government can conduct "Sneek-and-Peek" searches of property without notifying the owner beforehand. There is even a clause that allows the government to request phone records for a person, without ever notifying them. Probably the most controversial section of the Act, is Section 215, which allows federal investigators axcess to library records, and is argued to violate patrons' human rights. Creepy.
In 1984 (the book), the Party in power exclusively controlled the media. Blasts of governemtal propoganda and biased reports were the only news the citizens of Oceana ever got. Beyond that, the Party constantly changed the records behind its citizens' backs to tilt every story in its favor. The Party was right, the Party had always been right. By controlling the people's only source of information, the government can controll what they think. Thankfully, today we have numerous news networks to spin the stories from different angles, and we can decide what to believe on our own. But every channel is accused of its own political tilt, from FOX for conservatives to CNN for liberals, so there is no one place to get the whole story. Just because information is readily available, dosn't mean it's trustworthy.
No, I am not suffering under a case of Orwellian Paranoia. I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I'm glad I read it for the resources. It was severely depressing, with an un-gratifying ending, and Big Brother is still watching.
peace.
links: The Patriot Act
No, I am not suffering under a case of Orwellian Paranoia. I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I'm glad I read it for the resources. It was severely depressing, with an un-gratifying ending, and Big Brother is still watching.
peace.
links: The Patriot Act
Ok, I should probably mention this book. I just finished reading it today for a book club I'm in, the "Utopia" book club, we're reading all kinds of fiction for different types of "perfect" societies (which turns out to be a pretty consistent subject for science fiction).
I have to admit, the 18th century language was a little hard to follow at first, but once you get past that the political satire is hilarious! Those who have not read the book are mostly familiar with the stories of the Lilliputans, the little people who tie Gullliver down, and maybe the giants, who adopt Gulliver as a source of amusement for their royalty. However there are two more civilizations after these, the floating island of Laputa where Jonathan Swift (the author) pokes fun at the lofty scholars of his day, and the island of the Houyhnhnms (don't bother trying to pronounce it) and the Yahoos. The Houyhnhnms are an advanced form of horses, capable of speech, and the dominant species of the island. The Yahoos are depicted as something like the penultimate link on the evolutionary chain, kin to humans, and the beasts of burden. When the perspective is completely flipped like this, get ready for a wicked reality shock.
When the exploited under-race is so closely related to humans, how can we help but sympathize (to a certain extent)? Swift meant this passage as a prod at all the disgusting, designing, dishonest aspects of humans by calling them Yahoos and comparing them to a simultaneously flawless society. But I also saw in it a glance at the plight of animals used for labor in those days, and today - for food. Animals confined for life and without consent to unfair treatment and abuse until the dominant beings can't get any more out of them, at which point they are disposed of. All because they don't speak for themselves, at least not in ways comprehendible to their oppressors, and are assumed to be un-feeling, or of an inferior understanding. Hello, we can all feel pain!
While I definitely appreciated Swift's intended parody, I was excited to find some food for thought of my own through the empathy he created by blatantly switching the points of view between "humans" and "animals".
Peace.
I have to admit, the 18th century language was a little hard to follow at first, but once you get past that the political satire is hilarious! Those who have not read the book are mostly familiar with the stories of the Lilliputans, the little people who tie Gullliver down, and maybe the giants, who adopt Gulliver as a source of amusement for their royalty. However there are two more civilizations after these, the floating island of Laputa where Jonathan Swift (the author) pokes fun at the lofty scholars of his day, and the island of the Houyhnhnms (don't bother trying to pronounce it) and the Yahoos. The Houyhnhnms are an advanced form of horses, capable of speech, and the dominant species of the island. The Yahoos are depicted as something like the penultimate link on the evolutionary chain, kin to humans, and the beasts of burden. When the perspective is completely flipped like this, get ready for a wicked reality shock.
When the exploited under-race is so closely related to humans, how can we help but sympathize (to a certain extent)? Swift meant this passage as a prod at all the disgusting, designing, dishonest aspects of humans by calling them Yahoos and comparing them to a simultaneously flawless society. But I also saw in it a glance at the plight of animals used for labor in those days, and today - for food. Animals confined for life and without consent to unfair treatment and abuse until the dominant beings can't get any more out of them, at which point they are disposed of. All because they don't speak for themselves, at least not in ways comprehendible to their oppressors, and are assumed to be un-feeling, or of an inferior understanding. Hello, we can all feel pain!
While I definitely appreciated Swift's intended parody, I was excited to find some food for thought of my own through the empathy he created by blatantly switching the points of view between "humans" and "animals".
Peace.
