1984 and Brave new world, both books bring us the respective authors views of a futuristic dystopia. Orwell feared those who would seek to enslave us, ban media, deprive us of information. Orwell’s view of the world was very depressing. Blatant fear would keep us shuttled away from each other and would force people into giving up those who committed the crime of thought or doublespeak. Orwell envisioned a captive society where man was beaten down emotionally and physically. What was truth one day became untruth the next. With the Ministry of Truth (or minitruth) destroying all documents containing data that would prove BigBrother wrong. After all who else can protect us from the Goldsteins and Winstons?
Huxley on the other hand had a totally different but equally valid idea. There would be no need for outright fear or censorship to control the masses. No instead the populace would be too placid to do anything. Content watching their American Idols and their reality TV. So banning books would be a non issue, no one reads anyway. That we could accumulate so much that we would in essence entertain ourselves into a coma. Ever noticed the useless gadgets that have no use other than to distract us? Huxley feared that the news that matters would be drowned into a sea of nonsense and useless trite. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny ‘failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions’.
Orwell envisioned a future controlled by inflicting pain and fear. That what we feared would control us
Huxley envisioned a future controlled by inflicting pleasure and hedonism, and that what we loved would consume us.
Where is the truth? Somewhere in between I think if the controlling body came out and tried to control the masses with outright fear as in 1984 there is the risk that people will be so scared they will think about the issues. On September 27th 2001 Bush said
Fly and enjoyAmerica’s great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed.
In a speech he gave shortly after the terrorist attacks. In one speech he not only gave a subtle nod to Orwell but to Huxley.
So what do you think? Are we in a Huxley world or an Orwellian world?
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3 Comments
A little of both, hard to say which is the dominating side.
Hey Big Brother, this is Nicotine from the RANT forums. Sorry to post this here but I wasn’t sure how else to get in touch with you. I would like to get in touch with you but don’t want to post my email here for the world, so if you would, would you visit the site below and leave a comment for me or send a message with how I can reach you? This isn’t spam, lol, just not sure how else to reach you since you left the forums.
http://srnonline.ning.com/
-Nicotine
This depends where you are in the world. If you’re living in America, yes, we have had a few 1984 moments (9-11, terr’ists, etc), but mainly we are living in our own enslavement of a Huxley-type society. People would rather do nothing than something. Complaining is allowed because the powers that be know that not many people are willing or able to organize a formal, physical movement. Sure, we can gather people on the internet for causes, but honestly, how many care? How many are willing to get out and do something about it?
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