1984 by George Orwell

[Latopazora]

My brother let me borrow his audio book of George Orwell's 1984, and its very spooky. The only difference between the real party and the one in the book, is the real party condemns the use the war and uses it against the opposing party. In the book, the "party" uses war to keep the people oppressed. I would really suggest getting the book or audio book.
The world is run by the "party" known as "big brother" where everyone is watched through telescreens, resources are rationed, the party decides what is factual about anything, children are used as spies, and 'war' is used to keep people oppressed. People are not destroyed if they commit a crime, but only if they possess the potential of commiting a crime, thought crime. In this world, there are the thought police. No one has individual thought, if they do, they possess the potential of commiting crime. There is also the two minute hate frenzy, when the propaganda shows the public enemy and the public go into a hateful frenzy, and if someone does not act as such, they cease to exist.
The story follows the character, Wenston Smith. Having individual thought and trying to find truth in the world, he becomes part of a brotherhood who want to overthrow 'big brother'. I haven't finished yet, but I am mesmerized by it.  

[Lord Bitememan]

Normally I'm not given to comparisons between the White House and Orwell, however I think the comparisons would be quite fitting in his request to report "fishy" sounding e-mails that talk about provisions in the health care plan in Washington.  

[Latopazora]

I agree, we're most likely not going to get a George Orwell world. And I doubt we're going to get a Hitler, but the possiblity of the U.S. turning into another U.S.S.R. or China is more likely. A lot of people keep saying "Not in America"- why not America, what makes us so special that we'll never turn into totalitarian country? All those other countries have democracy too.
This administration is moving way to fast, especially with huge bills that need to be read before they're voted on. I don't know about you, but I've alwasys been told to know what you're voluteering or agreeing to, read the fine print.
But there's still 2010- atleast I would like to believe there's still 2010. But everything George Orwell wrote is still very scary.  

[VertigoIX]

Latopazora

I agree, we're most likely not going to get a George Orwell world. And I doubt we're going to get a Hitler, but the possiblity of the U.S. turning into another U.S.S.R. or China is more likely. A lot of people keep saying "Not in America"- why not America, what makes us so special that we'll never turn into totalitarian country? All those other countries have democracy too.
This administration is moving way to fast, especially with huge bills that need to be read before they're voted on. I don't know about you, but I've alwasys been told to know what you're voluteering or agreeing to, read the fine print.
But there's still 2010- atleast I would like to believe there's still 2010. But everything George Orwell wrote is still very scary.

What makes us so special is all the regular folks who show up at these 'town hall meetings'. Obama's popularity is slipping. People want government out of their lives and business. The people of America won't let this country turn into a western China.  

[Rainbowfied Mouse]

We're talking about a man who spent the last years of his life writing this book, back in a time where the USSR was present, and communism was a hush-hush among supporters in America. We're heading, if anything, to a bureaucratic-democratic socialism, if anything. Also, I believe I stated in other topics that I notice the trend for these implementations of watching citizens to be more on the Republican side than the Democrat side... acts such as the Patriot Act, and things such as. I'm not saying Democrats are innocent, but I don't see as much government intervention into the citizens life as in the Republicans. But, this is just a generalization.

So far as us becoming a USSR or a China... well, that seems almost impossible to happen to us, unless we were taken by force. The way we would have to get there is little by little... but as is said the "slippery slope" is a logical fallacy.

Anyways, it is a really great book!

------GIVES AWAY SOME OF THE BOOK------
DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU DO NOT WANT SOME OF THE BOOK GIVEN AWAY

You'll soon find out that you can't even be sure if the wars are real or not. You can't even be sure if the rebellion against the structure of "Big Brother" is real.  

[Lord Bitememan]

Quote:

I notice the trend for these implementations of watching citizens to be more on the Republican side than the Democrat side

I've noticed that the double standards on outcry over it to be wholly the domain of the Democrats. If Bush had started a "send e-mails with misinformation about the Iraq war to the White House" campaign liberals would have gone bat-s**t-crazy over it. Certainly Obama's call to send in dissenting claims is worthy of no less concern, particularly since it seems to be targeted wholly to those voices most opposed to his turning America into a bureaucratic socialist state.  

[Latopazora]

Rainbowfied Mouse

Anyways, it is a really great book!

------GIVES AWAY SOME OF THE BOOK------
DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU DO NOT WANT SOME OF THE BOOK GIVEN AWAY

You'll soon find out that you can't even be sure if the wars are real or not. You can't even be sure if the rebellion against the structure of "Big Brother" is real.

mmm... yes, I finally finished the book, and it did have a depressing ending, 2+2=5, not 4, 5. There really wasn't war so much as it was just propaganda, there was some fighting, but not to the extent 'big brother' was saying. The book did have a lot mind games.
Not to defend the Patriot Act, but as I recall, it tapped into phones and emails of terrorists, not private citizens. Also, Bush didn't react to the protests during his administration- like Obama is now.  

[Rainbowfied Mouse]

Latopazora

Rainbowfied Mouse

Anyways, it is a really great book!

------GIVES AWAY SOME OF THE BOOK------
DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU DO NOT WANT SOME OF THE BOOK GIVEN AWAY

You'll soon find out that you can't even be sure if the wars are real or not. You can't even be sure if the rebellion against the structure of "Big Brother" is real.

mmm... yes, I finally finished the book, and it did have a depressing ending, 2+2=5, not 4, 5. There really wasn't war so much as it was just propaganda, there was some fighting, but not to the extent 'big brother' was saying. The book did have a lot mind games.
Not to defend the Patriot Act, but as I recall, it tapped into phones and emails of terrorists, not private citizens. Also, Bush didn't react to the protests during his administration- like Obama is now.

Yeah, it was unfortunately a bad ending... but it served to prove a point to our favorite Ayn Rand theme... Individualism vs. Collectivism, and in the end Individualism should be supported.