A blog for those relatively new at exploring the world of politics. It's also for those who want to discuss U.S. politics, history, economics, and our country's current state of affairs.
teaches history and government at a college in Houston. He is passionate about life, liberty, and property and wants to help people learn about the ever-increasing growth and power of the coercive state.
In a civilized society, should anyone or any government ever force anyone to do anything against his or her will as long as that person does not infringe upon the life, liberty, or property of another?
Friday, June 17, 2011
The FBI will be watching you
As you can read here (and watch the video), the FBI will be expanding its surveillance of Americans. Hmmm. I wonder who was more correct: George Orwell with 1984, or Aldous Huxley with Brave New World. Be careful what you do, comrade.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Interesting question about who was more correct, Orwell or Huxley? Here is an author's comparison of the two worlds (both sound awfully close to current reality):
"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. 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." In 1984, Orwell added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that our desire will ruin us."
Pretty scary stuff. I think both Huxley and Orwell were equally correct in their own way.
I think Orwell hit this one on the head. I am a little shocked that they haven't figured out how to watch us from our televisions yet. But i'm sure it's not from lack of want on the FBI's part but more to do with the fact that they have hundreds of other ways to invade on privacy.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
3 comments:
Interesting question about who was more correct, Orwell or Huxley? Here is an author's comparison of the two worlds (both sound awfully close to current reality):
"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. 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." In 1984, Orwell added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that our desire will ruin us."
Pretty scary stuff. I think both Huxley and Orwell were equally correct in their own way.
I think Orwell hit this one on the head. I am a little shocked that they haven't figured out how to watch us from our televisions yet. But i'm sure it's not from lack of want on the FBI's part but more to do with the fact that they have hundreds of other ways to invade on privacy.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Orwell's book had come up time and time again until I eventually read it in high school. It is scary how such a work of fiction has become reality.
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