Have we gotten to the point where it is not hyperbole to say that we've become the society described in 1984? (all block quotes here from 1984)
... loosening of legal limits on the use of federal troops on U.S. soil
Is the Patriot Act protecting us or taking away our freedoms?
Patriot Act library case
We take these changes to our society as an unavoidable cost of maintaining our security. We are led to believe that we are always in danger so that we give up our freedom without complaint:
"... the consciousness of being at war, and therefore in danger, makes the handing-over of all power to a small caste seem the natural, unavoidable condition of survival."
Mysticism has replaced logic. Intelligent design is spoken of on equal terms with Evolution:
"In Oceania at the present day, Science, in the old sense, has almost ceased to exist. In Newspeak there is no word for 'Science.' The empirical method of thought, on which all the scientific achievements of the past were founded, is opposed to the most fundamental principles of Ingsoc."
Critical thought and informed dissent have been replaced by talking points. We're told what to think and that if we disagree, it's "unpatriotic":
"She had not a thought in her head that was not a slogan, and there was no imbecility, absolutely none, that she was not capable of swallowing if the Party handed it out to her."
"... a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting - three hundred million people all with the same face."
Tragedy is used to create blind nationalism. Disparate elements are connected to justify the unjustifiable:
"The proles, normally apathetic about the war, were being lashed into one of their periodical frenzies of patriotism."
We've lost the ability to know or to even care when we're being lied to. When the administration changes the rationale for war from WMD's to spreading democracy to protecting oil, we don't complain:
"... she only questioned the teachings of the Party when they in some way touched upon her own life. Often she was ready to accept the official mythology, simply because the difference between truth and falsehood did not seem important to her."
When they act like there was never a different rationale than the current one they are using, we lap it up:
"'Who controls the past', ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"
And they present it with such perceived sincerity and singlemindedness that we feel guilty for doubting it:
"...the essential act of the Party is to use conscious deception while retaining the firmness of purpose that goes with complete honesty."
I cite Senator Tom Coburn as one of the main offenders:
Coburn’s Hypocrisy A Crying Shame
But he's only one of many.
We've become so cowed that we are afraid to raise our voices. But we do have the power. The first step is becoming conscious:
"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."
Read every news source that you can get your hands on. Don't trust tradional media sources to give you an unbiased view. They all answer to corporate entities and the almighty dollar. Unwittingly or otherwise, the stories they pick and the slant they present reflect that.
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
6 comments:
Thought provoking post.
We've lost the ability to know or to even care when we're being lied to.
I don't believe that's true at all. The government has always lied to us. I am young, but I remember Bill telling us that he didn't have relations with Monica. Granted, that's a smaller lie in scale to WMD but the principle is the same--the government only tells us God's honest truth when there isn't a choice.
also:
The Patriot Act is not as big of a threat as people make it out to be. Yes, if used incorrectly and if exploited for the wrong reasons, the Patriot Act is violating our privacy and is wrong. If used in times of war to seek out people who want to do America harm; why would you complain?
Do people honestly think the government is interested in YOU? I trust that intelligence doesn't give a damn what books Sadie Lou is checking out at the library and as long as I don't check out multiple flagged books--I don't think they will EVER care about my book activity.
I don't know sadie. I haven't read the entire post yet, nor the referrences but one thing i do know is that our country has been moving more and more towards 1984 and Brave New World for a long time. I think that blaming it on this presidency (i don't know for sure that that is what is being done here, but if i know dback well enough... ) is like blaming the Nile flooding on the president of Egypt (i know, i know, very poor analogy, but it's the point that counts).
JC
with all due respect, I hear what you are saying but let's be honest with ourselves...we, the people, have no clue what's going on in upper management.
Seriously.
Everything they tells us is on a need to know basis and almost everything they say has damage control and spin on it. That's why I refuse to place blame on the president for much of anything or credit the cabinet for anything because who knows what's really going on?
Sadie: Definitely no argument with the fact that politicians lie. This is an all too true fact.
Concerning the Patriot Act, we don't wake up one day and all of a sudden discover we have no rights left. It's a gradual thing. One crisis here, we give up some rights. Another crisis there, we give up some more. Before you know it, we're sitting around like the people of Nazi Germany near the end and wondering how we got to that point.
And I'm sure the government couldn't give a flip about what books I'm reading, but that's not the point. They COULD look if they wanted. You start off where it's supposed to only be used in certain circumstances, but then those circumstances keep getting expanded. It's a very slippery slope. Hoover kept all kinds of files on MLK(personal and otherwise) ... who was a peaceful activist. There's nothing to stop them from using those powers in any way they choose. As Benjamin Franklin said,
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."
JC: I AM putting a good deal of the blame on this administration, but not necessarily Republicans exclusively. The Patriot Act was a group effort. But my point is more that it's a cumulative effect of many laws and acts that gets us to this point. And that is over several administrations. Like I mentioned in response to Sadie, many of the transgressions of the FBI were under Hoover during Democrat administrations.
The problem with this administration is that lying is a policy choice not a defense mechanism and that makes it worse in my eyes. A noted conservative writer, David Brooks, freely admits this:
David Brooks
we, the people, have no clue what's going on in upper management.
Seriously.
Everything they tells us is on a need to know basis and almost everything they say has damage control and spin on it.
You'll get no arguments from me
The Patriot Act was a group effort. But my point is more that it's a cumulative effect of many laws and acts that gets us to this point. And that is over several administrations.
No arguments there either, and i don't personally think it's going to get any better. If the Patriot Act does end up out of play some how something else will come up to take it's place.
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