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18.02.03
1984
George Orwell's 1984 was a futuristic novel which depicted a complete loss of privacy, a complete submission to state propoganda and complete control even of people's most inner thoughts. It's now nearly 2004 and things are actually not that far off. In 1984 citizens have to have a telescreen in their living room. It must never be switched off. They also have to listen to or watch propoganda broadcasts wherever they go. The state creates fictitious or real wars as a means of channelling aggressive energy away from the state and distracting people from their meaningless state-controlled lives.
We are not controlled so much by the state as by big business. People don't need to be forced to have a telescreen in their rooms spouting propoganda all day, they do it voluntarily, almost without exception, they even turn on the propoganda machine in their cars (or don't switch it off so that it's on when they get in). They are however forced to watch propoganda in all public places, even public services such as post offices etc... There is no escape even if you want to. The control extends to thought control because people are controlled to such an extent that they actually want to do what they are being forced to do (manic consumerism, wars etc...). They are controlled subcsciously (See this on subliminal tricks in advertising)
Wars are drummed up at will by arms industries to support big business and to distract people from any economic woes (see 1962 Vietnam War?,1992, 2003 war on Terror/Iraq or alternatively the surreal version).
Posted by Giles at 18.02.03 14:06