Behold! This Brave New World...
03 September, 2004 :: 4:59 p.m.
I don't understand why more dictators don't follow the American example of keeping people passive...
I don't understand why everyone talks about 1984 and Animal Farm and how great they are (they are great...I love both of those books), yet you don't hear half as many people say you should read Brave New World...
What am I getting at? More of the same shit I've been getting at...keep people mostly happy and they remain passive.
You hear about things being Orwellian, you hear to watch out for Big Brother; you don't hear, "Beware of soma."
While I love Orwell and I wish more people read his books and took them for the warnings that they are instead of just reading them in a class because you have to, I think Huxley was closer to describing the real terror possible by government having too much power. Orwell focuses on a society where people are encouraged to inform on one another and you are constantly watched; anyone exhibiting signs of potential danger are disappeared. In Huxley's novel you also get disappeared if you show warning signs of not conforming, but the leaders understand that it's easier to control people through giving them little things to keep them happy than having people constantly living in fear that they'll make the wrong facial expression while listening to a speech or that they'll talk in their sleep.
The world we live in has elements of 1984, no doubt...especially with the PATRIOT Act and the more pronounced attitude of "if you aren't with us, you're with the terrorists." But it is a brave new world also...it's not exactly as Huxley pictured it, there is no actual drug called soma to take when you think unpleasant thoughts, but we have television. Consumerism is a way of life in Huxley's world; it's that way in the US--be patriotic, buy, buy, buy. As long as most people can afford new gadgets, a car, cable and internet, they aren't too worried about what else is going on in the world.
It's like the old white men in control of this country read both Orwell and Huxley and found the perfect combination. In 1984 there is constant war; we have the new and seemingly never-ending war on terror. In Brave New World the rulers program people to buy new things, buying new things makes you feel good; that's exactly what we're programmed to do as well since you can't escape advertisements.
They even thought about those of us who aren't happy with the system. It's inconvenient to disappear everyone who doesn't conform, so let them have their own subcultures where they are allowed to express themselves...as long as they are buying books and CDs and clothes that express their views, they are falling into the consumerism trap, they are willingly labeling themselves so that if they do get out of hand they are easy to spot and deal with and they are too busy reading or talking about what they've heard or read with friends for most of them to ever get around to taking action.
I mean for fuck's sake we even let them bastardize our right to free speech, to assemble and peacefully protest by allowing them to put us in cages at some major events like the DNC...what the hell is that?
Cop: "You can yell all you want, but first step into this cage..."
Protester: "No way man, I'm taking this shit to court."
Court: "This isn't right, in fact it's an affront to free speech, but for some reason I'm still going to allow it.
Cop: "So you gonna get in the cage or you gonna go home and sulk?"
Protester: "Well, I'd like to go home and sulk, but I'm angry and I feel like yelling, so I guess I'll step into the cage for a bit first..."
Democracy in action--Wooo!
Well, as usual I had a lot of coherent thoughts in my head and it felt like a good time to get them all out, but now my brain seems to've slipped a gear or something, so I'm done ranting again...
See, I've ranted, I've calmed down to where I can't remember what I was so worked up about in the first place and now I'll go watch tv or go to Amazon.com to see what new things I need to spend the piddly little sum of money I have been allotted by one of those giant corporations who end up taking back most of the wages they give me in exchange for things I need and other things I "need." This truly is a great country...Maybe I'll have a soma, err, beer and then play some soma, err, video games or watch some soma, err, tv.