How long do you think until US ends up like something out of 1984?

Question

Thought crime, big brother, and so on.

Answer 1

We are on our way. And some people think all those little cameras in the intersections are for "traffic control"! *LOL* Priceless! It will be another few years before the take-over is complete, but they are working on it.

Answer 2

Well I would argue that both of your examples are already with us with Patriot Act, the Military Comissions Act and all the unilateral - unlegislated spying programs that have come about in the last 6 years. Additionally Bin Ladin has been used as the 'Goldstein' (if I remember correctly) character in 1984 - the object of universal hatred and blamed for every act against our interests. The point here is NOT that he is not a nasty character and should be obliterated from the face of the earth but rather how he has been used to manipulate the perceptions of the American public.

Perhaps the most significant illustration of seeing 1984 as a metaphor for what we have become is the use of fear and symbols like Bin Ladin to generate hysteria and thus effectively control the current focus of American political thought, to force a race to judgement without consideration of consequences over so many different issues.

There are differnces though, to my knowledge the current administration is not recruiting our children yet to spy on us, nor have they achieved the degree of control over us that we are entirely without the ability to voice dissent - IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE.

I would argue though that it is merely the medium of absolute control that differs between 1984 and our current situation. Control in the US is undertaken through economic means rather than some secret police, political speech is 'chilled' by implied threats as opposed to overt threats. Knowing that it is very likely that every telephone call in the US is monitored, every email, how comfortable are you in expressing a viewpoint which while entirely legal is contrary to the governements position.

This can be proven by a thought experiment. If you were a very successful mid level corporate executive - who began using pro-palestinian, pro saddam, anti bush, communist rhetoric entirely unrelated to your job imagine where your career path would be headed. Or perhaps you are an academic espousing the same kind of viewpoints as actually happened, and some were actually fired, though they had done nothing materially to aid this nations enemy. These are of course 'thought crimes' every bit as much as those in 1984.

The point of course is that the control expressed in 1984 is overt, the control that is exerted on us currently is much more subtle - BUT THE IMPACT is much the same. The only real differnce is we are left with the illusion of free will and freedom, and there is a degree of 'acceptable dissent' whereas in practice the range of legal and protected actions that are within our fear limited comfort zone have been much reduced. You are ok as long as you dont express something that would really tick the government off. Especially so if other people started listening and agreeing.

Answer 3

We're already there. The government has special software that scans everything that is posted on the net chatboards, various websites like myspace, and newsgroups. It looks for keywords like allah, CIA, bomb, and other keywords within a single posting, and then it flags this info and leaves it for some intelligence personnel to review. If they see enough to warrant a further look, they will try to find other postings by that person, and eventually make a case and show up at your door. Or you end up on the no-fly list.

There was a teenage girl recently who posted a picture that appeared to be making a death threat to the president, and the secret service showed up at her school and escorted her from her classroom in front of friends and teachers. Her parents were not even informed she was being detained until afterwards. No lawyer, just lots of scary questions and comments directed at a 14yr old who was not aware that it was against the law to threaten the president.

People are also being detained and then secretly flown around the world from where they were picked up so they can be interrogated in a place that is foreign and not known by civil rights activists. This is not only terrorists taken from Iraq to Cuba, but also Americans taken from within US to undisclosed locations.

Some countries have even reported that there have been undeclared flights with CIA jets landing at their airfields and promptly taking off after refueling, without a flight plan or cargo registry. Actually reminds me of what I heard about in WWII from Europe, only with planes instead of trains.

Sounds pretty George Orwell'ian to me.

Answer 4

Well, until they find a way to link with my brain, they can't control what I think. The look in on everything else I do, from what I buy to what I read. Just one more reason to NEVER go for the chip ID. Who knows what circuitry they might come up with.

Answer 5

I think we are half-way there all ready.

I mean as far as survielance and invasion of privacy. Don't worry though as long as wehave free speach and the right to bear arms it will never happen.

Answer 6

Well, you're on 17 cameras a day. There is a right way and wrong way to think (political correctness). It's been here.

Answer 7

As long as we can keep Republicans and Rupert Murdoch in their place, we'll be OK.

Answer 8

Much of it is here now. Just check out this link and see if it is not almost there: http://patriotsquestion911.com/

Answer 9

when they are starting to offer gradeschool children money, to turn their classmates in, i believe it is already here!

Answer 10

Stop watching "R" rated movies, they will rot your brain.