1984

David Limon
ERWC2
Chaid
3/12/14
1984 ESSAY
I completely agree that our technology today is bringing us closer to the world of Big Brother. I agree because even though we are not forced necessarily to mask emotions and hinder temptations, most of us (U.S.) lead lives which in reality are lead by the technology at our disposal. I would not be surprised if the government taps into our many devices such as computers, phones, and even private surveillance cameras to monitor our every breath and move. This greatly worries me, it makes me want to get out of this country and find refuge in a technology free paradise.
Thanks to George Orwell, author of masterpieces like “1984”, I believe I have become much more aware of how easily can, and in some cases is, premeditated by an organization with immense amounts of power. For example, in the book “1984” Orwell explains how there are telescreens in every outer party members living quarter which are like two way televisions that monitor anything and everything in their sight or what it hears. And also since these can never be turned off completely, you are watched pretty much the majority of the time. Sounds a lot like the way so many of us communicate, maybe even too much. How do we know the government or anybody isn’t watching us through the lenses on our phones, cameras, and computers? The answer is we don’t, and we might not ever know as long as we fall so easily before our government.
An article written by Richard Winton in 2012 gives us more than enough evidence that the government is indeed tapping into private cameras and what not. He discusses how the Long Police is now using more than 400 cameras citywide to supposedly fight crime. How do they justify this? They think that by stating they are saving the city from crime and how the footage will help solve countless others they are justifying their actions, I think otherwise. In this article Richard states that the Police Chief Jim McDonell said it will not be a case of Big Brother. He chose to back up his statement by adding, “ a central control center will enlist the private cameras only when police know an incident is unfolding in a certain are.” he also claims that in London they used an extensive camera system to help capture terrorist bombers. That sounds good and all but who will ensure the people that they are not having their privacy violated with this new system? And lets not forget how much money is going into these systems, the money used to set up these systems could have been used elsewhere for a much more effective cause. It all just seems a little over the top to me.
According to an article written by Michael Payne, our world indeed is following in the steps of Winston’s world. So much so that the evidence is clearer than ever. Michael points out how perpetual war was adored in 1984, just like it has been adored in our country for countless years. Even our own president, Obama, shows signs of a new world order. It seems as though the president has adopted one of the key elements of this novel which is “doublethink”. One of the examples of him expressing this element was when he was accepting his Nobel Peace Prize during the very same time he was simultaneously conducting two wars. Shortly after he took steps to significantly escalate the war in Afghanistan and the undeclared war in Pakistan. This to me is the epitome of “doublethink”, also a small representation of the common slogan “war is peace”.
So is the U.S. getting dangerously closer to the world of “1984”? Sad to say that it is a very close fit. When America arrived at the point that the laws of the nation allowed government agencies to listen to cell phones, e-mail, text-messaging, social media or any other form of communication of its citizens, we entered the era of Big Brother. And we have become the living proof of George Orwell’s prophetic visions. So, when you state your opinions on social media, text messages, or emails, watch what you say Big Brother is watching and he might be taking notes.