1984

I have not read that far into the novel yet, but so far I do not view our society as Orwellian.  There are definitely some aspects that are Orwellian, but they do not really interfere with our everyday lives.  The amount of time it takes to board an airplane might be a ridiculous, but I do not think that is a bad thing – it keeps all of us safe.  If you have something incriminating to hide, why would you try getting on a plane?  This blog topic reminded me of when my classmate said facebook owns every single picture we post.  The thought of someone actually owning picture of myself really made me feel uneasy at first.  However, after I thought about it I realized it was not that big of a deal to me…there are no pictures of me that I am doing anything I shouldn’t be doing.  I might not like the picture, but it’s only a snapshot of a moment. 

In the novel Big Brother seems to represent the government who is constantly listening in and watching over people’s lives.  Big Brother is almost impossible to escape, Winston has a tiny alcove that Big Brother cannot see into (or can they?).  I was not sure what to make of the thought police, because I was not sure how they worked.  If they invaded your thoughts, wouldn’t Winston get in trouble for his diary? 

Big Brother exists today, but it is not as in your face as Big Brother is in the novel.  There are cameras all around our towns.  If you run a red light and no one is around, you will get caught.  My apartment complex also has cameras installed outside of our buildings.  They monitor who goes in and out to keep us safe.  In addition to watching us, I think the government is allowed to listen to our phone conversations if they think we are suspicious.  Privacy does still exist in our homes.  Unless you have done something to cause you to need to be watched you are basically free to do as you please in your home.  I do not feel that my basic freedoms have been given up to feel safe.  I would rather have a few cameras around than have people sneaking into my apartment.  I do not think that we are heading to an “Orwellian” way of life.  It is way too extreme and I think if the government invaded our lives to that level there would be mass protests and pure chaos would erupt.