Final warning from George Orwell - General

[video=youtube;ox-shlDXKO4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox-shlDXKO4[/video] I found this to be very emotional and touching.

For some reason it creeped me out a bit at the end when he turned to the camera.

un-fucking-canny.

[quote] "if you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face - forever." That's pretty close, but instead of a boot it's a tactical DC parkour shoe, and the human face is smiling orgasmically. The face is smiling because we all crave drama and torment and punishment. We crave drama because when our lives are dramatic and miserable, they more closely resemble an episode of Sex and the City or one of those Zach Rogan romantic comedies we like (featuring Russell Brand as Faggot Piece of Crap) and some leg-spreading big-nosed "casual dater" as Lovable Everygirl Who Makes Jokes About Her Period. [/quote]

1984 is one of my favorite novels of all time. I'm actually surprised to hear he was disappointed with it in the end because he felt it was too inspired by television. Back when this interview was presumably taken, this warning was definitely relevant to many because of the USSR and the Cold War, but today it's hard to say whether we've overcome the threat of global totalitarianism in the world. I would say for now, perhaps we have, but it could come back any day.

I really disliked 1984, to be honest of what I always saw as the big three of dystopian fiction (1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451) I probably preferred Fahrenheit the most as an actual novel (in that category I'd probably put 1984 second because BNW was a very awkward thing to read), but for concept and environment I think Huxley was closest to the right idea in BNW. By comparison 1984 comes across as scare mongering and enforces an us-versus-them mentality.

what a beautiful speaker [editline]12th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=asteroidrules;46695241]I really disliked 1984, to be honest of what I always saw as the big three of dystopian fiction (1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451) I probably preferred Fahrenheit the most as an actual novel (in that category I'd probably put 1984 second because BNW was a very awkward thing to read), but for concept and environment I think Huxley was closest to the right idea in BNW. By comparison 1984 comes across as scare mongering and enforces an us-versus-them mentality.[/QUOTE] i've read all three but i've never classed farenheit 451 as a dystopian fiction. i always thought of it as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. it has been a while tho and i may be misremembering. what do you reckon is dystopian about it? oh i guess the whole dresden bombing and all that horrid shit but that's more of a backdrop no? instead of being the actual theme. again, i may be misremembering

I feel like the NSA spying is very much a real life analog to 1984, it attempted to circumvent privacy under the guise of "American national security, etc". And thankfully, we stopped it. To an extent.

[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;46695358]I feel like the NSA spying is very much a real life analog to 1984, it attempted to circumvent privacy under the guise of "American national security, etc". And thankfully, we stopped it.[/QUOTE] that's what they want you to think

[QUOTE=asteroidrules;46695241]I really disliked 1984, to be honest of what I always saw as the big three of dystopian fiction (1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451) I probably preferred Fahrenheit the most as an actual novel (in that category I'd probably put 1984 second because BNW was a very awkward thing to read), but for concept and environment I think Huxley was closest to the right idea in BNW. By comparison 1984 comes across as scare mongering and enforces an us-versus-them mentality.[/QUOTE] It really is an extreme totalitarian view more reminiscent of Stalin than the current day. Even if you consider us to be Proles and those in the party to be the fanatics, we're hardly kept orderly and subdued nor are those in the party that committed to the party itself. It's a good book and I thought there was stuff to be learned from it, but it's not a likely scenario nowadays. [QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;46695358]I feel like the NSA spying is very much a real life analog to 1984, it attempted to circumvent privacy under the guise of "American national security, etc". And thankfully, we stopped it. To an extent.[/QUOTE] The NSA surveillance doesn't make you fearful of your actions, that in your own home straying from the narrow path will lead you to imprisonment, and if it does make you afraid then it is a completely unfounded fear. Privacy concerns are not the same as thoughtcrime.

[QUOTE=Scum;46695281]i've read all three but i've never classed farenheit 451 as a dystopian fiction. i always thought of it as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. it has been a while tho and i may be misremembering. what do you reckon is dystopian about it? oh i guess the whole dresden bombing and all that horrid shit but that's more of a backdrop no? instead of being the actual theme. again, i may be misremembering[/QUOTE] A big theme of both the backstory and the environment of Fahrenheit was voluntary censorship, books were pretty much completely banned for fear that they might offend someone (sound familiar to anybody?), and almost nobody cared, and those that did were hunted down.

An awesome speaker and an extremely talented writer.

[QUOTE=asteroidrules;46695241]I really disliked 1984, to be honest of what I always saw as the big three of dystopian fiction (1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451) I probably preferred Fahrenheit the most as an actual novel (in that category I'd probably put 1984 second because BNW was a very awkward thing to read), but for concept and environment I think Huxley was closest to the right idea in BNW. By comparison 1984 comes across as scare mongering and enforces an us-versus-them mentality.[/QUOTE] 1984 actually isn't so fr fetched, when you consider that society was set in 3 tiers. Proles, outer party and inner party. And the majority of the book focused on the life of an outer party member. The proles comparably lived very close to the general populace in BNW, with the outer party actually creating the content they so craved. [QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;46695358]I feel like the NSA spying is very much a real life analog to 1984, it attempted to circumvent privacy under the guise of "American national security, etc". And thankfully, we stopped it. To an extent.[/QUOTE] It's actually completely different. NSA spying is very overt. People are not meant to behave due to the awereness of being spied on, instead they should be kept in the dark about this existing. On the other hand, 1984 as well communist regimes used spying as a way to control behaviour. You were spied on, you couldn't trust and you couldn't organise. Sure these regimes also had NSA styled covert spying, but everyone was aware that anyone could be a stasi agent. (this was a lot more prevalent in the CSSR, DDR and PLR than the SSSR though)

you guys realize that isn't actually george orwell right

[QUOTE=Kommodore;46695878]you guys realize that isn't actually george orwell right[/QUOTE] Dude died in 1950, that's an actor.

[I]"There will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph and self-abasement""[/I] These words are getting more accurate for every day that passes.

[QUOTE=JojjeZ;46700977][I]"There will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph and self-abasement""[/I] These words are getting more accurate for every day that passes.[/QUOTE] With Miley Cyrus and shit like that I think we are going more towards a blend of 1984 and BNW

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;46701103]With Miley Cyrus and shit like that I think we are going more towards a blend of 1984 and BNW[/QUOTE] I have only read 1984 as of yet. Care to elaborate?

[QUOTE=JojjeZ;46701129]I have only read 1984 as of yet. Care to elaborate?[/QUOTE] [img]http://i.imgur.com/TmxWKkd.jpg[/img] A pretty good comparison of some aspects of their ideologies. This was the highest quality version I could find of it, sorry for the odd format.

-snipp-

[QUOTE=JojjeZ;46701129]I have only read 1984 as of yet. Care to elaborate?[/QUOTE] Brave New World wasn't so much about a lack of access to information and stimulation, rather it was an over-stimulation. There was so much going on that you couldn't pick through it. If you though too much you ought to either take a "Soma" (drug) or have some sex to get your mind off it. Kindergarten had stuff like sex time where the kids would well... yeah. To be honest I don't do it much justice. There is a picture out there that explains the difference better. See above

Yeah, BNW was about making everything so trivial (including sleep-learning and stimulating the brain's pleasure center on a whim) that people have become extremely mellow and shallow (to the point of losing real drive and emotions) and basically lost all resistance to being completely controlled by the government from the moment it knows your basic genetic makeup. A bit like domesticated animals I guess?

[quote=Tom Lehrer]Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet.[/quote]

[QUOTE=CapellanCitizen;46702872] Tom Lehrer: Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet. [/QUOTE] Funnily enough most of his songs are just as relevant then as they are today too.

yeah, I have my copy of 1984 here and that guy isn't him. This is he: [t]http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/36700000/Poets-Writers-image-poets-and-writers-36722411-2026-3000.jpg[/t]