1984 (Signet Classics)

This is an incredible book. I was very impressed with how well it is written and amazed that someone in the mid 40's was able to come up with such futuristic ideas and almost shocked at how much of it pertains to the realities of life. I loved every word of it and was almost sad that it was over.

After getting the opportunity to finally soak in this book, I am beside myself that there are even bad reviews for it. There is just two reasons that are possible for bad reviews. One, they are on crack and two, they are jealous that they are unable to write like Orwell.

I came to 1984 after reading a series of novels by Russian authors about life in Stalingrad during the onslaught by Hitler and then after the cruelty of Stalin. It's easy to see how Orwell extended the grim realities of the concentration camps of Germany and the labor camps of Russia into this dark prophecy. Of course, in many instances his vision has become realized. Big Brother seeks to invade our privacy at every turn via electronic media. Governments pose rhetoric immersed in "doublespeak". The Thought Police exist to bully our free expression. Power is exercised by imposing real human suffering upon multitudes. "The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent." Oil comes to mind here. And munitions. And diverse other commodities. In 1984 the war is endless. "Everywhere there is the same pyramidical structure, the same worship of a semi-divine leader, the same economy existing by and for continuous war." Sound familiar? The High, or the "priests of power" only fall when assaulted by the Middle and usually assisted by the Low classes. Then the Middle becomes the High and oppresses the Low for which change only means a new master. The protagonist, Winston, a "minority of one" questions his own sanity but ultimately defends the "spirit of man" as a force which cannot be overpowered. In the closing pages we see Orwell's true convictions about the infallible power of Big Brother and the triumph of the human spirit. This dark view has real overtones of Nietzsche and Machiavelli, who wrote with the view of realism based upon the inhumanity they witnessed in their heydays by "princes" with the "will to power". But the "spirit of man" is truly formidable and cannot be overcome, except temporarily, by totalitarian figures and corrupt democracies. The next US national election will be telling about down which road America will travel. 1984 is a cautionary, post-World War II tale but to say it's unrealistically dark and couldn't happen here and now is to overlook eons of history. And to be unconscious of the powers of orthodoxy infringing greedily and corporately upon the spirit of man in our time.

I won't summarize the story as many other reviews do that. This book was shocking to readers in 1948, but to those of us who have seen the Soviet Union and even modern day America, it is not really shocking. Oceana, in the book, has an exagerated toletarian system similar to Nazi Germany or Soviet Communism, but with the sexual attitude of the Shakers, or some other group that twists Christianity into a miserable heavy-handed religion. Obviously the author was writing based on events in his time. What is amazing is how the goals of the regime in the book have actually been accomplished, and more easily, in American democracy without the heavy handed approach. The approach in the book is unlikely as they limit human sexuality to a level never acheived by puritanism, except for groups like the Shakers, who died out. It is more effective to break down the family the way it has been done in America, through promoting sexual immorality, divorce, abolishing parental rights, and university brainwashing against parental values. Of course this breaks down society as a whole, but passifies the subjects, and the breakdown of America is necessary to establish a world wide form of democratic facism, or, "the Plan". The futuristic telescreen, would be called an interactive flatscreen TV in our day. While it has not yet come to pass, fully, the internet does much of the same, where people's movements are being tracked and recorded, largely for market purposes at the present, but aside from entrapping people seeking presently illegal forms of sex, its full potential as a law enforcement tool has not yet been utilized. Large search engines have used it to censor speech and thought in some regions, as well as rewrite the past. New speak would be hard to acheive in a democracy, but schools and the media have attempted the separation of word and thought through programs such as the failed Evonics course in California. Words have lost meaning, such as when my son calls something "bad", it can mean good or bad. When he calls something "sick", it could also mean he likes it, or he hates it...or both. Double speak is prevaelent, and the thought police exist in the spirit of "politcal correctness". An example of double-speak is when President Clinton stated, "we will re-define the immutable". Thought crimes are labled as "hate crimes" and are being enforced in order to bring harsher justice to enemies of the state. Threats of terrorism are used to convince the populace to eagerly forfeit their freedoms, though the government is doing the same things they always did, the media is publicizing it as something new to make people consciously aware of the activity in order to accept it. The US Constitution is being reinterpreted and called a "living document" in order to change it's meaning and use doublespeak. Examples are "separation of church and state", a phrase commonly believed to be in the Constitution, but not actually there. The words that are there to prevent government interferance in church affairs, have been twisted to mean the opposite, and is commonly used to erase certain forms of religion (mainly Christianity) from the public sector. The reading of founding documents is forbidden in some state schools due to the mention of God and other ideas which are conflict with the revision of history. Students are also taught that the Pilgrims came to America because they liked to travel, or they wanted gold. The former reasons of fleeing religious persecution and freedom are no longer historical fact as it would interfere with the forthcoming persecution. Another example is the supreme court ruling which supports the confiscation of land by a government body if it can be sold to a source offering higher tax revenues, something clearly forbidden by our founding fathers. In the book there was one party. In America, it is limited to 2, but they are much the same, but appear to argue over inflamatory issues to create the illusion of difference. One example is abortion, which the balance of the Supreme Court comes close to tipping to make illegal, but never quite makes it. The next presidential election is planned to ensure that, regardless of which party wins, or is planned to win. Abortion, being a symptom of a greater cause, keeps people focused on it's own battle, thus preventing them from interfering with the root of the cause which is part of the Plan. In reality, secret agendas are co-operated on by both parties, such as de-industrialization of America for personal profit and the Plan, and the formation af an American Union. Not even the media is allowed in on such negotiations, and the lawmaking procedures are bypassed. Science is allowed, but thought in the scienific community is one of the most strictly controlled, comparable perhaps to the Catholic Church during the days of the inquisition, though penalties are limited to ruining ones career, rather than martyring them. A specific scientific theory of origin, not proposed by a scientist, but a bitter son of a clergyman, is taught as fact, not theory, and increasing scientific evidence against the theory or its obvious flaws, and equally or more viable scientific theories are forbidden for discussion, and lawsuits and severe punishment awaits any state school teacher who disobeys this order. No questioning or free thinking is allowed in this area, as it is considered almost as a blasphemy towards the unofficial state religion of Humanism. This theory is also the basis for racism and ethnic cleansing, and has been the foundation for more death in the world than any other religious dogma. While racism is not tolerted in the realm of political correctness, the concept of different races despite genetic proof of only one human race is supported by all government forms asking which race you identify with. This is because there are many in power who secretly benefit from racism and cultural divisions. While Christianity is forbidden in the state schools, Islam is tolerated and often promoted. It is unclear if this is out of fear, or part of a larger plan, when that religion will replace the vacuum created by the elimination of Christian thought and freedom. An interesting perspective is the essay "Will Islam Be Our Future" by Joel Richardson. Thought crimes today also prohibit the distribution of medical literature published by organizations such as the AMA warning agianst the consequences of practicing certain unsafe or deviant sexual behaviors. In fact, such activity is being taught and encouraged to young school children, and parents can face stiff penalties for interfering with such doctrine. While most Americans once believed the government should keep out of the bedroom, the liberal proponents of these practices will themselves be eliminated after they help to usher in the next phase in the Plan, where human sexuality and the role of women are strictly controlled by the Government. This will precede the third phase where a world leader will come into absolute power. The Mhadi, caliphate, Anti-Christ, the name varies depending on the religion. The transformation of American state run achools from among the best, to among the worse in developing nations, is largely due to the emphasis taken away from acedemics in favor of social engineering this will ensure the weekening of America in order to balance power and bring about the results of the Plan. The way things are brought about in 1984 cannot happen, as human nature will not allow it. The failure of the Soviet Union is an example. It is much easier to manipulate people theough false religion. People will get tired of a political system, but will die for religon. America is unique as it was founded on true "religion", though false notions have tainted it with evils such as slavery, but true freedom can only survive with true Judeo-Christian values, history has proved, and is proving this point before our eyes today. While history may have been colored in the past, it is being changed in today's books, just like in Oceana...

There are alot of idiots floating around out there that don't see the potential pitfalls of giving the Federal government expanded powers. If you are one of these folks, please read this book. The work is relatively short but the lesson that it gives is powerful. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said this but I believe it encapsulates every being of this book "people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both"