April 12, 2004

  • Found the 1984+20 web site, which notes the 20th anniversary of Winston Smith's first journal entry on April 4th.

    Why Read 1984?

    Because we still can.

    It includes The 1984 Index, which is sort of like the Homeland Defense terror level. Except kinda sorta exactly the opposite, if you get my drift. Currently, our overall 1984 index is UNGOOD, resulting from UNGOOD ratings in government surveillance, political hegemony, permanent war, propaganda/revisionist history, preventative detention, anti-intellecutalism, and demonization of political opponents.

    The only PLUSGOOD ratings come in the areas of an active resistance and free exchange of information.

    Oh, and chocolate rations are up.

Comments (6)

  • excellent connection

  • ditto

  • you bring up interesting issues. hope you don't mind my comments, since i tend to have some strong feelings about these issues...

    regarding 12 of the index: freedom is slavery; Citizens willingly surrendering rights in the name of security, i would say at least in the netherlands the current state is plusungood.
    on my way from home to work and vice versa (approximately 5 KM), i could be stopped by the police and searched in two different places. since last week in three places. on local television people were interviewed about this new local law. 9 out of 10 people thought it was a good idea to stop all people and search them at any moment, since they knew they had nothing to hide, so why not being searched in order to maintain safety? only one woman stated she would never let them search her, since one should only be searched if the police suspects you of a crime.
    i might have to phone my work from a police station one of these days, i could never agree on people being randomly searched...

  • Nice link.  Gracias.

  • Why Read 1984?

    Because we still can.

    Nothing more needs be said on that.  You hit it.  Perfectly.

    In the early 80's (1984 to be exact), when I was attending a Jr College (prior to *real* college), I was asked to tutor in the Language Dept.  I asked if anyone in the class had read "1984" and was met with blank looks.  Scary.  So I went to the college library to get out a copy to take to the class.  Not only was it not on the shelves, the librarian had never heard of it.  Way, way, way beyond scary.

    Truth certainly can be stranger than fiction.  And much scarier.

  • you find the most amazing links......

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