Another scary thought...

[undergroundpanther]

"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.

Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.

Orwell feared the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture.

Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.

As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny 'failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions.'

In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us."

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. 'failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distracti

I'm sorry.... there was a commercial on for some reality show something or other..... you were saying????

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Omigod! It's Huxley who is rolling over in his grave!!

[The Doctor.]

3. Dude!!!!

Did you see the ad for 'Devil may Cry' for the Playstation!!!!

It looks AWESOME!

And I really hate watching the news... come over and play man!

[DebJ]

4. very cool post. thanks.

[Montauk6]

5. Was Huxley, in essence, anticipating Reality TV?

[DebJ]

6. 'no reason to ban, for no one would want to read one'....that is so

sad....thank goodness I live near a Border's. Every Friday night I am amazed at the volumes of people there.

[phusion]

7. Wait...

hold that thought, they're talking about Jacko and the Runaway Bride™ again!

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Oooh! What was that about the Runaway Bride™?

[serryjw]

8. I'm in the Huxley camp

n/t

[Dora]

9. The Chair of the NEA sees this coming

His statement on the NEA website essentially says as much: we've become a passive, non-reading culture.

I see it too, and I see it in my own life. But we've taken control over how much of the onslaught gets through. We do not own a television, and we rarely purchase newspapers. We throw away catalogs and other junk mail as soon as it comes into the house.

Thanks for the post - and your previous one too.