Orwell's 1984 vs present day reality

[paineinthearse]

"The Donkey's home page post - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2339839 - caused me to draft this one.

It would be very interesting as a year-end exercise to list all the horrible things Winston faced in 1984 and site examples of the present day reality.

Example: 1984's "memory hole" vs how websites are scrubbed or revised/spun.

I'm hoping there will be some good cooperation. In this first pas, just list the "horribles", and down the road in a day or two I will start another post listing the "things" and we can flesh out the details.

[JAbuchan08]

1. Remind me will you, are we at war with Eurasia or Oceania?

[orwell]

3. Oceania has always been at war...

...with Eastasia.

No chocolate for you!

[Book Lover]

2. The Junior Anti-Sex League is

everywhere that sponsors abstinence-and-ignorance-until-lifetime-marriage organizations, for one thing.

[manic expression]

4. but so is MTV

and "My Humps"....

That's the situation that is America. People are not blinded by deprivation of things (as in 1984), people are blinded by consumerism and the lack of thought that goes hand in hand with it.

[recoveringdittohed]

5. Faux News is

The 24 hour "Two Minute Hate"

[Generic Other]

6. From the Ministry of Truth

[Nutmegger]

7. Hate day reminds me of

how Bush Inc and the sheep react towards the "terrorists" and "saddamists". Time to foam at the mouth everybody...

[paineinthearse]

8. All good stuff, thanks

Keep it coming!