How can people celebrate, on July 4th, independence from England...

[Boojatta]

... and within a few days start talking about Orwell's novel 1984 in connection with warrant-less wiretapping in America? Orwell's novel was about England, not America! I ask you: if a person hasn't read the whole novel, then should the person be making reference to it?

[Richardo]

1. Sort of a light shade of aquamarine.

[jobycom]

2. I make reference to the Oxford English Dictionary all the time, and I've never read the whole thing.

The ideas of Big Brother and runaway surveillance survive with or without a complete understanding of the specific plot elements of 1984. (And in case you're wondering, I've read it twice and was in a play production of it in college--in 1984--but don't remember every detail of it).

[arcane1]

3. In the novel, England was part of Oceania...

as was all of North America. That being said, I'm not sure I follow your reasoning, since comparisons can be made no matter what country the novel actually takes place in. I don't get it :shrug:

[dmallind]

5. Dammit. Beat me to the obvious! NT

[dmallind]

4. If YOU"D read the whole novel you'd know that England was part of Oceania......NT

[meegbear]

6. We always talk about Orwell's novel 1984 in connection with warrant-less wiretapping in America ...

the point is moot.

[Oregone]

7. "Orwell's novel was about England, not America"

Don't confuse a setting for what a novel is about

[damntexdem]

8. Orwell's novel was about 1948, not 1984 -- that was a facade allowing publication.

He saw the police state as already existing coming out of WWII and going into the Cold War. And it was about the WORLD, not just England.

[jdlh8894]

9. Can you separate FICTION from REALITY! n/t

[Journeyman]

10. The events of "1984" take place after a limited nuclear war. . .

Should all analogies between the present and Oceania's fictional dystopian future be held in abeyance until after the fallout clears?

[niyad]

11. and I ask you, why should a person not make reference to said book? cliff notes aside,

most intelligent people understand what the premise of the novel is.

[KonaKane]

12. People enjoy using hot button terms

which they often know little about. It's part of the human condition.