Dumbed-down, Over-Medicated, No-Good World (or, Searching for Hope)
July 27th 2008 10:05
A brief examination of the dystopian genre of film and literature will lead one to a few obvious conclusions.
1. WE'RE DOOOOOOOMED!!!
2. Psychiatric Meds will contribute to our downfall.
3. Most of us won't know we're slaves until our ankles start to chafe from the
shackles.
Luckily for us, these are just fantasy scenarios, right? Sorry, friends. I am here tonight to submit to you that the answer to that question is an emphatic...WRONG! I think that the fantasy writers of yesterday must've had a pretty nifty magic 8-Ball, because I feel they kinda nailed it.
Big Brother is Watchin' Your Ass!
In George Orwell's novel, "1984" he states, "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever." In this book, Orwell asserts that people will be controlled, utterly, through the media, through their work, and in their homes. Nothing will be sacred, all of our actions will be monitored and controlled, and thoughts will become crimes.
Fact:
In June 2004 Microsoft was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,754,472, which describes how the epidermis could act as a conduit for the transmission of data between wearable electronic devices such as cell phones and handheld devices.
Fact:
Britain has 4 million video cameras monitoring streets, parks, and government buildings, more than any other country. London alone has 500,000 cameras watching for signs of illicit activity.
Fact:
The Department of Homeland Security has funneled Billions of dollars into both large and small communities in the U.S. to install street cameras. Technicians are developing ways to use computers to process real-time and stored digital video, including license-plate readers, face-recognition scanners, and software that detects "anomalous behavior." Although still primitive, these technologies are improving, some with help from research grants by the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate.
Fact:
Scientists have developed a machine which is capable of reading our mind and revealing our most private thoughts. American researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, found that, with the aid of a sophisticated scanner and computer program, they were able to determine how the brain lights up when thinking about different subjects.
Fact:
Google is developing the technology to use the existing PC microphone to listen to whatever is heard in the background, be it music, your phone going off or the TV turned down. The PC then identifies it, using fingerprinting, and then shows you relevant content, whether that's adverts or search results, or a chat room on the subject.
My point is this. Although we would like to think that we are too smart and too advanced to allow our world to crumble into an Orwellian nightmare, the truth is that it already has. And, for the most part, we have been standing by, allowing it to happen. How is it that we have allowed this kind of invasive technology to seep into our homes and onto our streets? Well, mostly because we are afraid. We are too afraid to walk the streets unmonitored. We are too afraid to allow our friends and family to roam an unmonitored internet, and we are too afraid to be left alone...to fend for ourselves. And, while we have been "fighting the terrorists over there, so that we won't have to fight them over here", we have unwittingly become the victims of our own Government's "War on Terror."
We have played the hand that we were dealt, rather than quitting the game and making our own rules. We have sacrificed so many of our own civil liberties, that many of us have forgotten that we had them in the first place. Privacy is one of the most important rights that we have, and without it, we cease to be free. Benjamin Franklin said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Ruling Party's slogan from George Orwell's "1984"--"War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength."
It Can't Happen Here
In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote a book titled, "It Can't Happen Here." It is an outlandish fantasy novel about an out of control President and his messed up administration. In this far-fetched novel, the President turns the U.S. into a fascist state, and as unbelievable as it sounds...the people allowed it to happen..right under their noses! Bwahahaha! Isn't that rich? Here are some of the highlights of the book:
***A President lacking in intellectual capacity but blessed with an amazing ability to appear as a regular guy and everyone's drinking buddy, "...almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his `ideas' almost idiotic...his celebrated humor the sly cynicism of a country store...[who would] jab his crowds with facts and figures - figures and facts that were inescapable even when, as often happened, they were entirely incorrect."
***A mysterious Presidential adviser, a wizard at politics and P.R. who "scientifically" builds up his candidate over seven years and then engineers the President's populist campaign.
***A blatantly pro-Christian and anti-feminist Administration that opposes the teaching of evolution.
***A Presidential Administration dominated by Big Business and run in the name of, and for the benefit of, Big Business.
***An administration whose first objective is to elevate the power of the Executive by simultaneously weakening the role of Congress and all but dismissing the Supreme Court.
***An administration that maintains complete control over information flow, asserts editorial control over the mass media, issues false and misleading pronouncements, suppresses independent reporting, and doctors its own statistics.
***A Presidential Administration that concocts a phony war to create an external bogeyman and distract the citizenry from the country's true problems.
Thank God that this work of fiction in no way resembles our current condition. That Sinclair Lewis sure could spin a yarn, and this one is a doozy! I am so glad that we can rest assured that democracy in this country is not being replaced by a religeo-facist mode of government.
We can rest our heads at night knowing that voting machines are not closed systems with no method of verification. I am so grateful that I don't have to worry about my Government officially sanctioning torture in secret prisons and that they would never use illegal wire-tapping to spy on their own citizens.
I am relieved that my Government would never be so bold as to suspend Habeas Corpus, and they certainly NEVER would draft ANY legislation that would undermine my civil liberties in order to give itself absolute power.
Yes, "It Can't Happen Here" is thankfully one of those books that you can safely tuck away knowing that it was written in the 30's, and could never be compared to anything that is happening in our Country today.
Periods are for Losers!
In 1932, Aldous Huxley wrote a book called, "Brave New World." Many people read this book in high school, but reading it as an adult casts it in a whole new light. I'll not go into a full book review on this one, but basically it is about a world where people are engineered to be the same...conformity is key. People are drugged into a constant state of blissful ignorance and passiveness. They are taught techniques to put themselves into states of utter relaxation and are carefree. They are completely unaware that they have ceased to be individuals; they have lost their ability to care for others, to be creative, or to know anything of their history.
I don't proclaim that we are already this far gone. However, I feel that we draw ever closer to a version of this future. I challenge any one of you to tell me that you don't know at least one person who is on some kind of psychiatric drug. Maybe you yourselves are taking something to quell your anxiety, fight your depression, stabilize your mood swings, or calm your nerves. Kids are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD at an alarming rate, and pharmaceutical companies are paying doctors to prescribe these medications to more and more people. For Heaven's sake, I know someone who gives Prozac to their DOG! Believe me, I understand that not all drugs are bad. I'm not a Scientologist, for Pete's sakes! I'm just terribly troubled by the amount of drugs being prescribed to people, and the out of control profits that the pharmaceutical companies are making keeping the population largely drugged up.
You need only to watch a small amount of TV or read one or two magazines to be bombarded with ads for drugs that will cure you of all of the diseases that you never knew you had. Did you know that if you are feeling antsy at night and you can't seem to lay still, it's not because you drank too much coffee or because you have too much on your mind. No. It is a real disorder. It's called, "Restless Leg Syndrome" and you can take a pill to make it go away. The only side effects are dry mouth, headaches, anal spasms, and death. What a deal!
And now for my personal favorite..... Hey ladies! Are you tired of having those pesky periods every month? Me too! What a drag! Well, did you know that there is a pill that will make them stop! That's right! It's totally safe! I know because the fake lady doctor on TV told me so. And the fact that women have been suffering through menstruation since the beginning of time is of no concern to me, because I just found out that although my body and your body goes through this process naturally, it's completely unnecessary!.....Does this scare anyone but me? I mean, sure, it may seem safe, but how do we know what the long term effects are? What if so many women start taking this kind of medication that it starts to become a part of our DNA, and we begin to pass the trait to our future daughters? Did anyone see "Children of Men"? Oh wait. That's just another one of those far out sci-fi movies. Nevermind.
The Silver Lining
While I believe that it is true that we as a people are headed into some scary times, I really do think that we can face and alter the futures described by authors and filmmakers. If we arm ourselves with knowledge, we can infect others. At the end of the day, we are truly our brother's and our sister's keepers, and awareness will be our best defense.
In the meantime, don't be scared. It's only a story.
1. WE'RE DOOOOOOOMED!!!
2. Psychiatric Meds will contribute to our downfall.
3. Most of us won't know we're slaves until our ankles start to chafe from the
shackles.
Luckily for us, these are just fantasy scenarios, right? Sorry, friends. I am here tonight to submit to you that the answer to that question is an emphatic...WRONG! I think that the fantasy writers of yesterday must've had a pretty nifty magic 8-Ball, because I feel they kinda nailed it.
Big Brother is Watchin' Your Ass!
Big Brother in a Scene from the Film Version of George Orwell's "1984"
In George Orwell's novel, "1984" he states, "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever." In this book, Orwell asserts that people will be controlled, utterly, through the media, through their work, and in their homes. Nothing will be sacred, all of our actions will be monitored and controlled, and thoughts will become crimes.
Fact:
In June 2004 Microsoft was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,754,472, which describes how the epidermis could act as a conduit for the transmission of data between wearable electronic devices such as cell phones and handheld devices.
Fact:
Britain has 4 million video cameras monitoring streets, parks, and government buildings, more than any other country. London alone has 500,000 cameras watching for signs of illicit activity.
Fact:
The Department of Homeland Security has funneled Billions of dollars into both large and small communities in the U.S. to install street cameras. Technicians are developing ways to use computers to process real-time and stored digital video, including license-plate readers, face-recognition scanners, and software that detects "anomalous behavior." Although still primitive, these technologies are improving, some with help from research grants by the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate.
Fact:
Scientists have developed a machine which is capable of reading our mind and revealing our most private thoughts. American researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, found that, with the aid of a sophisticated scanner and computer program, they were able to determine how the brain lights up when thinking about different subjects.
Fact:
Google is developing the technology to use the existing PC microphone to listen to whatever is heard in the background, be it music, your phone going off or the TV turned down. The PC then identifies it, using fingerprinting, and then shows you relevant content, whether that's adverts or search results, or a chat room on the subject.
A Friendly message from the mayor of London... sooo reassuring!
My point is this. Although we would like to think that we are too smart and too advanced to allow our world to crumble into an Orwellian nightmare, the truth is that it already has. And, for the most part, we have been standing by, allowing it to happen. How is it that we have allowed this kind of invasive technology to seep into our homes and onto our streets? Well, mostly because we are afraid. We are too afraid to walk the streets unmonitored. We are too afraid to allow our friends and family to roam an unmonitored internet, and we are too afraid to be left alone...to fend for ourselves. And, while we have been "fighting the terrorists over there, so that we won't have to fight them over here", we have unwittingly become the victims of our own Government's "War on Terror."
We have played the hand that we were dealt, rather than quitting the game and making our own rules. We have sacrificed so many of our own civil liberties, that many of us have forgotten that we had them in the first place. Privacy is one of the most important rights that we have, and without it, we cease to be free. Benjamin Franklin said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Ruling Party's slogan from George Orwell's "1984"--"War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength."
I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace. -George W. Bush
It Can't Happen Here
In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote a book titled, "It Can't Happen Here." It is an outlandish fantasy novel about an out of control President and his messed up administration. In this far-fetched novel, the President turns the U.S. into a fascist state, and as unbelievable as it sounds...the people allowed it to happen..right under their noses! Bwahahaha! Isn't that rich? Here are some of the highlights of the book:
***A President lacking in intellectual capacity but blessed with an amazing ability to appear as a regular guy and everyone's drinking buddy, "...almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his `ideas' almost idiotic...his celebrated humor the sly cynicism of a country store...[who would] jab his crowds with facts and figures - figures and facts that were inescapable even when, as often happened, they were entirely incorrect."
***A mysterious Presidential adviser, a wizard at politics and P.R. who "scientifically" builds up his candidate over seven years and then engineers the President's populist campaign.
***A blatantly pro-Christian and anti-feminist Administration that opposes the teaching of evolution.
***A Presidential Administration dominated by Big Business and run in the name of, and for the benefit of, Big Business.
***An administration whose first objective is to elevate the power of the Executive by simultaneously weakening the role of Congress and all but dismissing the Supreme Court.
***An administration that maintains complete control over information flow, asserts editorial control over the mass media, issues false and misleading pronouncements, suppresses independent reporting, and doctors its own statistics.
***A Presidential Administration that concocts a phony war to create an external bogeyman and distract the citizenry from the country's true problems.
Thank God that this work of fiction in no way resembles our current condition. That Sinclair Lewis sure could spin a yarn, and this one is a doozy! I am so glad that we can rest assured that democracy in this country is not being replaced by a religeo-facist mode of government.
We can rest our heads at night knowing that voting machines are not closed systems with no method of verification. I am so grateful that I don't have to worry about my Government officially sanctioning torture in secret prisons and that they would never use illegal wire-tapping to spy on their own citizens.
I am relieved that my Government would never be so bold as to suspend Habeas Corpus, and they certainly NEVER would draft ANY legislation that would undermine my civil liberties in order to give itself absolute power.
Yes, "It Can't Happen Here" is thankfully one of those books that you can safely tuck away knowing that it was written in the 30's, and could never be compared to anything that is happening in our Country today.
Periods are for Losers!
In 1932, Aldous Huxley wrote a book called, "Brave New World." Many people read this book in high school, but reading it as an adult casts it in a whole new light. I'll not go into a full book review on this one, but basically it is about a world where people are engineered to be the same...conformity is key. People are drugged into a constant state of blissful ignorance and passiveness. They are taught techniques to put themselves into states of utter relaxation and are carefree. They are completely unaware that they have ceased to be individuals; they have lost their ability to care for others, to be creative, or to know anything of their history.
I don't proclaim that we are already this far gone. However, I feel that we draw ever closer to a version of this future. I challenge any one of you to tell me that you don't know at least one person who is on some kind of psychiatric drug. Maybe you yourselves are taking something to quell your anxiety, fight your depression, stabilize your mood swings, or calm your nerves. Kids are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD at an alarming rate, and pharmaceutical companies are paying doctors to prescribe these medications to more and more people. For Heaven's sake, I know someone who gives Prozac to their DOG! Believe me, I understand that not all drugs are bad. I'm not a Scientologist, for Pete's sakes! I'm just terribly troubled by the amount of drugs being prescribed to people, and the out of control profits that the pharmaceutical companies are making keeping the population largely drugged up.
You need only to watch a small amount of TV or read one or two magazines to be bombarded with ads for drugs that will cure you of all of the diseases that you never knew you had. Did you know that if you are feeling antsy at night and you can't seem to lay still, it's not because you drank too much coffee or because you have too much on your mind. No. It is a real disorder. It's called, "Restless Leg Syndrome" and you can take a pill to make it go away. The only side effects are dry mouth, headaches, anal spasms, and death. What a deal!
And now for my personal favorite..... Hey ladies! Are you tired of having those pesky periods every month? Me too! What a drag! Well, did you know that there is a pill that will make them stop! That's right! It's totally safe! I know because the fake lady doctor on TV told me so. And the fact that women have been suffering through menstruation since the beginning of time is of no concern to me, because I just found out that although my body and your body goes through this process naturally, it's completely unnecessary!.....Does this scare anyone but me? I mean, sure, it may seem safe, but how do we know what the long term effects are? What if so many women start taking this kind of medication that it starts to become a part of our DNA, and we begin to pass the trait to our future daughters? Did anyone see "Children of Men"? Oh wait. That's just another one of those far out sci-fi movies. Nevermind.
The Silver Lining
While I believe that it is true that we as a people are headed into some scary times, I really do think that we can face and alter the futures described by authors and filmmakers. If we arm ourselves with knowledge, we can infect others. At the end of the day, we are truly our brother's and our sister's keepers, and awareness will be our best defense.
In the meantime, don't be scared. It's only a story.
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Comment by Lola Tahlulah
Lola Tahlulah
Comment by Johnny Come Lately
Jack's Back
fantastic post!
Comment by Natalie 2
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
Johnny, I was blown away as I re-read It Can't Happen Here. It's like he had a crystal ball! Although, this administration has been pretty predictable.
Comment by Timothy Powell
subjective determinist
Bad men
meditations while in genetics lectures