"Brave New World," "1984," and real-life Big Brotherism

Two great novels from the first half of the 20th century described different views of the future based on what their creators saw in their own time, and both books, despite being deliberately exaggerated, managed to quickly foretell certain aspects of modern life just a few generations after the authors lived.

In Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel "Brave New World," the world in 2540 reproduces in laboratories with fetuses divided by caste. People are bred for their occupations. They are brainwashed through sleep hypnosis to have the views they are supposed to have.  The family unit no longer exists. It's considered wasteful and rude to spend any time by yourself. Physical pleasure, including sex, is the focus of daily living. Movies are called "feelies" and you experience the tactile sensations that the actors do. There are pills for everything. There are "savages" who live outside this system under circumstances more familiar to us.

In George Orwell's 1949 novel "1984," three giant nations make up the world and they are perpetually at war, with shifting alliances that ensure two of them are always ganging up on another. The novel focuses on one of them, where "Big Brother is Watching," as the government surveils and controls virtually all human endeavor, suppressing any sign of individual liberty. The main character, Winston Smith, works for the Ministry of Truth rewriting newspaper articles of the past to make them conform with modern thinking. Similarly, war is waged by the Ministry of Peace and people are tortured and brainwashed by the Ministry of Love.

In the actual year 1984, more than a decade after I read both novels in school, a lot of people wrote articles on whether "1984" was prescient. Most said "Brave New World" called it better, arguing that Americans especially were mind-controlled, not so much by Big Brother Watching as by mindless obsession with physical pleasure. But 70 years after "Brave New World" was written, I think "1984" shares honors with the older book.

It's hard to discount the predictive ability of Aldous Huxley in a world full of Viagra, Levitra and other drugs that necessitate a warning to call your doctor if your erection lasts for several hours. But the family unit continues to be cherished, promoted and desired, even by divorcees, singles and gays. What Huxley did get right is that thought control is achieved through persuasive rather than coercive means, at least most of the time. Orwell seemed to anticipate waterboarding, though. And both men correctly expected the powerful to twist and shape the truth to suit their goals.

Big Brotherism is here. It arrived more than a generation ago when AT&T began to use microwave relays for long distance telephone transmissions. NSA immediately set up secret installations near these through-the-air pathways to harvest conversations that could not be conventionally wiretapped without court orders. The law never caught up with the new technology. But to be on the safe side, the government set up a secret court issue secret rulings on requests for wiretaps in secret cases. Didn't know that? Of course you didn't: it's secret. Sort of.

Big Brother gained even more reach when judges without Internet savvy made a number of rulings that failed to make Internet activity analogous to telephone calls. The increasing ubiquity of surveillance cameras has further intensified the trend, while also demonstrating several non-nefarious and even beneficial applications. Smart phone video has sharpened what has come to be called "reverse surveillance," where the little guy keeps an eye on Big Brother, a trend that began with the Rodney King beating and came fully into its own during the Arab Spring.

And now we come to the Hawaii Legislature.

Jill Tokuda and John Mizuno introduced bills in their respective houses to require ISPs - Internet service providers - to keep records for two years of all Web site visits by all users. Mizuno, in a classic example of the Ministry of Truth, called it a consumer protection bill. Tokuda said she introduced the bill at the request of fellow lawmaker Kim Pyne, who experienced an attack Web site after a pay dispute with a Web designer. It does appear Mizuno and Tokuda were well-intentioned. Nevertheless, it was a bad idea, and the bill was tabled after a hearing Thursday where some witnesses got to explain that.

Let's keep it tabled. Forever.

 

 

Comments

[Brandt Hardin]

Huxley indeed is turning in his grave. He is one of my favorite authors and raised serious issues and made world-wide breakthroughs in the research of psychedelics as well as our cognitive liberties. I drew a portrait as homage to the man and his works. Let me know what you think of it at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2010/07/aldous-huxley-rolls-in-his-grave.html

[Michael]

Another good book is, 'Make Room! Make Room!' by Harry Harrison. 1973 Movie, Soylent Green.

With population rising and more homes built. Water shortage and no land to grow food.