B Harrison Arts – Quiet Mind Studio – Blog

Like I commented in a previous post on this novel, a very interesting read in these times. George Orwell’s 1984. The similarities are very interesting, the differences as well. One observation is the restriction of goods to the citizens of Oceania in 1984 the comment that shoe laces and razor blades were in particularly short supply, obtainable only on the black market. Nothing decorative or luxurious if available at all could be had via Party approved means.  Food and clothing scarce, limited access to heat and electricity. The only things that seem to be in ready supply are ‘victory gin’ and bad cigarettes. In our current society the direct opposite, excess, many many choices just about anything you can think of is available. The supply of virtually everything is or at least is given the appearance of being in inexhaustible supply. This makes me wonder how we as a society might react if faced with scarcity the citizens of Oceania have accepted as normal? How would we react if the fragile food supply chain were to break down and food deliveries to urban areas were stopped? A scary thought however possible. The over supply which in turn, I am of the opinion, feeds over stimulation and fosters distraction. Scarcity creates the same end of distraction by the opposite means. The distracted populous is easier to control, easier to manipulate. Weather focus is on need due to scarcity or distractions via game, TVs, advertisement, foods, drugs etc from a never ending supplies that we are made to believe we need to be happy. The resulting society is the same dumbed down, complacent, selfish, separate.

Newspeak, the new language being developed in Oceania is a deliberate dumbing down of  language. Homogenizing it through the removal of unnecessary words. No need for antonyms when ‘un’ placed before the word can express the opposite. For example good and ungood. Although this may not be exactly what is happening today. It seems to me in our current culture we engage in many forms of Newspeak. Although euphemisms and political correctness have their places and need for focus and attention. There can be a point where it becomes censorship, misleading and so dilute the message is lost. I see use of terms like recession, and economic adjustment as avoidance of what is happening, an economic depression. Watch closely to news casts, politicians and officials at every level as they engagement in Newspeak, also know as double talk and lying. Perhaps not in as overt a was as the Party in 1984 is however the manipulation of the language is real and is being used to mislead the public.

The book club will be meeting a few more weeks on this book. I may have more thoughts to post about this… My original post on 1984 is at this link: http://bharrisonarts.com/wordpress/?p=2222

You can get a free download of 1984 at this link: http://www.planetebook.com/1984.asp