Just returned from a great trip (will discuss in gardening posts) - but I read 1984. Holy Shit.

[NRaleighLiberal]

amazing - here I am, 56 years old, and decided it was time to read it - that, and Remains of the Day, were my wife/my trip books.....just unbelievable how Orwell nailed the tone of so much of what we are seeing politically these days. He had today's right wing-think down in eerie accuracy.

Didn't realize 1984 would be so depressing...but absolutely essential. Maybe it is good I left it until now to read it, since the context of today is so relevant.

I was actually out in Decorah Iowa helping to preside over the Seed Savers Exchange tomato tasting. It was one of the best trips my wife and I ever had....we've got much to blog from it (but watch for the tomato tasting info in Gardening over the coming days).

[niyad]

1. "1984" is one very depressing book, read it eons ago. . .looking at the reichwingnuts, he was

prescient, for sure.

on to important matters--looking forward to hearing all about your trip. since you were in decorah, any word on how the eagles are doing??

[SoCalDem]

4. It was on our sophomore required reading list in high school

Last edited Wed Sep 5, 2012, 02:31 PM - Edit history (1)

along with many other books that are now probably never taught

We read "Babbit", "The Jungle" and "Fahrenheit 451" in junior high.

[NRaleighLiberal]

16. Link to the post I just did - a picture diary - below. Re the eagles

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11592520

We didn't see "the" eagles, but saw plenty soaring over the treeline behind the cabin overseeing the field of cows. We did bike near the eagle spot - apparently they were not on the nest - but from speaking with people, all seems to be well with them.

[deutsey]

2. Unfortunately, the Right seems to have mistaken 1984 for a how-to guide

instead of the cautionary tale Orwell intended.

From what I understand, though, Orwell (himself a socialist) was targeting both the totalitarian right and left with his book.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. There certainly is a two part exercise here - reading the book, then pondering its messages.

I've only begun to delve into part 2....and that could last a lifetime!

[ljm2002]

5. I have always said...

...many of us read "1984" and saw it as a stark warning. But others (cough Republicans cough) read it and saw it as a how-to manual.

[truebrit71]

6. I was one that read it and thought 'Thank god that'll never happen"....

...fast forward 30 years and it appears the only thing Orwell got wrong was the date..

[Jazzgirl]

8. I thought the same thing you did.

That could never possibly happen in this country. I never realized it could and did and is on steroids.

[truebrit71]

18. The sad thing is I was born and raised in the UK and read the book there...

...now I live in the US and unfortunately he was right in predicting it in BOTH countries..

[niyad]

22. I heard that, originally, he intended to title it "1948" but the publisher felt that was a little

too close to home, so he changed it.

[Ron Obvious]

7. Glad to hear that that book still packs a punch

It blew me away when I first read it around age 20 or so, but I did always wonder what it would be like reading it for first time these days as so many things in that book that terrified me are now almost accepted as normal, or at least, not so far-fetched. The constant surveillance, the NewSpeak, the revisionist history, none of that would seem nearly as shocking today I would've thought.

If you haven't seen it, I can also recommend the German movie "The lives of others", about life in the old East Germany. Not as alien as 1984, and just imagine what the Stasi could have done with today's technology?

Ceaseless Vigilance.

[NRaleighLiberal]

15. Very powerful, great movie. One of our favorites.

[HiPointDem]

17. i recently read somewhere that the us intelligence establishment has more personnel per capita

than the stasi ever did.

[Ron Obvious]

21. I've heard that too...

I've heard that too, though I have no way to verify it. But more massive surveillance can, of course ,be carried automatically with computers in any case, so fewer people would even be needed to carry out near total surveillance.

Maybe the only thing Orwell missed was our willingness to participate in our own surveillance -- cell phones tracking our location, Facebook, online banking, Hell, even grocery store loyalty cards if you're paranoid enough.

[grasswire]

9. Orwell was an optimist. n.t

[Generic Other]

10. Something about this book opened my eyes...

I never felt free of Big Brother's shadow again.

[HiPointDem]

11. I also recently reread the book and was astonished at its prescience. first read it in high school

& considered it fantasy.

[Quantess]

12. I read it in the 8th grade,

in 1984. I had a good english teacher.

[reformist2]

13. Never-ending wars, hatred for a particular person as an organizing principle - that's the modern GOP

I swear - the GOP party elite is using "1984" as a template for running their party.

How else to explain the daily drumbeat of hate for Barack Obama that they spew - it's insane.

[lunatica]

14. If you ever get around to it watch the movie too

John Hurt is in it.

[truebrit71]

19. I saw snippets of it and thought it was okay...

...but it couldn't re-create the true horror of the book...

[ipfilter]

20. Fox News is the "24 Hour Hate" as opposed to the short "2 Minute Hate" in 1984.