Dissected at length since it was first published in 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the dystopian science fiction tale written by English author, George Orwell, is an essential read, now more than ever. Big Brother's constant and omnipresent surveillance comes straight to mind, especially when present so-called democratic governments want to control every move a citizen might want to undertake. More specifically, what is happening in Germany, Canada, or Australia today is not very far from Orwell's imaginary place, with bank accounts blocked, families separated and online communication closely monitored. The freedom limitations implemented in the name of the greater good are abominable, and many of us are oblivious to what is happening. Since 9/11, which apparently was staged but this is not the purpose of this post, people have accepted to cede their fundamental basic rights of free movement, thought and speech just to be able to travel or access certain areas. They have allowed others to watch them around the clock and have forgotten that the power of a government in any democratic regime is granted by the people, who should be served by their "public servants", and not the other way around...
1984's motto "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength" has sadly become a tangible truth in our current world. Our planet, like Oceania in the novel, is burdened with many totalitarian authorities, hiding behind the well-being of their respective communities. True, we do not live under a Nazi regime (yet) for the Gestapo to spy on us, but our screens follow our every move and thought. In the name of "serving us better" by suggesting what is important or relevant to us, we have agreed to surrender our privacy, bit by bit, over the years. Our data is collected, stored, and shared. By whom? To what finality? We don't know. And the system-compliant individuals would claim that they do not have anything to hide, so what harm does this entail? The real issue lies in the fact that if a person expresses an opinion that is not considered a "truth" by the tyrannical state, they are being chastised: look at what happened to whoever tries to publish anything, not main-stream approved on Covid on any media platform and more recently to the freezing of the bank accounts of the people who supported the truckers in Canada...
In Orwell's fantasy world, the Ministry abuses its power to pass restrictive mandates and outlaws the expression of emotions. Isn't that similar to forcing humans to keep "social distance" and recommending they stay away from their loved ones to "protect them"? Have you noticed that suicide numbers are on the rise? Can you still remember that humans are group beings and cannot thrive in isolation? Even the most introverted of us need affection, appreciation, and care to feel good! If by now you don't feel the threat that Smith sensed in the book because he kept a diary and he wasn't supposed to, it is time you paused and started connecting the dots. Most of which are blatantly exposed and available to our reach. I am not pretending that science and technology are bad. In fact, they were created to make our lives easier and more convenient. Let us remember that their main function is to come to our aid, not to enslave us. Maybe in the future of the prophetized New World Order, it will be accepted to hand over what makes us humans to artificial intelligence or humanoid devices, I for one wish to be gone before these times are reached!
