1984

Joshua Sanchez

May 7 2004

English 100 M-W

Professor Hu

Not so free after all

Big Brothers eyes are over watching us everyday. The privacy we once had has dissipated. His focal point is in the sky like an eagle stocking its prey. The camera lenses of Big Brother dwell everywhere. Big Brother is always awake and has an eye on us. As of today, Big Brother has risen taller and mightier. He has gained the power to control what we can have knowledge about and has infiltrated into our private lives. George Orwell's novel 1984, prophesied coming of our democracy of a negative utopia has been proven by current events. Today, the United States democracy is looking much like the totalitarian state of 1984. Tactics of persuasions to make citizens believe their economy is improving occurred in 1984 and now in ours. Big Brother regulated the media in Oceania just as America does now. Reporters fired from speaking to foreigners, lies Administrators from the party tell their citizens, imperialism to gain territory for natural resources, and the reprisal from the government from individuals who seem unorthodox.

Over the years in presidential elections, much bribery has been conducted to assure another presidential term. Citizens expect and would take pleasure in a president who would improve the economy so they could live in a place that accommodates there budget. A current event that is taking place of such an issue is with Mr. President Bush.

"In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS, Woodward, a Washington Post editor, said that Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, had promised President Bush that the Saudis would cut oil prices before November to ensure the U.S. economy was strong on Election Day."(Schoen) With this on hand, many citizens with be lulled to believe Mr. Bush is doing a fantastic job with our economy, escalading to a re-election from the voters who were persuaded by Bush's plan. Of course, not everybody has heard of this prophesied event, because it never was made a real major issue that was broadcasted worldwide through the media. It was introduced once, then vanished so not to make a major scene. Probably when Mr. Bush seen somebody made a degrading report that may effect his re-election, he told his friend Collin Powell, chairman of the FCC, to make it disappear or a least hide it. Just as the Party did in 1984.

Citizens of the U.S. have obtained the information around the world by the media. Either by the radio, television set, newspaper, or internet sources. Each one of them is censored by the government department of the FCC, which stands for the Federal Communications Commission. Much like the ministry of truth, it regulates U.S. broadcast media and communications markets. Everything a news reporter reports a story on is looked at beforehand for censorship before it hits the television screen. If for instance he or she is doing a story on something the Party/Government wishes not to reveal to our eyes and ears, then the story never hits the screen or air. They only want you to hear what they want in other words. Since they own the press, they can do this. They follow a concept called the Authoritarian.

The Authoritarian concept is viewed as the oldest of media concepts, tracing its roots from the as far back as Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century. With this invention came government limitations and restrictions on something they saw could challenge their authority. "The basic principle of authoritarianism is the press is always subject to the direct of implied control of the state or sovereign. Diversity of views is seen as wasteful and irresponsible, harmful to the country's development. Under this system, the press are allowed to gather and publish news, but the news must be for 'the good of the state', and should not criticize authority or challenge the leadership in any way."(McCormick) Everything we see or hear from the press is intended to come into our conscious as a positive influence of the government. But not everything is true. For the most part, it is falsified. For example, after the 9/11 tragedy, the news depicted a live crowd of people from the Mid East cheering in the streets. Automatically, we suddenly had a rage of hatred of any person from the Mid East. But the truth being, was what was actually being portrayed on the screen was an event that took place beforehand.

"The Palestinians celebrating the bombing, out on the streets, eating some cake and making funny faces for the camera. Well, those images were shot back in 1991!!! Those are images of Palestinians celebrating the invasion of Kuwait!"(Carvalho) The rage that fulfilled our minds was a figment. We then started to stereotype people from the Middle East. Every one that resembled somebody from the Middles East was discriminated against and was marked by society. It was unfair and unjust, but we got the wrong perspective of them by the wrong portrayal from the media. Watching the 9/11 event on television resembles and is similar to the Two Minute Hate from the novel 1984. Ever since that tragedy, every U.S. citizen became more patriotic. Citizens started to purchase American flags and hang them from their houses or from their cars. We started to show our passion for our country. We showed we loved our country. We were tricked to believe and forced to love America. We Loved Big Brother. What we thought was live news that was broadcasted was false news. Even when reports go for themselves to reveal the truth, they were denied on arrival and were fired.

"It is absolutely necessary to their structure that there should be no contact with foreigners except, to a limited extent, with war prisoners and colored slaves. If he were allowed contact with foreigners he would discover that they are creatures similar to himself."(Orwell 162) In 1984, they restricted citizens to talk to foreigners for they might have gained knowledge of each others country and realize it was lies the party told them about one another prevailing fear the citizens may engage in a revolution to overthrow the government. "Peter Arnett was fired by NBC for an interview he gave to Iraqi state television." (Jensen) Fox News' Geraldo Rivera was another reporter that was under Pentagon scrutiny in which he was shown drawing troop positions in the sand. "CNN, MSNBC and several wire services reported all day that Arnett had been asked to leave Iraq, citing Pentagon and military officials. But Fox reported that evening Rivera was still in the country. Rivera would be the second reporter to be kicked out by the Pentagon for reporting