Hey, all!
Had this thought, and needed to share it. I thought this was a fitting forum for this subject, mods please move if you think otherwise.
A couple years ago I read two great books. I heard that these books used to be required reading for high school students in New York, but I may be
wrong. After reading them, I realized why they were no longer required reading.
One of the books is
Fahrenheit 451. There's the Wiki on it.
The other is George Orwell's classic
1984. The Wiki on that one as well. The former has
really nothing to do with this thread, but I included it because it brought the same thought-provoking ideas to the table.
A quick synopsis on each:
Fahrenheit 451 is about a fire-fighter from a future American society where the job of a fire-fighter is no longer to put out fires, but to set them
in homes which contain books. Reading is outlawed and homes found by police or other citizens to contain books, are burned to the ground by the
fire-fighters. The main character begins to question the logic of the government and that of his fire team. Ultimately he is labeled as an 'enemy of
the state' and goes on the run from police.
1984 is about a man living in a future society made up of 3 super powers: Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. The three powers are constantly at war with
each other, fighting over the land between them. Because they are each as strong as each other, they are virtually in a perpetual stalemate. This
video reads from the book, and gives a visual representation of modern-day correlations between our society and the society described in the book.
The masses are essentially brainwashed into loving 'Big Brother'. The crimes present in this society are things such as talking down about Big Brother
(you can actually be "vaporized" for this, where you are taken into custody and never heard of again), not complying with daily orders given from your
television, or even so much as hinting about joining a resistance group known as 'The Brotherhood'.
Now here's where I am on the fence about Anonymous. The Brotherhood is, as explained above, a resistance group that denounces the actions of Big
Brother and is rumoured to be planning a revolution against the government in order to enlighten the people. 1984's main character eventually decides
that he wishes to join this group, only to find out that it is a ploy used by the government to catch people who may wish harm against Big Brother. So
I pose the question: Is Anonymous actually 'The Brotherhood' spoken of in George Orwell's 1949 novel, 1984?
If you have not read either of these books, I suggest you pick up a copy and spend a quiet afternoon with one (I was able to finish Fahrenheit 451 in
one sitting). Both works draw eye-widening parallels to our society. Both books were popular in the 50's, and both are great reads. Hope you guys
enjoy this thread!
Thoughts?
edit on 4-11-2011 by wWizard because: script problem