Georgewellian statements

I keep hearing about stuff happening, a little here a little there, small issues setting precidents. the one thing they all have in common is a definite erosion of freedoms. I started to wonder where do we actully stand? what would have to change to bring us into a true orwellian state?


according to wikipedia:
The term "Orwellian" usually refers to one or more of the following:

* Manipulation of language for political ends. Most significantly by introducing to words meanings in opposition to their denotative meanings.
* Invasion by the state of personal privacy, whether physically or by means of surveillance.
* The total control of daily life by the state, as in a "Big Brother" society.
* The disintegration of the family unit by the state.
* The replacement of religious faith with worship of the state in a semi-religious manner.
* Active encouragement by the state of "doublethink", whereby the population must learn to embrace inconsistent concepts without dissent.
* A dystopian or anti-utopian future.
* The use of verbose and ambiguous language.

before i jump into it though let me admit that many of these ideas are realitive. For my purposes however i will try to adhere to the denotative meanings and explinations of realitive ideas such as personal privacy, the family unit, and religious faith. With that said let's start at the top:

* Manipulation of language for political ends. Most significantly by introducing to words meanings in opposition to their denotative meanings.
In Through the Looking-Glass, Humpty Dumpty says to Alice:
"There's glory for you!"
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' "
"But 'glory' doesn't mean a 'nice knock-down argument,' " Alice objected.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."
just in case you haven't found a word that has taken on a new meaning let me point you twards the debate surrounding bush doublespeak. Now Language evolves and no matter what we do it seems definitions will change but who will those changes benifit? I am a hacker by my definition. hackers are terorists by the governments definition. does that mean that i am a terrorist? If so by whose definition am I a terrorist?

* Invasion by the state of personal privacy, whether physically or by means of surveillance.
I don't think this can be questioned at all anymore. It also has been accepted as just somthing that happens sometimes. you give me an example of personal privacy and I'll give you an example of how it has been overlooked by the state see http://www.eff.org/Privacy/ for some examples.

* The total control of daily life by the state, as in a "Big Brother" society.
while nothing so blatent exists unless you look more abstractly at government issued holidays or a day of prayer as examples we do have our yearly contenders as is illustrated by these awards

* The disintegration of the family unit by the state.
however you define family gov't seems to have stepped in and become a detriment somewhere sticking to denotive meanings this is interesting

* The replacement of religious faith with worship of the state in a semi-religious manner.
or even better lets take the most popular already existing faith and intertwine it with gov't enforcing it's opinions on the people without contention. well ok maby a little.

* Active encouragement by the state of "doublethink", whereby the population must learn to embrace inconsistent concepts without dissent.
Everyone knows about spin, political spin has been a commonly accepted part of politics since the acronym "Significant Progress In the News" was established by SDI in the mid-1980s. everyone knows that politicans lie right? ok so now that we dont care any more where's the problem?

* A dystopian or anti-utopian future.
it depends on your utopia but according to some we are allready in an anti-utopian age.

* The use of verbose and ambiguous language.
that doesn't happen . does it?

Not exactly an answer but

Not exactly an answer but maybe a step in the right direction.

http://studentsfororwell.org/