Big brother is watching you... Well, I remember 1984. I remember the sighs of self congratulatory relief that Mr. Orwells nightmarish warnings had not come true. Weren't we smart? I remember the Peace Shield, which was to be a fleet of nuclear missiles deployed in space (this came to be known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars"). But as far as Big Brother is concerned, it is not so obvious how the West has slipped into the trap of being watched all the time. One must remember that that golden classic novel can be considered to be satire as well as blunt prediction. As I see it there are two basic statements that can be made that contribute the this prediction coming true. One is that we are all watching each other, almost all the time, for any deviations form the accepted consumerist and patriotic norms. the other is more complex and involves the highly advanced uses of psychology and feedback in the consumer goods and advertising industries. I will try to explain what I mean by this, you may be the judge of my clarity, and then my accuracy... (up to here, 12/2/99) 
© Huw Powell
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