In 1932 Huxley’s Brave New World was published.
19 years later Orwell’s 1984 was published.
In the 21st century both dystopian classics began to blend:
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From my youth up I never liked the city.
I never forgot the mountains where I was born.
The world caught me and harnessed me
And drove me through dust, thirty years away from home.
Migratory birds return to the same tree.
Fish find their way back to the pools where they were hatched.
I have been over the whole country,
And I have come back at last to the garden of my childhood.
My farm is only ten acres.
The farm house has eight or nine rooms.
Elms and willows shade the back garden.
Peach trees stand by the front door.
The village is out of sight.
You can hear dogs bark in the alleys,
And cocks crow in the mulberry trees.
When you come through the gate into the court
You will find no dust or mess.
Peace and quiet live in every room.
I am content to stay here the rest of my life.
At last I have found myself.
— Tao Yuan Ming (Tao Qian) Chinese, 365-427
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I’d include “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis, too. Lewis, like all so-called progressives, got it wrong when he assigned responsibility for the authoritarian government to a rabid right-wing movement. It’s always the oh-so-tolerant-left that cannot abide anyone breaking cadence with their goose-stepping ways.
As for Amazon’s Alexa: I am completely baffled why any sane person would have one of those devices in his house. (He typed as the NSA recorded everyone of his keystrokes). Oh, well…..
Those quotes are taken from the Foreword to Neil Postman’s AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH. It is an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to understand how we got to *Clown World 2019*. Like Christopher Lasch, who wrote the equally prescient THE CULTURE OF NARCISSISM, Postman was a clear-eyed old-school liberal who saw the media-/entertainment-driven behavioral-sink that America was sliding into, and warned us about it *decades* ago.
I was gonna comment on this but Siri said I shouldn’t.
When did Jeb Bush start selling blenders.
Blendtec is the best blender out there.
Sorry got distracted the View was on.
“What you need is a gram of Soma.”
“All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol,none of their defects.”
“And do remember that a gram is better than a damn.”
They went out,laughing.
Huxley,the eternal Savage,rules.
The final verdict isn’t in on Orwell v. Huxley. I suspect the 2020’s will supply it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HKTx5WFcs0
Richard, it may interest you to know that NSA is hiring.
To apply, just message your resume anywhere.
@H:
Groovy! And the bestest part of that is that there’s no need for an interview because they already know everything.
“Siri”. “Please open the link for ‘American Digest'”.
“I’m sorry John, there is no such link”.
Simply amazing, and amusing. I sent this to ALL my associates around the world!. Boff Em.
Made my day.
DW