The power of Big Brother

¶ … controversy over governmental power and the centralized government under the Bush Administration has provoked significant debate within congress and the world. Most specifically, the Bush administration has been criticized for taking a Big Brother approach to governance. In America 2014: An Orwellian Tale by unheralded author Dawn Blair, the author carefully portrays a world that sequels the acclaimed 1984 Orwell story. He shows us what it would be like to live in a world dominated by censorship and overbearing government control. The world is currently faced with the struggle for freedom, not only political freedom, but freedom and access to information. The Bush administration has repeated been humiliated within the press for their disparity between truth and fabrication. Blair's tale along with 1984 prophesies a world under the strict guidance of this totalitarian regime with a specific emphasis on the governing agents that challenged American freedom. Through these two books the authors present a real world understanding of how information control and the power of centralized governing authority can destroy our freedom and lead to totalitarianism.

One of the central themes within both books is the presence of Big Brother and the dangerous affects that creates. Within 1984, the centralized government agency has created an information institution that monitors the activities of every citizen. It creates a concept of always being watched and monitored and thus all of an individual's privacy restricted. This similar theme is also explored but with much more immediacy by Blair. He explains that the Department of Homeland Securities has already turned this nation into one that is constantly being monitored and pervasively destroying our freedoms. Not only does this Big Brother act to constantly monitor us but it also uses the powers that are presented to consistently scrutinize our actions for wrongdoing. The concept of Big Brother is a disturbing one, and both books reveals that this theme can be destructive to our concepts of freedom and understanding. The emergence of a Big Brother arises from a desire for protection and safekeeping. However, the trade off of having this protectionist perspective is that it takes away our essential liberties and privacy. Moreover, both books assume that Big Brother himself is in actuality a vast organization of corrupt individuals. As a result, the ultimate result of having a Big Brother is an organization that uses their power for evil rather than good. This is the essential premise of Blair, that although both organizations may begin its operations based in protection and preservation of American freedoms, it is ultimately a tool for corruption because of the vast amount of power at their disposal. The evidence of a Big Brother within the United States system is already evident. Not only does the government have the power to take phone records, computer records and unscrupulously monitor unsuspecting civilians, they are using this power not on terrorists but domestically. In addition, the current regime has used their power to influence corporations such as AOL and Yahoo to release sensitive information relating to their users. As a result, it is evident that the Big Brother of 2014 and 1984 are a reality within our current government and that they are helping to take away our essential need for privacy.

The central method by which both of these books display subversion and control is through limitation of information and propaganda. In 1984, the information bureau controls all aspects of media and as a result, there is a mysterious war with another country that provokes citizens to fear and thus rely on the government. This is similar to the current strategy used by the Bush administration, where the War on Terror is used as the catalyst for media control. The central character of both novels works for the central bureau of propaganda and as a result, is exposed to the heart of this information and media control. When information is limited, individuals within society lack the ability to accurately judge both the effectiveness and the actual liability of government. The government can use consistent misinformation and scare techniques to promote an artificial need for martial law and complete authoritarianism. This is precisely the scenario that Blair focuses on in 2014. He recreates the world of 1984 and shows that within an authoritarian government, the media is completely controlled and used as a fear-mongering tool to promote lack of information and ultimately a reduction in freedoms. Information control has been evidenced within the United States through the mismanagement of national media. Instead of dramatic reports of the 9/11 commissions, we are for the most part exposed to "yellow journalism" where sensationalism is more important than the actual physical occurrences of the world. Both authors reveal that this is the first step towards the reduction of our freedoms.

These two above points leads to the central argument of this book, which surrounds the analysis and definition of "true freedom." The reason that the Bush regime has achieved so much power within 2014 is that it has claimed to protect American "Freedom" from terrorism through these measures. In 2014, the war on terrorism is ongoing, and as a result, it is the excuse used to scare Americans into believing that it is necessary and proper to obey all edicts by the government. Thus, it is up to Winston Smith to judge the true merit of Freedom. Just like 1984 before, it Smith's central decision and the author's message is that freedom does not entail physical freedom, but rather "true freedom." This concept of "true freedom" surrounds our ability to be free from government invasion and free to make the decisions that affect our individual lives. In both books, it is clear that what is at stake is not necessarily freedom in the absolute sense, but rather the importance of spiritual and intellectual freedom. That the ability to act as an individual without fear or reprimand is a right and a freedom worth dying for. This very American conception of freedom as detailed by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are both very central to the theme of these two books. They clearly attempt to show that the current Bush administration has proctored our concept of "freedom" and replaced with a desire for "safety." The feature of the Resistance is a battle against this very concept of safety more important than freedom. They underline the argument that the only method to achieve "self-actualization" is to caste aside our need for safety and instead focus on the underlying tones of spiritual need that is the context of both novels.

When the government is given the ability to limit information access as well as proctor the lives of individuals, it becomes evident that the abuse of authority is rampant. The key to both of these books is not necessarily to decry the evils of an individual, but rather to show how abuse of authority comes from temptation rather than actual evil. That the system of abuse highlighted in both books arose almost organically with the majority of the individuals within these organizations unaware that they are doing evil. This essential premise is a very important quality of the book, it highlights how individuals can be "forced" to act within certain parameters and as such will consistently change their way of thinking in order to operate within a system. That the individuals who are supporting the abuse of authority are in fact those with good intent but brainwashed. This is exactly what happens with Smith, who operates within the Homeland Securities Department. His very existence is highlighted by the fact that he believes his work is crucial for the survival of his nation. Blair and Orwell show that within this world that governments and institutions have a tendency to become organically too powerful unless actively checked. Many times those who are responsible for perpetrating crimes and oppression are not even aware that they are part of the massive corruption. Thus, these authors warn that the abuse of authority must be consistently checked and fought in order to keep it from expanding. This is currently being evidenced in our society. The Bush administration has repeated thwarted the power of Congress and the Supreme Court by attempting to pass laws that directly by-pass the national legislature and promoting a system that takes away presidential checks. The Bush administration repeated refuses to provide subpoenaed documents and to allow information access and disclosure. It is evident from their behavior that without such accurate disclosure the government is drifting closer and closer to the realities discussed within this book.