1984 and Usa Patriot Act

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ways, such as the people of the Middle East. America entered a war trying to change the ideals of those across seas to our beliefs. The USA PATRIOT Act, being a direct outcome of the attacks of 9/11 has become so rigorous that anyone that has the slightest disapproval over the manners in which America does business is subject to being punished. I most certainly believe that the problem with having so much power over people is that it gives other people permission to get the private information of others and many times the people who are responsible of obtaining this information are corrupted and cannot be trusted. In the novel, every move of Winston’s was watched even his sexual and romantic encounters and he clearly has no one to trust since he is betrayed (Orwell 292) and then fooled into being a man who betrays as well (Orwell 286). Similarly, today any suspects of betrayal are under a watchful eye by the government.

​Moreover, the Party manipulates the Youth League and Spies mind to think that if they are turning people in they are being rewarded. “It was almost normal for people over 30 to be frightened of their own children” (Orwell 24). These young children adored the Party and Big Brother. They were given uniforms, dummy riffles, processions, hiking and songs for their enjoyment. These Spies were highly devoted to Big Brother, and made older men such as Winston fear them, as they once called him a “traitor” and “thought criminal” (Orwell 23). Likewise, the American government manipulates its citizens to turn in perpetrators in exchange for a monetary reward. In Title V: Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism from the USA PATRIOT Act it is declared that “… the U.S. Attorney General is allowed to pay rewards pursuant of advertisements for assistance… to combat terrorism” (wikipedia). The similarities in governing methods are very similar in today’s America and in 1984. It is clear that manipulation is a large part of governing.

As we have seen in many cases government and private agencies misuse and misplace private information and this could lead to identity theft as well as other crimes. I believe that the surveillance, phone tapping, and collecting of private information should be directed in a careful and conscientious way and should only be done if it is absolutely necessary. If we continue on the road we are following today, we can end up in a predicament similar to 1984 where “in the vast majority of cases there was no trial, no report of arrest. People simply disappeared… your name was removed from the registers…” (Orwell 19). It is for this and many reasons that I do not agree with the government or anyone invading the privacy of the common people just because they feel like it. It is my personal opinion that comparable to the novel, in real life many people disagree with some of the government rules and regulations but just like in the novel they do not say anything because they are afraid to rebel. We begin to think that authorities would take revenge against us and that we may end up losing a job or any source of income, or even worse, go to prison. In the novel, the proles that composed eighty-five percent of the lowest class of the population, felt powerless and with no motivation to fight the socialist party because they were afraid they would not receive the financial support from the government anymore (Orwell 69). I consider that people today do not complain for similar reasons. Another reason why people are not confident in contradicting the government is because they fear the abuse of power the government has over its people.

From what I have gathered it is simple to see that Orwell’s novel could have straightforwardly foreshadowed our present situation in terms to privacy, surveillance and public opinion. I have introduced various examples and have compared them to the USA PATRIOT Act, which seems to be vastly similar to the novel, 1984. I have learned many interesting facts about the manners in which the government takes control of the people without cause. I would say that we are most definitely headed in the direction of Orwell’s prediction if our government continues to make laws that have no protection for our civil liberties as citizens of the United States of America. If my fellow citizens read and analyze the power of the government and where we stand today, they may be just as scared and shocked of a possible future such as one in which people live being constantly watched and under surveillance. A plausible future in a world made up of telescreens and fear.

Works Cited

Dunning, Jack E. "Did George Orwell’s 1984 Predict Today’s Personal Data Breaches?" The Dunning Letter. 25 Oct. 2005. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. <http://thedunningletter.blogspot.com/2005/10/did-george-orwells-1984-predict-todays.html>.

Orwell, George. 1984. Centennial ed. New York: New American Library, 1977. Print.

"Part of Patriot Act Ruled Unconstitutional - US News - Security - Msnbc.com." Msnbc.msn.com. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20999950/ns/us_news-security/t/judge-rules-part-patriot-act-unconstitutional/>.

"Patriot Act Complaints Reviewed." Wired.com. 21 July 2003. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. <http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2003/07/59709>.

"Patriot Act." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 03 Jan. 2012. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act>.

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