Does Big Brother exist today?

[Flesh]

Big brother is from the book 1984 published in 1949. In the Totalitarian society of the country Oceania, Big Brother is not one person but a name for the whole government. Everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens. The people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase "Big Brother is watching you", which is what you are meant to believe in this state. So basically everyone is brainwashed and government controlled. Your every move is being watched, you cant love, have friends, and could be killed for something like keeping a daily diary.

I kept thinking to myself how this could exist today or could very well be our future. 1984 shows how our lives will not be as secret as they are now. Oceania has no privacy and America is turning into that. In some ways America already is like
Oceania. What are your thoughts on this? Does 'Big Brother' exist today?

 

[Deacon Frost]

Sort of, but you have to remember that people are people, just people. Human beings would have to monitor these kind of things, and there's not enough people to monitor every action of every person throughout every day... and there never will be.

While we may be recorded, the amount of data involved is far too great for any agency to invest that much time or effort into. They, in all honesty, do not care THAT much.

Also, only self-important, arrogant people who have something to hide believe someone is watching them. Accept that you are nothing but 1 in 6,800,000,000 people, and are not worth watching... yet.

 

[Rhodesy]

I'm quite sure it still does. There is a TV show in england called big brother.
Yeah, I'm sure though.

 

[Tgump]

Also, only self-important, arrogant people who have something to hide believe someone is watching them. Accept that you are nothing but 1 in 6,800,000,000 people, and are not worth watching... yet.

Privacy isn't necessarily beneficial to hiding something. The "if you're innocent you have nothing to hide" motto is a fallacy. Privacy is an integral human right.

 

[Angelmax]

You say America is turning into Oceania, how? I can see your point, but you haven't really explained yourself.

 

[speedsage]

You say America is turning into Oceania, how? I can see your point, but you haven't really explained yourself.

agreed ^

 

[knubbek]

In Spain Big Brother (translated = Gran Hermano), its a TV Show.. I dont like it.. jaja

 

[Flesh]

Sort of, but you have to remember that people are people, just people. Human beings would have to monitor these kind of things, and there's not enough people to monitor every action of every person throughout every day... and there never will be.

While we may be recorded, the amount of data involved is far too great for any agency to invest that much time or effort into. They, in all honesty, do not care THAT much.

Also, only self-important, arrogant people who have something to hide believe someone is watching them. Accept that you are nothing but 1 in 6,800,000,000 people, and are not worth watching... yet.

for example at some point you have cameras installed in your home and are meant to believe that your every move is being monitored. It is impossible for so many to be watched at once but the government would use a combination of mind games and physical force to brainwash you into believing so.

 

[santa11]

im pretty damn sure it does lol

 

[Finally_Found_Freedom]

The U.S. isn't even close to the extremity of 1984, and it never will be.

 

[Markla709]

Yes, although The US and even school,work or college know what you are doing, sometimes.

 

[Tribade]

I personally do not believe that any nation in the world has gone to the extremity of the environment portrayed in the novel,1984. On the other hand, many governments invade privacy like in the United States.

The Act increases the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expands the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadens the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts.

Unforunately, as evident throughout history, individual freedoms are definitely decreased during wartime as federal power accrues as shown by the war on "terrorism".

During World War II, consequent of the Pearl Harbor attack by the Empire of Japan, the U.S. government ordered the internment of Japanese-Americans under the provision of Executive Order 9066.

In early 2004, Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American, later argued against the limitation of individual rights during wartime.

"The extreme nature of the government’s position in these cases is reminiscent of its positions in past episodes, in which the United States too quickly sacrificed civil liberties in the rush to accommodate overbroad claims of military necessity."

 

[Tribade]

I personally do not believe that any nation in the world has gone to the extremity of the environment portrayed in the novel,1984. On the other hand, many governments invade privacy like in the United States.

The Act increases the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expands the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadens the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts.

Unforunately, as evident throughout history, individual freedoms are definitely decreased during wartime as federal power accrues as shown by the war on "terrorism".

During World War II, consequent of the Pearl Harbor attack by the Empire of Japan, the U.S. government ordered the internment of Japanese-Americans under the provision of Executive Order 9066.

In early 2004, Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American, later argued against the limitation of individual rights during wartime.

"The extreme nature of the government’s position in these cases is reminiscent of its positions in past episodes, in which the United States too quickly sacrificed civil liberties in the rush to accommodate overbroad claims of military necessity."

 

[Angelmax]

Though I don't agree with the motto's implications, I don't see how it fallaciously contravenes reason? If anything, it seems like a logical deduction.

I would agree. While of course it's acceptable to object to compulsory video surveillance, a certain degree of governmental/judicial attention is warranted.

 

[Comprensión Mutua]

I would agree. While of course it's acceptable to object to compulsory video surveillance, a certain degree of governmental/judicial attention is warranted.

I don't think that's what Finn meant. He was assessing the logicality of Tgump's statement, not propagating governmental attention. Just as I do not believe the government has the right to enslave a land's inhabitants, steal from them through taxation, etc., I do not believe that the government, custodian of the mob rule, has the right to supervise the every move of its inhabitants, though, in the modern world, states universally seem to advocate and use these methods. It's quite unnerving.

 

[The Dark]

Also, only self-important, arrogant people who have something to hide believe someone is watching them. Accept that you are nothing but 1 in 6,800,000,000 people, and are not worth watching... yet.

I'd guess most people have something to hide, yourself included.

 

[Deacon Frost]

I'd guess most people have something to hide, yourself included.

I don't believe someone is watching me, in fact, I believe quite the opposite.

 

[Graham]

I don't believe someone is watching me, in fact, I believe quite the opposite.

Rofl.

On Topic- Obviously Big Brother doesn't exist. Though I do believe to a certain extent people are watched and observed for more serious matters rather than an everyday person. Sure our lives are less secretive than in previous years - we're watched by surveillance in our cars, in stores, etc. But this is a different type of watching - it's used to protect the common good of society rather than a creating a totalitarian society.

 

Sort of, but you have to remember that people are people, just people. Human beings would have to monitor these kind of things, and there's not enough people to monitor every action of every person throughout every day... and there never will be.

You're wrong about that.
http://www.vitamindinc.com/demo.php

While we may be recorded, the amount of data involved is far too great for any agency to invest that much time or effort into. They, in all honesty, do not care THAT much.

In 5 - 10 years all CCTV cameras everywhere will feed these AI devices modeled on the visual centers of mammalian brains. The international airport where I live is being fitted with this technology right now.

Also, only self-important, arrogant people who have something to hide believe someone is watching them. Accept that you are nothing but 1 in 6,800,000,000 people, and are not worth watching... yet.

And this too is wrong. People who are smarter than other people are worried about being watched, because they are not ignorant of the prejudicial and tyrannical nature of the society they live in.

I am reminded of a UK man who had his workshop raided by paramilitary police bearing fully loaded automatic weapons for ... scientific experiments of all things. They thought it was a methlab, because, being police, they are imbeciles.