Orwell’s Dystopian Future Is Almost Here: A Conversation With Glenn Greenwald

[marmar]

from truthdig:


Orwell’s Dystopian Future Is Almost Here: A Conversation With Glenn Greenwald

Posted on Jul 3, 2014
By Sonali Kolhatkar

There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate, they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.

—“1984,” George Orwell

Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, best known for his reporting on the U.S. surveillance state, told me that in the year since he first met whistle-blower Edward Snowden, he went back and re-read Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984.”

In an interview on Uprising, Greenwald said that what surprised him the most about re-reading the ominous story was that “I had always remembered the ubiquity of the surveillance [in ‘1984’], which was we had a monitor in every single room of every home constantly watching every single person. So, a lot of people said, [our world is] not like ‘1984’ because not every single one of our emails is being read and or every one of our calls are being listened to because nobody could possibly be doing all that.” But, as Greenwald rightly pointed out, in Orwell’s world, “nobody actually knew whether they were being watched at all times. In fact they didn’t know if they were ever being watched.”

In essence said Greenwald, “The key to the social control was the possibility that they could be watched at any time.” Although we have no evidence that the Obama administration is engaging in any organized form of social control in our real world, the most dangerous possible outcome of the U.S. surveillance state is a dampening of dissent because of the mere possibility that the government is watching our every move.

In fact, Fourth of July celebrations in Boston this year will be the focus of intense high-tech surveillance, according to media reports. There is, of course, great irony in imposing “Big Brother” tactics on a day that is theoretically meant to symbolize freedom from colonialism and the hard won rights of personal freedoms. Meanwhile, President Obama’s own appointed watchdog panel has given a mostly unreserved thumbs up to the NSA’s programs. Can it get more Orwellian? .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/orwells_dystopian_future_is_almost_here_a_conversation_20140703

[Octafish]

1. The Press is the only business mentioned in the Constitution...

...for good reason: We the People have a right to know, including what the Goverment is doing.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Kick

[bvar22]

3. Can it get more Orwellian?

Until we stop them,
it will.

[SidDithers]

4. Greenwald. LOL...nt

Sid

[truebrit71]

8. Really?

That's all you've got?

LOL n/t

[Andy823]

14. Yep

I think Sid pretty much said it all!

[blkmusclmachine]

5. "Thanks, 9/11" ...

[WillyT]

6. K & R !!!

[JDPriestly]

7. The most important paragraph in my view is this one:

In essence said Greenwald, “The key to the social control was the possibility that they could be watched at any time.” Although we have no evidence that the Obama administration is engaging in any organized form of social control in our real world, the most dangerous possible outcome of the U.S. surveillance state is a dampening of dissent because of the mere possibility that the government is watching our every move.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/orwells_dystopian_future_is_almost_here_a_conversation_20140703

That is so basic to constitutional law that I cannot understand that Obama is accepting the NSA's programs. Did Obama really teach constitutional law? Unbelievable.

[randome]

17. You completely glossed over the part about no evidence against the Obama administration.

And Greenwald's opinion -without any facts- are 'the most important paragraph'? Sigh. We'll all be on the same side of this debate when S&G produce evidence. But we are into S&G Year 2 now and still nothing.

Even Snowden couldn't specify to Brian Williams anything the NSA is doing that is illegal.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A 90% chance of rain means the same as a 10% chance:
It might rain and it might not.[/center][/font][hr]

[conservaphobe]

9. Wow. I've never seen Orwell invoked in this way before!

Original content, for the win!

[littlemissmartypants]

10. ..

the most dangerous possible outcome of the U.S. surveillance state is a dampening of dissent 

What I am going to say is not very "ladylike" but even if you strip me naked, tape my mouth, sit on me and hold me down I am going to do my damnedest to pass gas.

[HereSince1628]

11. the possibility of always being watched: the genius of the panopticon

IIRC, a style of prison architecture designed in the 1800's

[xchrom]

12. du rec.

[Katashi_itto]

13. You see attempts at social control here on DU almost everyday

[Oilwellian]

15. Great piece...thanks for posting

In Orwell’s “1984,” traitors to the regime were “thought criminals” who were disgraced by their betrayal of Big Brother. After bring singled out as such a criminal, Orwell’s protagonist, Winston, is instructed by his interrogator to believe he is “mentally deranged.” Although the novel is an extreme depiction of a fascist future, many of the tactics adopted by today’s so-called objective journalists to keep dissenters such as Greenwald and Snowden in line are consistent with Orwell’s dark fantasy. By discrediting those who speak out, it is possible to dismiss the substance of their criticisms. But, as Orwell famously wrote, “in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

[Blue_Tires]

16. But evidently Russia is A-OK with him?