Wegman

Examples in the U.S
||~ 1984 In Today's Society = =

Examples in Other Countries
||
 * < 1. Editing of Historic Books/Novels ||< 1. Kim Jong-il: "Dear Leader" ||
 * < 2. The Pledge of Allegiance ||< 2. North Korean: 3 Castes ||
 * < 3. Lack of Individualism ||< 3. Enforcing Patriotism/Controlling Flow in Information in North Korea ||
 * < 4. Increased Public Surveillance ||< 4. Russia's Mind Weapon ||
 * < 5. Increased Private Surveillance ||< 5. China's Monitoring of Internet Use ||
 * < 6. Prevalent Gap Between Society Classes ||< 6. The gao kao ||
 * < 7. Sex-Ed in Schools ||< 7. The Catholic Pope ||
 * < 8. Blatant Government Lies ||< 8. Holocaust Denial in the Arab World ||
 * < 9. Hiding/Putting-Away Wrongdoers ||< 9. Cuba's Travel Restrictions ||
 * < 10. Focusing on One Side of a Story ||< 10. No Divorce in the Philippines ||

US 1.) Editing of Historic Books/Novels
In Oceania, Big Brother is always right and has always been right. This is made possible by the editing of historic documents, books, novels, pictures, etc. Here in the modern-day United States, the same concept is ocurring. The Texas Board of Education approved a social __#|studies__ curriculum change that will "put a conservative stamp on history and economics [|textbooks], stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers’ commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light." Also, historic novels like //Huckleberry Finn// are being edited to fit a more "politically correct" format. So uses of the word "nigger" in //Huckleberry Finn// are changing/being considered to change to a word like "slave." @http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

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US 2.) The Pledge of Allegiance
Oceania has three mantras: Ignorance is Strength, War is Peace, and Freedom is Slavery. In the U.S, our mantra(s) are in the form of a pledge: The Pledge of Allegiance. This is a form of obediance __#|training__ that becomes second nature to U.S citizens, just like Big Brother's mantras became second nature to Oceania's people. The pledge makes citizens give their allegiance to the country and to each other, all under God.

US 3.) Lack of Individualism
In Oceania, every prole wore the same blue overalls, lived in the same style housing, ate/drank the same thing, worked for one common goal, and (for the most part) thought the same thoughts. In today's U.S society, the movie stars' and singers' fashions and attitudes influence the "common people." We buy our clothes at the same stores as our peers, buy the same clothes as our peers to look like the stars, try and lose/gain weight to look like the stars, etc. We aren't individuals anymore because we concern ourselves with "fitting in" and being "cool" instead of being one-of-a-kind. media type="youtube" key="o6102AWGr0k" width="560" height="315"

US 4.) Increase Pubic Surveillance
In Oceania, Big Brother and the Inner Party have telescreens set up all over the streets, work places, meeting spots, resturants, etc. The telescreens are there to keep an eye on all citizens at all times (hear what they're saying, see who they talk to, where they go, etc.). In the U.S, the government is passing more and more laws that bump up public surveillance. Cameras are __#|now__ in almost all public transportation methods, work buildings, restuarants, __#|grocery__ stores, banks, outside popular/busy buildings and street corners, etc. All to keep an eye on the public at all times while they are out-and-about. media type="youtube" key="d2yI_qL0zak" width="420" height="315"

US 5) Increased Private Surveillance
In 1984, not only did the Inner Party watch you while you were out in public, but they aso watched you while in __#|your__ own home/in your private time. There were telescreens in every apartment, so you really never had privacy. There were hidden microphones throughout the forests/secluded areas, so you could never escape the surveillance. In the U.S. today, we don't have much privacy either. Our cars can be traced, our phones can be traced, messages can be read, phone calls can be listened in on, social media is closely watched. The government can find out where we are, who we're talking to, what we're saying, and what we're doing at all times.

[] @http://www.mobistealth.com/cell-phone-tracker

US 6.) Prevalent Gap Between Society Classes
In Oceania, you're either a prole (lowest class, 85%), an Outer Party member (middle class, 13%), or an Inner Party member (upper class, 2%). In the U.S, the class make up depends on your education and how much money you make- two things that can vary in enormous ways. The next level of income is the middle class, a broad category that captures the vast majority of Americans. It's also controversial: Scholars and studies define sections of the middle class differently. But there are similarities between nearly all classifications. The working __#|class__ falls at the lowest end of the middle-class spectrum. These workers are employed in blue-collar industries or are paid by the hour. They typically have lower levels of education. Next is the lower-middle class, which is primarily comprised of lower-level, white-collar workers. These workers typically have college educations, but lack the graduate degrees needed to advance to higher levels of employment. Income for these workers generally falls between $32,500 and $60,000. Upper-middle-class workers typically have post-graduate degrees and work at high-level, white-collar positions. Household income for these workers is often above $100,000. According to the Census bureau, upper-middle-class, or professional class workers, earn enough to be in the top one-third of American incomes. The next income level is what is commonly called the "5 percent," or the percentage of Americans who make more than $150,000 annually. At the top of the economic ladder is the so-called "1 percent," or households that earn more than $250,000 annually." ([])
 * "Understanding poverty, the middle class, and the upper class.** According to the Census Bureau, 46.2 million people—about 15 percent of the U.S. population—currently live below the poverty line, or the income level needed to make a bare-essentials living in the United States. This figure depends on a number of factors, but is currently calculated to be an annual income of $23,050 for a family of four.

US 7.) Sex-Ed in Schools
Julia is a member of the Anti-Sex League, and she tells Winston that, starting when you're a child, the government agencies pound it into you about how sex is bad, intimacy should be done away with, and that reproduction will soon depend only on science- not on sex. In today's U.S society, parents are strongly encouraged to start having the "sex talk" with their child at a young age (before puberty preferably). Health classes must be taken in order to move on in school, and those classes teach you about the horrible diseases and outcomes that can come from sex. All of this education is around to make celibacy seem like the answer. media type="youtube" key="8q1y1JYvMlc" width="420" height="315"

US 8.) Blatant Government Lies
In Oceania, the government lies about what has happened in the past. The government lies about what "criminal acts" people have committed, they lie about the war, the rations, the manufacturing of goods, etc. Today, our government lies, and those lies are more prevalent than ever during presidential election years. The current president lies about all the plans he's made for jobs, getting out of war, cutting the deficit, and what all he's already done (how many jobs he has made, how many soldiers he's brought home, etc.). The other canidate also lies about how he can do a better job, how he can cut the deficit faster, make jobs appear faster, restore the peace quicker, etc. media type="youtube" key="q-0ecuS8tWs" width="560" height="315"media type="youtube" key="oWdZEJW1vWY" width="560" height="315"

US 9.) Hiding/Putting-Away Wrongdoers
In 1984, if you did something wrong, you were taken away. You were picked out of the world in a snap of a finger- in most cases, never to be heard from again. In today's socity, if you do something wrong (depending on the severity) you'll be put in prison for the remaining years of your life. Then there are also the people that mirraculously get away with the wrongdoings they did, and are put into witness protection/given a whole new identity. Take Casey Anthony as an example; her daughter dies, the whole world knew she was guilty, a lack of evidence got her off the hook, and now she hides from the world with a whole new identity- never to be seen/heard from again.

US 10.) Focusing on One Side of the Story
When someone from Oceania "evaporates," it's because the thought police caught them going against Big Brother or someone turned them in. So the government only focuses on that one person's (the one tattling to the government) story. We do the same thing here in the US today. If a girl is raped and goes to tell the police or tells other people what happened, people are automatically going to believe that the guy is to blame. That guy may not be guilty; the sex could have been consentual, but the girl may want attention or may be too embarassed/ashamed to admit what she had done, so she may try and say the guy raped her. Our society focuses on that one side of the story way too often.

[]

Other 1.) Kim Jong-il: "Dear Leader"
The government figure-head of Oceania is referred to as "Big Brother." Although he has now passed away, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, requested that everyone in North Korea address him as "Dear Leader" instead of an official title or his birth name. []

Other 2.) North Korea: Three Castes
Oceania's society is divided into three parts: Inner Party, Outer Party, and Proles. In North Korea, the "Songbun" system determines your rank. This is a heredity-based class and socio-political rank over which the individual exercises no control but which determines all aspects of his or her life. The rank determines privileges, punishments, and/or surveillance. So the lower you are (proles), the heavier you're watched and controlled. []

Other 3.) Enforcing Patriotism/Controlling Flow in Information in North Korea
Oceania does not allow it's citizens to ommunicate with the outside world (Eastasia or Eurasia). All information about the war is given through the Telescreens, which are controlled by the government. In North Korea, citizens are not allowed to have contact outside the country. All information on the outside world is conveyed through the government; no outside media is allowed. The government controlls everything. "Use of the "Big Lie." In **North Korea**, all "news" is positive. According to the country's rigidly controlled media, North Korea has never suffered famine or poverty, and citizens would willingly sacrifice themselves for their leader. The official Korean Central News Agency said that deceased leader Kim Jong Il is so beloved that after a deadly munitions train explosion in a populated area, people ran into buildings to save the ubiquitous portraits of the "Dear Leader" before they rescued their own family members." ([])

Other 4.) Russia's Mind Weapon
“//The development of weaponry based on new physics principles – direct-energy weapons, geophysical weapons, wave-energy weapons, genetic weapons, psychotronic weapons, and so on – is part of the state arms procurement program until 2020//,” Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov reported to President-in-waiting Vladimir Putin during their latest meeting. Russia may or may not have a weapon that can affect the human brain, and have some sort of affect on it's function and what it conveys to the human body to do. This is similar to the device O'Brien uses on Winston that wipes out Winston's memory for a few moments. Filling him with a bright ligh of nothingness.

Other 5.) China's Monitoring of Internet Use
China has some of the world’s most far-reaching online restrictions. Last year, the government blocked more than a million Web sites, many of them pornographic, but also Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Evite. Recent regulations make it difficult for individuals unaffiliated with a company to create personal Web sites. This is similar to //1984// because the citizens of Oceania were only allowed to read certain books, magazines, and newspapers, watch one channel on the telescreen, and listen to certain radio stations. The government is blobking any sort of unwanted information from the outside world.

Other 6.) The gao kao
In order to become a working member in the Inner or Outer Party, you must take an exam. Depending on how you do on the exam, your social status will be established. The Gao Kao is the Chinese college entry exam which determines if you get accepted to any of the Chinese universities or not. This past year there were 9 million HS graduates, and only 7 million university slots.

[]

Other 7.) The Catholic Pope
For the Catholic world/religion, no one is more sacred or looked-to than the Pope. The Vatican City and the Catholic world see the Pope as a God-send and worship at his feet. All the followers look to the Pope for the answers to life's questions. If the Pope says "jump," the Catholics ask "how high?" The Pope is a figure-head, just as Big Brother is in Oceania. media type="youtube" key="mi88ItVbLck" width="560" height="315"

Other 8.) Holocaust Denial in the Arab World
media type="youtube" key="ykd-syzZ4ZY" width="420" height="315" align="right" "Holocaust denial among Arabs fall for the most part under two categories.

On one hand, there are Arabs who are shocked by the pro-Israel double standard that is displayed in western attitudes towards the Middle East. Knowing that the Holocaust is the source of strong inhibition of western critiques of Israel, many Arabs tend to believe that its reality was amplified by Zionism for this very purpose. On the other hand, there are Arabs who express Holocaust-denying views out of exasperation with the increasing cruelty of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Unable to retaliate in kind, they believe that they can harm Israel symbolically in this way." ([])

In the same way that the Arab world denies the Holocaust, the Inner Party of Oceania (and the entire population for the most part) deny that Big Brother has ever been wrong or ever leads Oceania astray. They also deny people's existence, much in the same way some Arabs deny many of the Jews killed in the Holocaust existence.

Other 9.) Cuba's Travel Restrictions
In Oceania, travel outside of the country was not allowed and relatively unheard of. Even when Winston traveled to the forest where he first met up with Julia, he was questioned and studied about where he was going and why. Any sort of travel was frowned upon. Cuba recently took off the ban on Cubans traveling outside the country. However, there are still a lot of accomodations, paperwork, etc required, expiration periods to be aware of, etc.

MAJOR PROVISIONS OF CUBA’S NEW MIGRATION POLICY • Allows Cubans who obtain their passports to travel as long as they have an entry visa from the country they intend to visit and a ticket; eliminates the need for an exit visa and letter of invitation. • Increases the time Cubans may stay outside the country from 11 months to 24 months without losing their status as residents of Cuba. Previously, Cubans were given permission to visit for only 30 days after which they had to pay a fee for each additional month’s extension up to 11 months. • Allows those younger than 18 years to leave the country with the notarized authorization of their parents or legal representatives. • Allows Cubans who have emigrated to visit the island for a period of up to 90 days — 60 more than currently allowed. • Allows those who were previously barred from returning, such as those who left for humanitarian reasons, rafters, and athletes and professionals who left their teams or posts while on official trips abroad, to return. Those who escaped through the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo will still be banned for defense and national security reasons. • Allows those who left Cuba illegally after the 1994 migration accord with the United States to return as long as eight years have passed since their departures. An exception to the eight-year requirement will be made for Cubans who emigrated illegally when they were under 16 years of age. • Allows Cuban doctors, whose travel was highly restricted except for official missions abroad, to leave the country for travel. []

Other 10.) No Divorce in the Philippines
In 1984 Winston is married to Katherine. However, the two haven't seen one another in years, and their marriage served only the purpose to provide a child- which never happened. The two did not love one another and didn't fulfill their reproduction expectation, and Winston perferably would like a divorce, but Big Brother does not allow divorces. In today's society, the country of the Philippines does not allow its people to divorce their spouse (with annulments possible under certain circumstances- but very very costly). Many Filipinos are devoted Catholics who value the act of marriage described in the Bible. The Philippines fear that legalizing divorce will turn into the widespread, "no fault" divorces that take place here in America. media type="youtube" key="skN5I0mfF1A" width="420" height="315"