L et t erf r om t heEdi t or : Whydopeopl ebel i evei nt hi scons pi r acy?T echnol ogy,or mor es peci f i cal l ydi gi t al t echnol ogy.Andt hat ’ snott os ayt hat t hedi gi t al t echnol ogi esweus et odayar ewonder f ul and i mpor t ant( Is t i l l can’ tr ememberhow Ipos s i bl ys ur vi vedpr i or t oget t i ngas mar t phone! )I t ’ sal s onott obeas s umedt hatt he act ual pi eceoft het echnol ogyi t s el fi st obebl amedf ort he cons pi r acy. However ,wi t ht headventofnew t echnol ogi esandournew dependenceont hem,t her ear eendl es swayst ohow weus e t hem.T hes amet ool swer el yont omakeourl i vesconveni ent canbeus edt ocont r ol usandmoni t orourdai l yl i ves . Wear ewal ki ngat hi nl i newheni tcomest ot hi scons pi r acy. Weknow f oraf actt hats ubl i mi nal mes s agi ngcanandhas beenus edj us tasweknow t hatt hegover nmentcanmoni t or ouri nt er netex per i ence.T hecons pi r acyt heni swhet herornot t hi st echnol ogyi sbenef i ci al ori sact ual har mi ngus . I n1949,Geor geOr wel l publ i s hedt hedys t opi ans at i r et i t l e Ni net eenEi ght yF our ,i nwhi chs oci et ywasr ul edbya t ot al i t ar i angover nment ,T hePar t y,andf i gur eheadedby“Bi g Br ot her ”( whomayormaynotact ual l yex i s t s ) .T hi spar t i cul ar novel act sasagoodex ampl eofwhatpeopl ewhobel i eve t hes econs pi r aci esf ear .T hi si sagover nmentt hatr ul esi t s s oci et yus i ngpr opagandat oi ns t i l l f earandt henmoni t or i ng t heact i onofal l ofi t sci t i z ens .T hi swast heconcer nofmany ci t i z enswhens t r eetcamer asbegant obei ns t al l edi ndi f f er ent ci t i esar oundt hewor l d;ar et heybenef i ci al orar et heyan i nvas i onofpr i vacy1.
F ormanyt hel i kel i hoodofourgover nmentt ur ni ngi nt ot hi s 1984t ot al i t ar i angover nments eemsi mpos s i bl e;eveni ft he t echnol ogyex i s t st omakei tpos s i bl e.Butt her ei sas car i er out come. Af ew year spr i ort o1984,i n1932,Al dousHux l eypubl i s hed Br aveNew Wor l d,anot herdys t opi ans oci et yi nwhi chs oci et y wasover whel medwi t hpl eas ur e,l eadi ngt ot hegover nment bei ngabl et ocont r ol t hem2.Hux l ey’ sdepi ct i onofs oci et yi s muchcl os ert ohow wel i venow. J our nal i s t ,Chr i s t opherHi t chensmakest hecompar i s on bet weent het wobooks ;“Or wel l f ear edt hos ewhowoul d depr i veusofi nf or mat i on.Hux l eyf ear edt hos ewhowoul d gi veuss omucht hatwewoul dber educedt opas s i vi t yand egot i s m. . . Or wel l f ear edwewoul dbecomeacapt i vecul t ur e. Hux l eyf ear edwewoul dbecomeat r i vi al cul t ur e, pr eoccupi edwi t hs omeequi val entoft hef eel i es ,t heor gy por gy,andt hecent r i f ugal bumbl epuppy. ” 3Nots ur pr i s i ngl y, al otofpeopl ehavemades i mi l arconcl us i onswheni tcomes t ot echnol ogy.
* F i l ms t i l l sf r om I MDB. com i nt he1984ent r y.