It is so hard to take a definative stance on an issue such as domestic spying. yes, it prevents terrorism, but at what cost. The freedoms of americans are at jeopardy by both government (spying) and terrorists (attacks), so who's to judge which is worse. I honestly cannot take a stance on an issue such as this because there are so many factors involved that i can't even process together well enough to make a clear decision. I would say let the government spy on those they have concrete suspicion of, but not those that are law abiding citizens. there's my two cents.

"The premise is that there needs to be a nexus to foreign terrorism," says David Burtt, CIFA's director. "In the wake of 9/11, there was a lot of criticism about the ability to collect dots and connect dots."

I understand this, but should we give up all personal freedom in fear of an enemy? We can't live in constant surveylance of constant fear of someone. We need to actually live our lives, without such impediments upon our free will. I understand if the government wants to stop terrorism, but there are many ways of doing it without having to spy on innocent americans who have done nothing wrong. Yes, there may be terrorists out there, but do we have to moniter everyone of suspicion of terrorism? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us live our damn lives or i'm getting out of here! QUICKLY!

1984 Book 3 Blog:


The toruture section of the book is perhaps the scariest not only that it involves torture, but also that is ends with such blatent brainwashing, which is sickening. I also found it odd that Wilson came to love O'brian after he was being torutured by him, because he "took the pain away." He was also inflicting the pain, but i guess the mind of someone in deep physical pain is not likely to be able to think or reason clearly. I could see how he'd think that. The fact that they get him to crack in the end, with the rats, and THEN he STILL believes in the party afterward, is mind boggling to me. He hated the party and big brother, or so he was thinking so they'd kill him, yet in the end he is at the bar and big brother makes him happy and safe. I understand how the torture has effected him all around, but you'd think he'd have an ounce of rebellion left. Or, i guess, he learned his lesson. Orwell makes a great point that you brainwash but is it really believing or are these people not giong to make a difference. Perhaps this is used to get them out of the way so the true beleivers have the room to do what they please, and a group to follow them. Patriot Act. Same crap, i hope it doesn't completely ruin us, though i think it may someday.

I am very surprised to hear that North Korea is such a pile. It is wild to think that there exists such a country that would have such strict rediculous guidelines. I am apauled at the fact that they worship their leader so feverantly. It it kind of disgusting to think that there is an army out there (5th largest in the world) that is so willing to fight for such a singular cause. I do like those national pride shows, that's nuts, but i don't like that they are brainwashing people with them. The shows just seem super cool. They seem cool, but almost in a bad dream sense. I have always had this weird feeling about things that i've wanted to do that were really twisted, and i got that feeling when i saw that thing. It makes me happy and depressed and confused. I dont know, north korea is just insane. INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!

1984 Blog:


1984 is an interesting book. After reading A Brave New World you start to gain a feeling for what authors of the time period were trying to accomplish (Fahrenheight 451 as well). The thought police is an interesting and disgusting concept. It reminds me of the wire taping the government was caught doing in this country. The patriot act is the closest this country has come to killing our freedoms and we just seem to be getting closer. It is rediculous that some politicians just signed the damn thing and didn't even read the fine print!!!!!!! If we keep going in this direction, we could end up just like this society. We seem to already. Look at the current administration. They seem to rule everything with an iron fist and what they say, goes. This elitest social order that we are building larger and larger by the day is only gonna kill us in the end. Soon, no freedoms or liberties will be left because we will have to "watch for those wanting to hurt us". I myself, would rather have some independance than be watched constantly. 1894? More like 2020 if things go the way they are. I also enjoyed the "Ministry of Peace" and the "Ministry of Love" refrences, being the exact opposite as they imply. It is a true tale of the political twist this modern world puts on nearly everything it can get it's grubby little hands on. Oh, what a sad sad world.

"Censors from the political left believe in an idealized vision of the future, a utopia in which egalitarianism prevails in all social relations. In this vision, there is no dominant group, no dominant father, no dominant race, and no dominant gender."


Though this sounds great, it sounds far to similar to communism, something that we know will not work.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and Go Ask Alice by anonymous."

It is funny that they should mention these books as "banned" or "Censored" in the past because they are they are the books i've read in high school that have had a significant impact on me. I have not read Black Like Me, but my favorite book is Adventures of Huck Finn.

Censorship should be stopped, to a degree. I feel that censors stop people from saying hateful things that only cause pain, like racist or sexist comments, but if these things are in text to bring about change, or if someone ways a bad word, or if you call out a brutal truth, these things should not be censored. To call someone a racial slur, that censorship should stand, but to make a point by explaining a situation, using vulgarities, should be allowed because it is expanding and opening minds, rather than closing them to hateful comments.