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"But why do we look to Orwell’s vision when Huxley’s rings truer?" 'We' here apparently is the US as I think China, with its social credit system, looks more l

"But why do we look to Orwell’s vision when Huxley’s rings truer?" 'We' here apparently is the US as I think China, with its social credit system, looks more like the society from 1984.

grenoire 8y ago
Agreed, I don't think that BNW is more appropriate for the current world than 1984. BNW has taken many things to the extreme, especially with regards to the cementing for a class system through destroying anything that's remotely human about our existence. 1984 on the other hand makes people freak out because the idea of truthless-ness and state surveillance and language controls are much more real and close than a forced societal divide.
- jefflombardjr 8y ago
  Valid points, I think both are great pieces though I will add that imo BNW nailed the cultural aspects of a dystopia. Mass indifference and "near infinite capacity for distraction".
- mosselman 8y ago
  I just meant that there are different perspectives for different people. If you look at countries like Russia and China there is more of a 1984 society, whereas in the US and Europe, at least here in the Netherlands, society resembles Brave New World more. Brave New World captures many of the frustrations that I have with the indifference people exhibit when reacting to issues like privacy or trustworthiness of media or politics. When you read historic novels like Ken Follett's 'Fall of Giants' you get more of a 1984 vibe with the Russian stories. Seeing China's surveillance system described in various place doesn't give off a 1984 vibe, it breathes 1984 to a scary degree. Add modern day technology to the mix and it is nothing short of horrific.
aeturnum 8y ago
The western understanding of China's "social credit" system is pretty overblown and filled with The Wests' own paranoia about surveillance. If you want some perspective: https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/seeing-chinese-social-credit-through-a-glass-darkly/?lang=en https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/seeing-chinese-social-cred...
lev99 8y ago
I think BNW's mechanism of control is much more relevant than 1984's. In BNW the mechanism for control is the carrot, not the stick. In the west we are definitely using the carrot.

"But why do we look to Orwell’s vision when Huxley’s rings truer?" 'We' here apparently is the US as I think China, with its social credit system, looks more like the society from 1984.

grenoire 8y ago

Agreed, I don't think that BNW is more appropriate for the current world than 1984. BNW has taken many things to the extreme, especially with regards to the cementing for a class system through destroying anything that's remotely human about our existence. 1984 on the other hand makes people freak out because the idea of truthless-ness and state surveillance and language controls are much more real and close than a forced societal divide.

jefflombardjr 8y ago
Valid points, I think both are great pieces though I will add that imo BNW nailed the cultural aspects of a dystopia. Mass indifference and "near infinite capacity for distraction".
mosselman 8y ago
I just meant that there are different perspectives for different people. If you look at countries like Russia and China there is more of a 1984 society, whereas in the US and Europe, at least here in the Netherlands, society resembles Brave New World more. Brave New World captures many of the frustrations that I have with the indifference people exhibit when reacting to issues like privacy or trustworthiness of media or politics. When you read historic novels like Ken Follett's 'Fall of Giants' you get more of a 1984 vibe with the Russian stories. Seeing China's surveillance system described in various place doesn't give off a 1984 vibe, it breathes 1984 to a scary degree. Add modern day technology to the mix and it is nothing short of horrific.

aeturnum 8y ago

The western understanding of China's "social credit" system is pretty overblown and filled with The Wests' own paranoia about surveillance. If you want some perspective: https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/seeing-chinese-social-credit-through-a-glass-darkly/?lang=en https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/seeing-chinese-social-cred...

lev99 8y ago

I think BNW's mechanism of control is much more relevant than 1984's. In BNW the mechanism for control is the carrot, not the stick. In the west we are definitely using the carrot.