Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Fahrenheit 451
3. Captain Beatty says, " The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we're the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought. " Are there people today who would agree with Beatty that debate and uncertainty lead to unhappiness? Do you agree with him?
First of all, by this point, Beatty's words to Montage were tongue in cheek as this statement was merely a pre-emptive to Beatty forcing Montag to burn down his own house; so I don't take it as an endearing situation of camaraderie, it was a snake like statement designed to further rip at the edges of Montag's suffering willpower.
The statement itself? Would people today agree with it? I would say there are quite a many that do. How often do we hear different voices crying out within the crowd as to what is or is not "politically correct?" Nearly on a daily basis, someone is crying out to shut down the voices of someone else, or to free someone else's voice. A lot of society is forced in certain directions because a population of people desires it so.
A few examples are evident is instances such as, the removing of certain entries in scholarly textbooks as reported by Fox News. Texts are scanned to find material that may be deemed "offensive" to any particular group of people."A textbook review process taking place in states across the country has changed or eliminated references to everything from the Founding Fathers to hot dogs, leaving many to charge educators with distorting history in the name of political correctness." Certain images such as hot dog, snow-men, and butter are deemed inappropriate for tender eyes. Even Mount Rushmore has been renamed "The Framers" for some obscure reason of offense.
Deputy superintendent of education in California, Sue Strickel gave the reasoning for such actions as being in the best interest of the community at large. "I think our textbooks should, to our greatest capacity, be free of any type of stereotyping," said Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the California Department of Education. "We need to make sure that all ethnicities are represented. We need to make sure that both males and females are represented. We need to make sure that our materials cover the full gamut." I can't help but wonder at what expense is history being damaged so someone or another doesn't get the wittle feewings hurt. History is history people. Not a gentle re-enactment where vital pieces are left out to make it seem more charming. We need truth, we need facts, and we need the right to experience those realities.
So, is Beatty's world upon us? Certainly not as egregious as in Fahrenheit 451, but it is slowly creeping into a possible existence. Stop killing the truth. We will eventually forget the truth if we do not keep accurate record, and accept it as a hard reality. We're not supposed to rewrite history to appease anyone. I'd like math to be easier. Can’t we just make everything 2+2=4 because I am offended by geometry? Flat out, this is censorship. If we don’t tackle the problem now it well could lead to a problem like Fahrenheit 451.
First of all, by this point, Beatty's words to Montage were tongue in cheek as this statement was merely a pre-emptive to Beatty forcing Montag to burn down his own house; so I don't take it as an endearing situation of camaraderie, it was a snake like statement designed to further rip at the edges of Montag's suffering willpower.
The statement itself? Would people today agree with it? I would say there are quite a many that do. How often do we hear different voices crying out within the crowd as to what is or is not "politically correct?" Nearly on a daily basis, someone is crying out to shut down the voices of someone else, or to free someone else's voice. A lot of society is forced in certain directions because a population of people desires it so.
A few examples are evident is instances such as, the removing of certain entries in scholarly textbooks as reported by Fox News. Texts are scanned to find material that may be deemed "offensive" to any particular group of people."A textbook review process taking place in states across the country has changed or eliminated references to everything from the Founding Fathers to hot dogs, leaving many to charge educators with distorting history in the name of political correctness." Certain images such as hot dog, snow-men, and butter are deemed inappropriate for tender eyes. Even Mount Rushmore has been renamed "The Framers" for some obscure reason of offense.
Deputy superintendent of education in California, Sue Strickel gave the reasoning for such actions as being in the best interest of the community at large. "I think our textbooks should, to our greatest capacity, be free of any type of stereotyping," said Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the California Department of Education. "We need to make sure that all ethnicities are represented. We need to make sure that both males and females are represented. We need to make sure that our materials cover the full gamut." I can't help but wonder at what expense is history being damaged so someone or another doesn't get the wittle feewings hurt. History is history people. Not a gentle re-enactment where vital pieces are left out to make it seem more charming. We need truth, we need facts, and we need the right to experience those realities.
So, is Beatty's world upon us? Certainly not as egregious as in Fahrenheit 451, but it is slowly creeping into a possible existence. Stop killing the truth. We will eventually forget the truth if we do not keep accurate record, and accept it as a hard reality. We're not supposed to rewrite history to appease anyone. I'd like math to be easier. Can’t we just make everything 2+2=4 because I am offended by geometry? Flat out, this is censorship. If we don’t tackle the problem now it well could lead to a problem like Fahrenheit 451.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
What is the role of modern technology in generating, spreading or sustaining conspiracy theories?
The infernal "they" are always up to something that send a chill up ones spine. From the Sony laptop battery recall wherein some conspiracy theorists claimed that the "new batteries have GPS RFID chips in them to track the computers and so when you replace the batteries under these recalls they will know everywhere you go" Why you ask, would Sony go through such great lengths to find out where I am at all times, presumably toting my lap top to the can or the grocery store? Well the answer is simple, it's claimed that Sony is working with "the secret NSA police and they were working with the aliens to track humans because all the humans are getting plump and ready for harvest."
It's long been fantasized throughout the string of generations that "Big Brother is Watching You." (Orwell, 1984). Is it fact or fantasy? Is there a glimmer of possibility that it is true? I say certainly. A glimmer. What gets me every time is the apocalyptic view. We have long heard the warning cries in the chapter of Revelations in the Bible. "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark of his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name". - Revelation 13:16-17. Of this Jeremiah Prophet says, "The book of Revelation reveals that the Antichrist will be able to track and control all financial transactions and that NO MAN will be able to buy or sell anything unless he has the mark. Advances in digital technology have placed the world today on the verge of an identification system capable of monitoring virtually every human transaction. " The ominous feeling of this puts a boogey-man in ones proverbial closet to contend with. The things that are the scariest are those that could actually come true.
Is this technology's fault? On the surface I'd say no... but delving a bit deeper could I acquit technology of any wrong doings against humanity? No, I could not. There is something lurking, unusual behind it. A seeming savior at sometimes, but a destroyer of much in many other senses. The world gets more and more complex, running it's fingers along the edges of a one world order... and if anyone could do it, it would be in the name of technology.
The big technology debate right now stems around two issues. One being RFID chips. These chips are tiny little bar codes that do track our purchases not only by linking sales to a customer, but eventually perhaps to even track your purchase physically upon leaving the store. On a positive note it could be an anti-terrorist thwarting technique, but it is still an invasion of the American life we know and the rights within it. But, creeping in slowly, the seeds could be planted. 'They can't get inside you, she had said. But they could get inside you." (Orwell, 1984)
Secondly, we have cloning, and genetic manipulations as another big technological debate. Technology in the scientific field is growing at an alarming rate; to the point of playing God himself. Am I comfortable in the connotative shadow of this idea? Surely not. There is too much room for discomfort here. The further we get, the more unusual, the less explainable, the more potentially devastating technology could become. All superpowers run the possibility of global domination. Conspiracy theorists though many times having gone off the deep end, they are bound to be right some of the time. And this is a quite long running issue. Maybe they are on to something... maybe not, but it's worth a thought.
It's long been fantasized throughout the string of generations that "Big Brother is Watching You." (Orwell, 1984). Is it fact or fantasy? Is there a glimmer of possibility that it is true? I say certainly. A glimmer. What gets me every time is the apocalyptic view. We have long heard the warning cries in the chapter of Revelations in the Bible. "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark of his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name". - Revelation 13:16-17. Of this Jeremiah Prophet says, "The book of Revelation reveals that the Antichrist will be able to track and control all financial transactions and that NO MAN will be able to buy or sell anything unless he has the mark. Advances in digital technology have placed the world today on the verge of an identification system capable of monitoring virtually every human transaction. " The ominous feeling of this puts a boogey-man in ones proverbial closet to contend with. The things that are the scariest are those that could actually come true.
Is this technology's fault? On the surface I'd say no... but delving a bit deeper could I acquit technology of any wrong doings against humanity? No, I could not. There is something lurking, unusual behind it. A seeming savior at sometimes, but a destroyer of much in many other senses. The world gets more and more complex, running it's fingers along the edges of a one world order... and if anyone could do it, it would be in the name of technology.
The big technology debate right now stems around two issues. One being RFID chips. These chips are tiny little bar codes that do track our purchases not only by linking sales to a customer, but eventually perhaps to even track your purchase physically upon leaving the store. On a positive note it could be an anti-terrorist thwarting technique, but it is still an invasion of the American life we know and the rights within it. But, creeping in slowly, the seeds could be planted. 'They can't get inside you, she had said. But they could get inside you." (Orwell, 1984)
Secondly, we have cloning, and genetic manipulations as another big technological debate. Technology in the scientific field is growing at an alarming rate; to the point of playing God himself. Am I comfortable in the connotative shadow of this idea? Surely not. There is too much room for discomfort here. The further we get, the more unusual, the less explainable, the more potentially devastating technology could become. All superpowers run the possibility of global domination. Conspiracy theorists though many times having gone off the deep end, they are bound to be right some of the time. And this is a quite long running issue. Maybe they are on to something... maybe not, but it's worth a thought.
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