nisse
01-07-2010, 10:49 PM
I've only now (:ohwell:) read George Orwell's 1984, which was a bit of a disappointement (in part because I like happy endings :P).
A habit of mine is to pick out interesting phrases/passages from all (at least slightly) interesting books. For 1984 one is:
"But if there was hope, it lay in the proles. You had to cling on to that. When you put it in words it sounded reasonable: it was when you looked at the human beings passing you on the pavement that it became an act of faith."
Although we don't live in an Orwellian nightmare, we are far from free and I find the above very relatable. There is no doubt in my mind that (most)current regimes are bad for people/culture/etc. Successeful preservation depends on the destruction of such regimes and, as noted in 1984, on numbers...Much as the protagonist, I find myself hoping for some cataclysmic event which will "wake" the majority, and now more often than even fear that no such thing will occur - I am really bad with faith.
What is your take on how preservation can be achieved? Are the masses necessary (if yes, what can/can anything be done about it?) or do you think it is enough to "save yourself"? Finally, do you believe?
A habit of mine is to pick out interesting phrases/passages from all (at least slightly) interesting books. For 1984 one is:
"But if there was hope, it lay in the proles. You had to cling on to that. When you put it in words it sounded reasonable: it was when you looked at the human beings passing you on the pavement that it became an act of faith."
Although we don't live in an Orwellian nightmare, we are far from free and I find the above very relatable. There is no doubt in my mind that (most)current regimes are bad for people/culture/etc. Successeful preservation depends on the destruction of such regimes and, as noted in 1984, on numbers...Much as the protagonist, I find myself hoping for some cataclysmic event which will "wake" the majority, and now more often than even fear that no such thing will occur - I am really bad with faith.
What is your take on how preservation can be achieved? Are the masses necessary (if yes, what can/can anything be done about it?) or do you think it is enough to "save yourself"? Finally, do you believe?