Government Espionage Not Okay According to 1984 and Real Life George Orwell’s 1984 and several non-fiction texts rise the question about whether government espionage and surveillance on citizens is righteous. These texts show different ways in which government espionage has a negative impact on society. 1984 explores this issue by creating a dystopia where the government (the Party) uses various methods to spy on its citizens such as the use of Thought Police and teaching young children to be spies since an early age. Non-fiction texts such as “Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records” explore this issue by discussing the legality of surveillance in our country. “The Dangers of Surveillance” discusses the impacts of surveillance …show more content…
In 1984, little children are taught by the government to be spies and spy on their parents. When Winston goes to Mrs. Parson’s home to fix her kitchen sink, her children enter the kitchen and accuse Winston of being a traitor. Once he’s done, Winston leaves the house, and as he looks back at Mrs. Parson, the narrator describes, “But what most struck Winston was the look of helpless fright on the woman’s greyish face” (Orwell 24). Not only are people afraid of being caught by the Thought Police, but they are also afraid of their own children and family members, and it is evident that government espionage reduces the quality of life because citizens have to live in fear that they will be accused and found guilty of something. In “The Danger of Surveillance,” Richards discusses the different dangers of surveillance. One of them is having citizens fear the exchange of ideas centering new, controversial, or deviant topics. Government surveillance makes people question the content of their conversations, and people, fearing accusation and punishment, may simply refrain from engaging in such conversations. Surveillance does not simply induce fear on people, it also indirectly limits people’s basic civil …show more content…
The negative impacts of surveillance on society such as the inducement of fear and the violation of basic liberties (freedom of speech and right to privacy) are explored by 1984 as well as some non-fiction texts. Additionally, Savage discusses the constitutionality of surveillance by bringing up several remarkable points such as the opinion of federal judges and a short analysis about how the ruling in the case of 1979 is not relevant to our era anymore. People should seriously start thinking about the choices their government makes regarding
“With surveillance technology like closed-circuit television cameras and digital cameras now linked to the Internet, we now have the means to implement Bentham's inspection principle on a much vaster scale”(Singer) Bentham's inspection principle is a system that allows the collection, storing and dissemination of data on individuals, corporations, and the government. This collection of data has large implications in regard to privacy and security. “There is always danger that the information collected will be misused - whether by regimes seeking to silence opposition or by corporations seeking to profit from more detailed knowledge of their potential customers.”(Singer) What is done with the information collected is the main issue in terms of privacy. We do not want to be marketed to, or inundated with spam from third-party sources. We also do not want our private social circles and experiences to appear that they are being monetized or subjected to surveillance outside our control. In addition, surveillance has a large effect on the government that can beneficial or detrimental to democracy. Exposure of government secrets may make officials tread carefully when making decisions, ensuring that politicians are nothing but just and fair.“The crucial step in preventing a repressive government from
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, made me paranoid. It made me suspicious of our government's power and intentions. I became aware of the potential manipulation which the government could impose upon us. I came to see that the people I believe to be wholly dedicated to the well-being of society, the people I rely so heavily on to provide protection and security have the power to betray us at any given time. I realised that in my naivety I had gravely overlooked the powerful grip government has over society, and what it can do with that power.
Taylor, James Stacey. "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance." Public Affairs Quarterly July 2005: 227-246.
1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are being watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to monitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s conditions seem to be moving towards that controlling state, where the citizens are surveilled by the government at all times. The 1984 community provided many ways to surveill its citizens, one being The Thought Police.
Richards, Neil M. "The Dangers Of Surveillance." Harvard Law Review 126.7 (2013): 1934-1965. Academic Search Elite. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
Ultimately, common ideas found in the novel 1984, totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy are also ubiquitous in modern society and government. Big Brother and modern day government have been able to control its citizens through surveillance equipment, and fear all for a little more power. There is much to learn from such an undesirable form of society much like the one of Oceania in 1984. Examining Big Brother government closely, alarming connections can be made to real-world government actions in the United States and the cruel world within Orwell's book.
George Orwell’s Famous book 1984 is about a man who struggles to live under the superintendence of Big Brother. Throughout the novel, Winston struggles with constantly being surveilled and the lack of freedom. Similarly, in our world today, there are government agencies that have the power to listen to phone calls, track people's movements, and watch them through cameras. Winston’s world of surveillance and inadequate confidentiality both privately and publicly is in many aspects much the same as in our world today and the people should demand regulations to be set in place to protect their privacy.
In 1984, the Party systematically “turned against their parents and taught to spy on them and report their deviations. The family had in fact become an extension of the Thought Police” (Orwell 136). Additionally, Party organizations like the Junior Spies strategically inculcate children to feverishly devote themselves to the pageantry and ideals of the party, and, due to their ferocity towards anyone misconstrued as an enemy “it was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children” (Orwell 20). The Junior Spies effectively transform the Oceanian youth into pawns of the totalitarian government. Like Mao’s Red Guard, these children are ardently loyal to their “patriotic” cause, and the terrifying new power of children to effectively kill any adult with a simple accusation subverts the traditional family dynamic, as children are compelled to turn in any supposed “thought criminal”, even if that ‘criminal’ is their
Current advancements in technology has given the government more tools for surveillance and thus leads to growing concerns for privacy. The two main categories of surveillance technologies are the ones that allow the government to gather information where previously unavailable or harder to obtain, and the ones that allow the government to process public information more quickly and efficiently (Simmons, 2007). The first category includes technologies like eavesdropping devices and hidden cameras. These are clear offenders of privacy because they are capable of gathering information while being largely unnoticed. The second category would include technologies that are used in a public space, like cameras in a public park. While these devices
Throughout many years in the United States, there has been controversy over whether or not government surveillance and other technology is a violation of human rights. Ever since the publication of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, there has been an increase in debates on the subject. The novel itself exemplifies what a surveillance-based society is like, providing the reader with a point of view of what could happen to their own society. Discussion over the usage of information that the government has gathered has become one of the foremost topics being analyzed to this day. The information that is being viewed by surveillance would otherwise be private, or information that people would not want to be leaked out. Therefore, surveillance executed by the government and companies has become an infringement to the right of privacy, and United States citizens should take actions upon it before the world reflects the Orwellian vision of the future.
In George Orwell’s 1984, nobody can be trusted. The Party, a totalitarian regime, controls everything in the nation of Oceania. The Party instills the idea upon its civilians that “Big Brother Is Watching You” (Orwell 2). This slogan embodies the life under the Party, where one’s actions are constantly being monitored.
Domestic Surveillance Citizens feeling protected in their own nation is a crucial factor for the development and advancement of that nation. The United States’ government has been able to provide this service for a small tax and for the most part it is money well spent. Due to events leading up to the terrifying attacks on September 11, 2001 and following these attacks, the Unites States’ government has begun enacting certain laws and regulations that ensure the safety of its citizens. From the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 to the most recent National Security Agency scandal, the government has attempted and for the most part succeeded in keeping domestic safety under control. Making sure that the balance between obtaining enough intelligence to protect the safety of the nation and the preservation of basic human rights is not extremely skewed, Congress has set forth requisites in FISA which aim to balance the conflicting goals of privacy and security; but the timeline preceding this act has been anything but honorable for the United States government.
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
George Orwell’s ominous novel 1984 grasped the world’s attention, and it continues to do so today. The shocking plot of a man succumbing to a totalitarian regime with unlimited government surveillance is not all that far off from today’s society. The FBI-Apple encryption dispute opened up the public to the clash between the government and private companies over data privacy. Edward Snowden’s leaks revealed that all U.S. citizens can be watched by the government without their prior knowledge. 1984’s cautionary tale on the dangers of totalitarianism needs to be understood now more than ever before.
Privacy is not just a fundamental right, it is also important to maintain a truly democratic society where all citizens are able to exist with relative comfort. Therefore, “[Monitoring citizens without their knowledge] is a major threat to democracies all around the world.” (William Binney.) This is a logical opinion because without freedom of expression and privacy, every dictatorship in history has implemented some form of surveillance upon its citizens as a method of control.