"1984" Sales Surge after "alternative facts"

[downnola]

I am no Trump fan, but from what I have seen Trumps policies have nothing to do with the premise of 1984.

Where do people get this shit?

Must be the new cool thing to do.

Sales spiked because Conway is using terminology that amounts to Newspeak from 1984. Those who are sidetracking the discussion by claiming there is or isn't a danger of the U.S. turning into a carbon copy of 1984 lack reading comprehension.

[Baelic]

you can't use logic on these people, patriot act exists , but everything is trumps fault he's responsible for what bush and obama did to spy on the average citizen. Keep using facebook though guys right? its not an invasive data collecting spying tool at all

Bush and Obama may have started it, Trump is the conclusion and the nail in the coffin.

Glad to see people are waking up and getting themselves informed.

[Kalis]

1984 is not some grim future scenario, it is something that actually happened in many countries in the world. Living in Russia, Ukraine and rest of Soviet Union 1920-1950 was exactly like this (like word to word, of course minus TV in every room ;P). I dare to say that living in USSR (no matter in Lenin or Stalin years) was actually far worse that it is portraited in Orwell book. Nazi German created mass terror during WWII, but it pales in comparison what Soviets and communism in general did to human kind.

Don't want to be involved in politics on this forum, but some people here and in USA in general are really pathetic. You think sky (and democracy) is falling just because election is won by candidate that you don't like. I don't want to upset you, but I know what will happen next - it is EXACTLY the same scenario that happened in Poland last year (and by the way, I'm no pro Trump or current polish goverment):

1) Current goverment is very confident, conservative opposition seems to be weak.
2) All celebrities tell us to vote for establishment and goverment cantidate won in every poll - but if in media you are 'cool' when you say that vote for Clinton and you are ostracized if you want to vote for Trump, what do you think polls will show? Of course many Trump voters will say: "Go fuck yourself" to the pollsters or simply lie about their choice
3) It completely not match with general feeling "on the street" - many more people go to meetings with opposite candidate and are more passionate - of course 80% of TV don't show that.
4) Right-wing candidate won, TV is in shock and show us how detached from reality they really are (I remember how I laugh when I saw somewhere: "Why didn't Hillary won? She had Lady Gaga and Jay-Z on their side, she must won!" or sth like that).
5) Mass protests against new elected candidate, long before he even make any decision.
6) Protesters calls new goverment "totalitarian" <- you are here right know.

Believe me or knot, it was almost exactly the same way in Poland last year. After right-winged party won the election, almost week or so after that opposition created
"Committee of defense of democracy". They acted like communism is back, created protest after protest, sang songs from 1980-89 etc. This was happened after that:

1) Less and less people go to every next demonstration (and there were A LOT of them - even when goverment farted in wrong direction, there were a protest next day).
2) Still many people, especially on TV and social media supported protests and mocked current goverment - country was almost divide by a half.
3) Poland were (and still sometimes is) ostracized in foreign media and some public forum (like EU Parliament) - especially in Germany - former goverment was loyal to them just like current is loyal to US.
4) "Total opposition" strategy didn't work at all - polls are poiting at current goverment and even going higher. People are just tired on this.
5) In December opposition blocked polish parliament for whole Christmas period and there were few "spontanic" protests on the street at the same time. Funny thing, I don't remember where it was, but some west media show pictures from pro-goverment demonstration to show how many Poles are against current goverment ;P).
6) Leaders of the opposition totally compromitated themselves almost at the same time (one went with mistress on vacation to Portugal while protest were still going on, and turned out leader of "Committee of defense of democracy" didn't work for free like he claimed).
7) Right know, protest end with knowing, left-wing opposition is in horrible state and their polls going down every day.

So, anti Trump people - if you don't want Trump to lead your country for 8 years, BE CONSTRUCTIVE. People will be tired of contant protest some day. Comparing Trump to Hitler and his vision of America to Orwell is so stupid that you only make clown of yourselves. And nobody will listen to clown.

Orwell vision of world still happens RIGHT KNOW - in North Korea for example. But you don't really give a shit about Korea, don't you? Unless it's funny meme with Kim Jon Un, of course.

Arguably the best post ever written on these forums, which admittedly isn't a particularly high bar.

Unfortunately there are far too many blinkered partisans who want everything to be black and white, for them Trump is '1984 happening for real', literally Hitler, or whatever other bogeyman nonsense their fevered imaginations can come up with to demonise their opponent (we saw the exact same thing happen with Obama's election) and your post is basically going to go to waste. Shame really.

[Revik]

It is kind of interesting. The most apt classic book everyone should be reading is Animal Farm not 1984.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Yes it feels very 1984 right now. I'm not sure that the right-wing base is even noticing, though. My Republican friends seem to be carrying on as if nothing unusual in the slightest is happening.

It's depressing.

They wouldn't really admit it's bad. That said I wouldn't go doom and gloom just yet.

[May90]

That boat sailed a looooong time ago with the signing of the Patriot Act.

Patriot Act was a child's play compared to things this guy has signed in just the first few days at the office.

It does feel a lot now like 1984 in terms of how a large fraction of the population cheers for their oppressors - but then, every authoritarian state has that property, and the US is only stepping a foot on that path.

[Independent voter]

Everyone will be wearing these rat cage face things as a fashion statement.

[ro9ue]

So much doomsaying. I can't wait until 2020 when his first term is over and things have barely changed, just like every other presidential term.

[Powerogue]

Darn it, I was really hoping we were headed towards the Brave New World dystopia. At least then we'd have plenty of orgies.

I'd say Brave New World is more a society hyper-involved in the perfection of humanity by science.

Through deliberately keeping most citizens at least slightly retarded, brainwashing them from birth (that bit where they electrify the floor to 'condition' all the lower class babies to be afraid of books always gets to me), and just generally eliminating most things that make society interesting like artistic pursuits.

Still, no war, nearly everyone is content and fulfilled with their lives, orgies every day, I could see the appeal.

[Leodok]

I don't like Trump or his ideas, but comparing this kind of thing to 1984 is pretty dumb.

The example is not some form of ultimate manipulation. It's just a lie. You know, politicians tend to tell a lot of those.