Huxley or Orwell?

Who got it right in terms of how Big Brother would control the masses?

Orwell: feared banning books
Huxley: feared that no one would want to read books. Too boring.

Orwell: feared being deprived of information
Huxley: feared that we would be given so much information that it would reduce us to passivity and egotism

Orwell: feared that the truth would be hidden from us
Huxley: feared that the truth would be drowned out in irrelevance.

Orwell: feared people would be controlled by pain
Huxley: feared people would be controlled by inflicting pleasure.

Orwell: feared a captive culture
Huxley: feared a culture that was preoccupied with irrelevant things.

Orwell: What we hate will ruin us
Huxley: What we crave and love will ruin us.

It seems to me that Orwell covered much of the third world while Huxley covered the developed world.

Both accomplish the same end, which is an uninformed and powerless populace. Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

My only question is, were these two men prophets or are the books they wrote instruction manuals?

Imagine, two men being praised for their prophetic vision rather than condemned for creating these little hellish societies, all out in the open to see by all.

Originally posted by @whodey
Who got it right in terms of how Big Brother would control the masses?

Orwell: feared banning books
Huxley: feared that no one would want to read books. Too boring.

Orwell: feared being deprived of information
Huxley: feared that we would be given so much information that it would reduce us to passivity and egotism

Orwell: feared that the tr ...[text shortened]... Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

Both accomplish the same end, which is an uninformed and powerless populace. Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

Sorry, but you're wrong on all counts Whodey. Huxley and Orwell didn't "accomplish" any changes in the way people or governments operate, and through the internet, publications, and word of mouth most people are fairly well informed. Powerless? not so! Ordinary people brought about big changes in governments, such as the fall of the Soviet Union, passive resistance by India's population spelled the decline of British rule, and even ordinary town hall meetings in America have seen private citizens shouting down pig headed lawmakers, causing them to change their votes in Congress.

We're not powerless Whodey, so don't start spreading that around.

Originally posted by @whodey
Who got it right in terms of how Big Brother would control the masses?

Orwell: feared banning books
Huxley: feared that no one would want to read books. Too boring.

Orwell: feared being deprived of information
Huxley: feared that we would be given so much information that it would reduce us to passivity and egotism

Orwell: feared that the tr ...[text shortened]... Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

I agree that Orwell seems more familiar to me with reference to the third world and Huxley for the first world. It seems Orwell thought government would be the downfall of society, whereas Huxley thought society would be its own downfall.

Originally posted by @mchill
Both accomplish the same end, which is an uninformed and powerless populace. Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

Sorry, but you're wrong on all counts Whodey. Huxley and Orwell didn't "accomplish" any changes in the way people or governments operate, and through the internet, publications, and w ...[text shortened]... e their votes in Congress.

We're not powerless Whodey, so don't start spreading that around.

The average person has a pretty poor understanding of most issues. This is a chess site - we're a bubble.

Originally posted by @whodey
Who got it right in terms of how Big Brother would control the masses?

Orwell: feared banning books
Huxley: feared that no one would want to read books. Too boring.

Orwell: feared being deprived of information
Huxley: feared that we would be given so much information that it would reduce us to passivity and egotism

Orwell: feared that the tr ...[text shortened]... Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

For someone who practices doublespeak as much as you do, it's pretty Orwellian to bring up Orwell.

Trump is a big fan of Ignorance is strength.

Originally posted by @mchill
Both accomplish the same end, which is an uninformed and powerless populace. Which model government chooses depends on whether the said government has a good economy or not.

Sorry, but you're wrong on all counts Whodey. Huxley and Orwell didn't "accomplish" any changes in the way people or governments operate, and through the internet, publications, and w ...[text shortened]... e their votes in Congress.

We're not powerless Whodey, so don't start spreading that around.

If the masses are not as powerless as a herd of sheep, why do we need governments?

Choose your shepherds wisely.

Originally posted by @whodey
... why do we need governments?

I'm trying to imagine a question dumber than that ... but I just can't.

They were mere, and late, observers. Previous writers covered it:

“The monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force, also known as the monopoly on violence (German: Gewaltmonopol des Staates), is a core concept of modern public law, which goes back to Jean Bodin's 1576 work Les Six livres de la République and Thomas Hobbes' 1651 book Leviathan.” - Wikipedia, monopoly on violence

Originally posted by @wolfgang59
I'm trying to imagine a question dumber than that ... but I just can't.

Yep, from the cradle to the grave

Originally posted by @wolfgang59
I'm trying to imagine a question dumber than that ... but I just can't.

YouTube

"... then we were evolved from monkeys... Why we still got monkeys?"

One thing Huxley correctly predicted: mass drug-induced comfort zone. It's real; America is numbing itself into complacency.

What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening [...]

Donald J. Trump, 2018

The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.

George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty Four.