I reread this classic work by George Orwell hoping to get more out
of it now than when I was 20 when I read it for the first time. I
did, and not only because I had changed (and...ahem...matured) but
because our society has too. Back in the early nineties, cell
phones, the internet and social media were in their infancy or not
yet born. But now, with facebook, Twitter and texting, the sobering
thought of having a Big Brother always watching is more reality
than fiction.
Orwell seems to have known that one day our reality would be
heavily influenced by our own perception of what is real, and not
on the actual events or people involved. One need only look at the
myriad websites postulating that historic events like the Moon
Landing in 1969 and the terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 were
part of an elaborate plan by the American government to "push" its
people towards a particular political or social agenda. Now, I am
not saying these events did not happen as described by the media,
but the moment people start to question the authenticity of these
events, you have to wonder whose point of view is "reality".
Oh, and I checked with a math teacher friend of mine, and 2 + 2
still equals 4...for now.