Farenheit 451

[drkhwy1]

Farenheit 451 v2007

[millyowner]

Farenheit 451 v2007[/b]

Wow, night vision goggles will get you branded a terrorist now. Well, if you happen to be brown that is. All the Feds need to do to get inside without a warrant is call the fire department. "Whoops, no fire...that's odd. Oh well, at least we were able to ransack your place while we were here."

What keeps Homeland Security officers from pulling shifts as firefighters when the need arises? Just another exploitation of a loop hole in the law. The history books will vilify this administration. The name McCarthy still has a negative connotation even today.

[drkhwy1]

It is really amazing how far this administration will go in the name of terrorism. Makes me wonder...War on Terrorism or War of Terrorism? Our privacy and freedoms have diminished enough for me to say that the Terrorists have won. The history books will probably be burned, that's if people of the future still have the ability to read beyond simple symbols.

[millyowner]

It seems that most supporters of the war have gray hair, are in the military, or are generally uneducated in the area of global politics. Flawed logic like: "We haven't been attacked since 9-11, so Bush's policies *must* be keeping us safe." In reality, this administration has made us more hated and more vulnerable than ever before but how can you prove that to someone who is so dogmatic in their beliefs?

Had we been victims of a second attack, we'd be hearing that, because of Bush, the attack wasn't as severe as it could have been or some such nonsense. No matter what happens, this administration can do no wrong with his supporters it seems. Try to start a legitimate debate about the war with one of these “supporters,” and you might as well try to argue to a Christian that God doesn’t exist. Logic goes out the window. You quickly find their beliefs are really nothing more than regurgitated bumper sticker tag lines and social conformity. They really have no opinions of their own; Just a child-like “us against them” mentality.

Another problem I have is the unyielding support from those in the armed services. It's like a mass delusion or cognitive dissonance with many of those serving in the US armed services and their families. "You can't support our troops if you don't believe in what they are doing." That's complete bullshit. I am so tired of hearing that line from the families of those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I respect those stationed in the Middle East more than anyone can imagine. Are they there for the wrong reasons? Yes. Do I support them anyway? Yes. How can I support them and yet believe that they are there for the wrong reasons? Because, they are following orders and have no choice in the matter. Just as I don’t have any choice in paying taxes even if the money goes to areas I’d rather it not. I don’t have a choice to opt out, and I’m hardly at fault if my tax dollars are put towards something that leads to negative consequences.

It seems that so many are willing to sign away their personal freedoms in order to buy a little bit more security. As an American, I’d rather die in a terrorist attack then give up my personal freedoms. Anyone who would argue otherwise is a coward and doesn’t deserve to have freedom in the first place. The Bush administration has kept a stranglehold on power using a time-honored classic…fear-mongering. It has been used by those in power to control naïve populations for thousands of years. The Bush administration is fighting a psychological war with bullets and wiretapping when only reason and logic can end psychological warfare.

[SteveSter]

Are we talking about fahrenheit 451 the book/movie that takes place in the future where fire departments are called to burn books which are all banned because the government doesnt want people to think for themselves? Very good book by the way.
-Steven

[millyowner]

Ray Bradbury classic. Farenheit 451 was to exemplify Bradbury's belief in the rise of American anti-intellectualism, social apathy, government propaganda and censorship. Basically, the four key ingredients needed to perpetuate a war on terror. It was written during the start of The Cold War. Fiction becomes fact more and more everyday it seems.

[drkhwy1]

Couldn't have said it better myself.
Another things that draws parallels to 451...the increased use of drawings rather than words on signs in public places. In 451 everything was either a color or a number, not too far off from what we have today. It's the dumbing down of society and taking away words which help to resist.

[SteveSter]

Another similarity is how much us as humans are constantly relying on electronics for entertainment. Like Montag's wife who sits infront of the 3 wall TV's all day we are sarting to do that and causing her to want to kill herself becuase she must have realized how pointless her life was. This just goes to show that Bradbury's description of the future where man was addicted to electronic forms of entertainment and did not desire the written word was not far from today's truth.

[drkhwy1]

Awesome parallel! It's true too. My Dad will stay inside watching nothing but **** on TV on a beautiful day. The TV must be on and every channel must be crystal clear or he freaks like a meth addict. It's pretty bad these days. He's 59, the last 10 years of his life have all been TV this and TV that. I don't think he is even aware of the problem.

[millyowner]

You think your dad's bad...wait until you come across a World of Warcraft addict.