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 * My Little-Big Brother has Taken Over **

PS THIS ESSAY WAS HIGHLIGHTED BUT THE HIGHLIGHTING DIDN'T KEEP WHEN I PUT IT INTO HERE. SORRY!

 Patrick Henry once quoted, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” ( Constitution, 2) But how much control can authority get, even with constitution, rules, and rights? In both books 1984 and Little Brother the idea of government having control over citizens is addressed in unique and separate ways. 1984, written George Orwell as a warning for the communistic world of tomorrow, uses Winston to show defiance against a government and society in which all rights and privacy are eliminated. Winston, who believes that “Big Brother,” (the figurehead for their corrupt government), plagues society, sets out to be a part of secret defiance in which he can express and fight for his beliefs. Government, through the use of thought police and secret “telescreens”, catch him as a criminal and sends him to a facility in which he is changed to never break law and society again. Similarly, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow tells the story of Marcus in modern day San Francisco after a terrorist attack on the Bay Bridge. Marcus, who is sent to the Department of Homeland Securities’ facility to be interrogated and tortured, finds himself in a world that privacy and independence no longer exists. After being released, Marcus uses his technological knowledge and strong following to rebel against the injustice of our own United States democratic government. In modern day North Korea, the novels 1984 and Little Brother, the most powerful and corrupt governments are a direct result of blind support along with the pressure of a catastrophic situation or event, these two aspects later being a gateway into these government's downfall  as well.

In several cases a powerful government simply begins by the blind following of others, this being an occurring theme in history as well as in many novels. Marcus attempts to change this power-giving aspect by exposing many of the images and videos that support the recreation of necessary rights and as way to remove the false sense of security and trust in which people follow the DHS.This is seen in Marcus’ press conference, in which he quotes, “"I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't wiretap. I figured out how to jam their person-tracking technology. I can turn innocent people into suspects and turn guilty people into innocents in their eyes. I could get metal onto an airplane or beat a no-fly list. I figured this stuff out by looking at the web and by thinking about it. If I can do it, terrorists can do it. They told us they took away our freedom to make us safe. Do you feel safe?" (Doctorow Ch 15). media type="youtube" key="9J5Z79xj3t8?rel=0" height="312" width="380" In a society that follows a government and system with complete trust, Marcus points out that the measures taken by the DHS aren’t giving any real security, and are instead an injustice as well as an inconvenience. If Marcus hadn’t lead rebellion for rights, these ideas would have escaped the average citizen and would give trust to the DHS that they do not deserve, and in turn give them more power. This trust-made power given to the wrong hands is also apparent in 1984. In 1984, society is built on the belief that your existence is fighting for “Big Brother” and living a life that follows perfect unity, little thought, and complete compliance with the actions and needs of government and war. George Orwell wrote, “[They are] a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting - three hundred million people all with the same face.” (Orwell, P 1, Ch 7) To express the commitment and mindless following of society. media type="youtube" key="Ku7t1iSpViw?rel=0" height="349" width="425" If people could see that their life and rights are violated to extremes, would a population follow the government they are under? The mindless following of citizens allows for corruption to the most extreme ways, and also gives complete control and power in almost any way. Blind following gives the greatest power, and those who defy it, such as Winston, are sent to be rehabilitated into a state that they completely agree with authority or removed completely. Communism and ignorance is a key support for the dystopia society in 1984, but these aspects also allow for power in our world today. North Korea follows a communistic society in which citizens are unaware of the surrounding world around them, and are controlled by government as to not see the terrible conditions they live in. According to state.gov, “All sources of media, such as radio, television, and news organizations, are controlled by the government and heavily censored… [and there are] prohibitions or severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, movement, assembly, religion, and privacy.” (North, P 9) Without North Korea’s blindness to the conditions and violations they are apart of, the government would not have been able to rise to the power it has today over others because of defiance, and therefore would not have been able to do the things they are capable of today. North Korea, Little Brother, and 1984 share the consequences of blind trust as a gateway to the rise of a corrupt power. "Ignorance is Strength,” is one the slogans used by George Orwell to show Big Brother’s power over others, this concept being one that reflects the unaware followings that millions of others have towards their corrupted government.

 The time a corrupt government gains power over its citizens is during or straight after a catastrophic event or situation. 1984’s “Big Brother” gains power over others during what we assume to be war, a time in which people of the country were suffering greatly. The party, or "Big Brother's" government officials, uses this to their advantage, as quoted “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. ... We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means, it is an end. ... How does one man assert his power over another ... By making him suffer. Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is inflicting pain and humiliation. ... A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. ... If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever” (Orwell, P 3 Ch 7). 1984’s government uses suffering as a catapult into power, suffering being the situation plaguing citizens and a way that “Big Brother” gains trust. Without suffering as a scapegoat for the minorities lack of rights and a quality life, citizens would go against the violations and poor treatments opposed upon them and would in turn overthrow a government that completely controls them. In a similar way the DHS uses an event as a way to gain control. In little Brother the bombing of the Bay Bridge is used to create the laws that Marcus and thousands of others oppose. The bombing was described as catastrophic by Cory Doctorow, and is described in Little Brother by quoting, “Earthquakes are eerily quiet -- at first, anyway -- but this wasn't quiet. This was loud, an incredible roaring sound that was louder than anything I'd ever heard before. The sound was so punishing it drove me to my knees, and I wasn't the only one. Darryl shook my arm and pointed over the buildings and we saw it then: a huge black cloud rising from the northeast, from the direction of the Bay. There was another rumble, and the cloud of smoke spread out, that spreading black shape we'd all grown up seeing in movies. Someone had just blown up something; in a big way. There were more rumbles and more tremors. Heads appeared at windows up and down the street. We all looked at the mushroom cloud in silence.” (Doctorow, Ch 2) The high intensity of this catastrophic event lead to the DHS's gain of power, and along with the support of citizens support after this event, allowed for complete removal of rights. If the event of terrorism did not occur, the strength and power of the DHS could not have come close to that when people were afraid. Similarly in Korea, government rose to power in a time when people were in fear. Communism began in Korea under King il-Sung and currently King Jon-Il are modern examples of a control government. Although KingIl-Sung and King Jon-Il’s presence as a dictator in Korea aren't directly made by an event of catastrophe, the event of Japanese attack on Koreans and Chinese allowed for King Sung-Il's rise to power. The event of Japanese attack proved King Sung-Il’s effectiveness as guerilla leader which in turn progressed into his position of power and dictatorship in which today is inherited by King Jon-Il. This effect of a catastrophic circumstance and events opened people’s eyes to the government and leadership opportunities, which are taken by government not only in Korea but in Little Brother and 1984 as well. In many cases, this taking of power leads to the introduction of a corrupt and disasterous authority.

The use of trust and catastrophe as a way to give government power can be also used to bring it down. Little Brother hints at this trust of rebellion causing change by asking people to make the right choices when election time comes by choosing a president that would lead people back into a society with liberties and rights. Marcus quotes, “"We elected these people. We pay their salaries. They're supposed to be on our side. They're supposed to defend our freedoms. But these people --" a series of shots of Johnston and the others who'd been sent to the tribunal "-- betrayed our trust.” (Doctorow, Epilogue) in attempt to convince people to choose new leaders. By leading others against the DHS, Marcus took the lead of rebellion towards a new government. This way, he and others will be satisfied with authority until another occurrence of change for the worst. Little Brother represents the rebellious trust needed for change, however 1984 represents the events. While Winston from 1984 reads an illegal book describing how the government controls others, he encounters how Big Brother avoids downfall. It says, "There are only four ways in which a ruling group can fall from power. Either it is conquered from without, or it governs so inefficiently that the masses are stirred to revolt, or it allows a strong and discontented Middle group to come into being, or it loses its own self-confidence and willingness to govern. These causes do not operate singly, and as a rule all four of them are present in some degree. A ruling class which could guard against all of them would remain in power permanently. Ultimately the determining factor is the mental attitude of the ruling class itself.” (Orwell, Ch 9) Although the government with control over Winston and millions others has a strong system in which it cannot be defeated, the book claims the circumstances in which government fail, which in account to history is guaranteed to happen in time. These circumstances can all be viewed catastrophic in reality to government, and therefore, the lead cause of abolishment. Both of these examples can be used in modern day context as well. North Korea has prepared for war for many years, a perfect gateway for rebellion and catastrophe as lead to change. The spokesman for the National Peace Committee for Korea said, “The U.S. imperialists and the puppet warmongers held a meeting of the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of south Korea and the U.S. in Seoul on December 8 at which they discussed a very dangerous war scenario calling on the puppet forces and the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces to mount a military attack on the DPRK” ( Weisenthal) as pretext for a war with Korea. media type="youtube" key="XlFnqIdfKVA?rel=0" height="349" width="425" If an event of war occurred, the citizens of North Korea would have a perfect opportunity to rebel, war being a distraction to government and a possible lead way into a catastrophic situation. In almost every case of government, disagreement leads into rebellion and causes political change. With the help of a catastrophic event, loss of corrupt political power would be certain.

 In both fictional and non-fictional governments world-wide, blind-trust and catastrophe often lead to large gains in power. In 1984, Little Brother, and in modern day Korea, the time of war is a gateway into the blind trust and catastrophe needed to gain, and later, lose control. In each situation, government gains power without justice over others in a way that allows them to destroy the rights and lives of citizens. A lesson taken from these examples is to know what authority has over you. What seems to be true trust in a time of need can actually be another way government is stabbing you in the back...

﻿Works Cited:

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