MILT THOMAS
When I was much younger, I remember my parents telling me to always think for myself, regardless of what those around me might think. Of course, that assumes I would be equipped with the information I needed to substantiate my own thoughts.
So the question becomes how do I obtain the right information? Several years ago I asked a friend of mine here in Vero where he goes to get unbiased information. He answered Fox News. It is no secret that Fox is considered a very conservative network, which also has the highest ratings of all the cable news networks. I watch Fox News myself and MSNBC as well, but only when I want to see the dichotomy of opinion on a particular subject. I don’t consider either network unbiased. However, I have found that, like my friend, many people watch one network or the other, not to get unbiased news, but to get news that conforms to their opinions, which they consider unbiased.
Or do they watch those networks to find out what their opinions should be?
A very interesting book came out in 1985 called Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman. It was published a year after the Orwellian date of 1984. George Orwell warned us back in 1949 that by 1984 our society would become repressive with a totalitarian Big Brother watching our every move.
But in Postman’s book, he warned that the problem was not Orwell’s vision (which had not materialized by that signature date), but the vision of Aldous Huxley in his book, Brave New World, written 18 years earlier than Orwell’s. Their views of the future were as different as Fox and MSNBC.
Huxley’s vision did not include a Big Brother to eliminate our ability to think, it was technology that would undo our desire to think. He felt we would have so much information, that we would become passive in our quest for it. That was in 1931.
The totalitarian Hitler would not rise to power for two more years, and when he did, his reign was over in 12 years. Many totalitarian governments have come and gone and will come again, but the vision of George Orwell has not been fulfilled. Huxley looked past that and saw a world headed toward complacency in a technological age to come long after his death.
These days just about everyone has a digital television, cell phone, digital camera, iPad and internet. Why look for truth when a version of it is constantly dropped right in your laptop? We went to war in Iraq and had a front seat on the action as it happened. It must have been the right thing to do, or the media would not have flooded the airwaves with reports from the front lines, right?
If you are wondering why I am on this kick, it’s all about Jodi Arias. For the handful of people who don’t know, she has been on trial for murdering her boyfriend. Every minute of the four month trial has been televised. As the jury considered their verdict, a huge crowd gathered outside the courthouse in Phoenix, arriving from all around the country, putting their lives on hold just to be present, unanimous in their thirst for revenge on a person they only knew because of the 24-hour cable news cycle. Would those same people gather in Washington to support a new immigration policy? How many of them even know a policy is being considered?
Was Huxley correct?
I don’t know, but the subject exhausts me. I think I will go watch the Cartoon Network for a while.
Indian River Guardian 
You are right on with your commentary and questions Milt.
Thanks for another insightful article.
Milt Thomas is correct. However, I am more optimistic that the majority of the country does indeed think for themselves. There have been several objectives studies that documented that those who use Fox News as their inforimation source are the least informed people in the nation. This was evident by the shock on the Fox network stars on Election night when the results showed that President Obama easily won re-election.. It was obvious that Fox Netwrrk stars had believed their own hype.
Also, I remember going to a briefing at the Pentagon decades ago where the concept of the Internet was the topic of a slideshow presentation to representatives from various Federal agencies. I clearly remember going home that night and telling my husband that the Pentagon briefer was out of his mind when he stated that computers would be in everyone’s homes within the decade and it would be a major commuication vehicle. The Pentagon briefer, however, tempered his presentation by also stating that the Internet would be the “shining new toy on Christmas” and that with more experienced with the Internet that the public would gain a healthy skepticism about it as a reliable information source. This is the crossroad that we are not at in this country and more and more people are seeking third party sources, i.e.,print media before forming opinions. I think that this skepticism is one of the reasons for the success in the various forums that we now available when leaders in their fields who come to Indian River County to address a live audience and generally take questions from the audience. Nothing beats get your information directly from the person who is maing the news! .
Astute observations, Mr. Thomas. While perusing my internet news page it occurred to me how often accused individuals are being tried in the media – including Jodi Arias. No, I haven’t followed her trial. Has it been since OJ Simpson was seen by so many of us being chased on the freeway by a multitude of law professionals that this phenomenon has been with us? I like your idea of using more than one news source to get a range of points of view on a particular subject. It has been useful in local Indian River County politics and government to do the same thing. I’ve come to the conclusion we are, as you say, being bombarded with “facts”, few of which we can accept at face value. That the sky is blue and decorated with puffy clouds might be a fact one day but not the next. Your parents gave you good advice– no doubt about it, but it isn’t so easy to go against the current. I might need to break out both Orwell’s and Huxley’s books for a refresher. Cartoon Network – especially Tom & Jerry cartoons or Scooby Do–good choice. Thank you.
As things stand in the US of A in June 2013, both Orwell AND Huxley have been proven correct, as their visions have come to fruition. In essence, their visions have melded together: Big Brother using technology(among other things) to help generate an apothetic and unthinking society…. and that’s exactly what Big Brother wants and needs in order to maintain control of his power. Big Brother has been very successful in achieving his goals.
Judge Judy is more enlightening than Cartoon Network.