[, Zest ‘ vofy QI p - Postman’s Foreword In the foreword to his 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, author Neil Postman notes that the year 1984 had come and gone without a fulfillment of Ge vision and that Americans felt satisfied that the * Brother was not watching, nightmare world of Big Br jeorge Orwell’s dark, dystopian ‘roots of liberal democracy had held.” Big and Americans retained their autonomy, freedom, and history. The ‘other was just that: a nightmare. Horwevet he reminds us that alongside Orwell's dark vision there was another — “slightly less ‘ell known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.” In Huxley's vision. no force ‘would be required to deprive people of their freedom. Instead, as Huxley saw it, 4 | come to love their oppress ‘people will to think.” Postman follows these ot visions: the two sion, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities bservations with a series of further oppositions comparing ‘We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, atleast, had not been visited by © Orwellian nightmares. ‘But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another —aighaly colder, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave Now Henne Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did nor prophesy the same thing, Orwell wams that we wil be overcome by an exterhlly imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is equired to deprive people of theiautonomy) maturity, and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their ga o°'F a rression, to adore the technologies that undo ther capacities to thak = per eB Comey a Bere ae Orwell feared were those who would ban books, What Huey eed wala ere & vould be no reason ban abek, forte woul bn ons wh Wane ead ore 1 who would deprive us of information, Huxley hose who __ - oo ec on agli ogo gk Od i oe a id Be Soncealed from us. Huxley febred the th would be drowned in a XY ef ance pian Ce TOO vce Orwell feared we would ama sepeve cue Sted vey, : levance. 75 oma Manes + sea of irrelevant’ TT re, preoccupied.sith same,eanivalentos the would ‘As Huxley remarked in Brave New World sonse feof eee - il ‘and rationalists ‘who are ever on the alert OPPOSE are Like ‘en ‘man’s almos : bode anny “filed. tak a aon ing pain. In Brave New Worlds they “°° r ee a what we hate will ruin Beha ep oc Es rove troll yy inflict fat Se foaley feared that ‘what we | - poe " yen ek sn 2 oo Me ey ge ven