FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AT WAR WITH EASTASIA

WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AT WAR WITH EURASIA

Hey everyone! My summer book reading continued after the now beloved Curious Incident with a classic that I've somehow managed to avoid: George Orwell's 1984. The above slogans are taken from the book. They are the slogans of the Inner Party of Oceania, the futuristic setting for 1984. And curiously enough, about two days after I finished the book, I saw a car with several bumperstickers of these slogans. I was quite happy to be able to identify their source.

1984 by George Orwell was published in 1948. From Thomas I learned that it was based on or in reaction to a similar work by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin, We. I could also not help comparing it to Ayn Rand's first novel, We the Living, published in 1936. I won't bother to recap the plot, as most have probably already read this book or seen the John Hurt movie. And for anyone who hasn't, I don't want to spoil it. I can tell you that it's thin on characters but bursting with ideas and ideology.

1984 was easily the most depressing book I've ever read. And anyone who knows me can confirm that I tend to avoid depressing books like the plague. Movies I can handle, but books not so much. My mom, brother and Cyd were all surprised to learn of my latest reading choice and expressed concern for my state of mind. What could have driven me to such an out of character choice? That would be Jen and Thomas. Jen got huge points with her loan of Curious and Thomas has talked about 1984 for as long as I've known him. And even after reading it, I know he still gets it more than I do. Though I did find 1984 to be wrist-slicingly depressing, I could not help but be amazed by Orwell's prescience. He predicts everything from the internet to video cameras to the government's ability to spy on its citizens.

In true scaredy-cat fashion, I'm someone who has said many times in the past that I don't care if the government monitors my phone calls because I've got nothing to hide. 1984 has made me reconsider this. As long as you trust the government and know who they're after and that you don't fit the profile, you can assume you've nothing to worry about. But what happens in 50 years? Who could be running our country then and what could their goals be? Every right we cede now could come back to haunt us in the future.

Another example. July 1 was the official kickoff of the smoking ban in indoor public places in Colorado. I was in Creede for the occasion and a little shocked to find that the bars in town were complying, as Creede is a stick-it-to-the-Man town if ever there was one. But they were, though there were some complaints voiced. One in particular that I heard was from the town's prior judge. Something tells me cigar smoking may still be tolerated in Creede. Given that I've taken but a few puffs of a cigarette here and there in all my life and that the smell of smoke makes me nauseous, I was beyond thrilled when smoking was banned. But will this be a stepping stone - a precedent - for eliminating something I do enjoy? It's all quite confusing and I'm a bit torn to be honest.

This is what comes from reading classics, depressing books or even worse, depressing classics. But I must admit that I'm glad I did it this one time. I can say though that it will be a long, long time before I tackle Zamyatin's We.

Boulder Bumpersticker of the Day: My Sailor Protects Your Honor Student.

-sunday