An Unconstitutional Government
We may not be strong enough to cope with the kind of power we have learned to amass (Cronkite). Power has always found a place to rest its head on the very foundation of the human mind. The stability of the mind, the moral values, the ethical principles to govern a people justly, is compromised by power. Thus, this primal instinct to be the alpha male only leads to the misuse of this authority by causing the ruler and his cronies to enforce their opinions in the form of stringent laws, ultimately tethering the society to subservience (such as the one today and the one envisioned in 1984) and stripping the basic, unalienable rights of the human.
The autocratic regime in 1984 that functions by a complex bureaucratic system to manipulate the minds of the population undoubtedly deprives the members of society of their God-given rights to live in peace and be content by their will. OBrien, Winstons torturer, clearly thinks the liberty to be happy for self-interest is erroneous as there will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life in the future of Oceania, unveiling the true nature and mindset the government wishes to exercise over the people (Orwell 267). The substantial amount of control the super state has over its people is actually a startling representation of reality in that many countries are trying to establish themselves come across the power struggle problem, forcing them to resort to the brutal tactics of martial law. This consequently leaves a wake of destruction as the population is seen as expendable to the rulers of the nation, therefore justifying their rationale to do away with any laws that might hurt their political stance and making people be nothing more than subordinates in a giant society.
The government regulations and practices in 1984, which include deliberate attempts of censorship of information and detainment of individuals for unorthodox behavior, are strikingly similar to the society we live in today as many figure heads in developing (and developed) nations around the world seek to stretch their breadth of power over as many people as possible, thereby interfering with the inherent rights of man. In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai faced a host of protests from many civilians as a rape victimhas been jailed because of her attack and is being forced to marry her rapist, indicating a very twisted and corrupt system of justice that landed a poor, innocent woman in jail, an obvious intrusion on civil liberties (Walsh). Astonishingly enough, a man like this has risen to the top of the political pyramid through heavy influence of the people, mirroring the complete totalitarian government displayed in 1984. This conservative view towards civilians (especially women) that many uphold as an everlasting code only accelerates the process of the annihilation of unalienable rights because of the extensive reach the authority has around its people.
Corruption, coupled with an insatiable desire for control, has managed to prevail and weather the storms of just rule. Unsurprisingly, this corruption springs up in the weak, destitute nations around the globe that crawl with power hungry leaders who efficiently secure their positions in a plagued, hierarchical system of government. In a small Somalia town, government officials buttressed the idea of a strict interpretation of the Quran that forced every person to pray 5 times daily, or else they will definitely be beheaded according to Islamic law (Somalia). While religion may be an important aspect of the spiritual life and also influence how a government is run, the mere fact that the religious zealots condemn others to death if they do not adhere to a very harsh law is a severe obstruction on innately human rights to life and liberty to follow their own ecclesiastical beliefs. The blatant exploitation of power here in reality is clearly delineated in Orwells 1984 as the Party establishes their premise on beliefs by stating that there will be no love, except the love of Big Brother which shows how undeniably similar the Somali officials and the proponents of the Party are in their views on who should be worshipped (Orwell 267).
On yet another religious note, since there are so many religions present in the world today, there are some who purposely aim to eliminate any others that may be catch on popularity. In doing so, laws pertaining to restriction of religious practices must be heavily enforced to insure that the dominance of the specific belief is constricted. For example, Cambodia is facing the same dilemma as Christianity is steadily spreading around in a primarily Buddhist nation, so to remedy that, ministers have said that they can do any activity inside their institutions, but are not allowed to go door-to-door (Cambodia). This inability to disseminate the teachings of Christianity because of this rigid law is a disservice and a hindrance on natural rights to the evangelists and the converts who seek comfort in spirituality. While the society in 1984 may not have excluded any religions because there was only the pure religion of Big Brother and the Party, the implications that both Cambodia and Big Brother made further solidifies the argument that the world spelled out in Orwells novel is not exactly far from the realities of the world today.
The world is a melting pot of government systems that always have drawbacks to them. The perfect solution to governing people has not been solved yet and may never happen because of the complexity of the individuals. The striking parallels between Orwells 1984 and the dictatorial powers present in todays society can be justified beyond a doubt as Orwell hoped of making his novel a caveat for future generations to really consider. Unfortunately, man has not listened because every day, human rights are being stripped from a person somewhere in the world, whether it is subtle or overt. One cannot deny that fact because the greed for power is everywhere; the most powerful countries in the world like the United States and more primitive nations like those in Africa alike are riddled with corruption, deception, and everything in between. This mad dog fight to control people ultimately puts a strain on the rest of the population because they are the ones who suffer the repercussions of an unstable governing system full of people who cannot be trusted with authority. The intentional grab for power comes at a price because laws must be put in place to favor the political figures or agree with the opinions held by a few; therefore, rigid regulations usually are adversarial to the citizens. The implementation of laws in a stable, just system can indefinitely have a positive impact for a specific number of people; however, producing laws in a lawless system that break down the unalienable rights every human being is no less than immoral, unethical, and unconstitutional.
Bibliography
Cambodia bans door-to-door evangelism. World Net Daily.wnd.com. 31 Jul. 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2011.
-Being a predominantly Buddhist nation, the Cambodian government has implemented a new law stating that Christians may not spread the religion by going door to door. This exertion of power was justified by the fact that it disrupts society because of the excessive spread of Christianity. In fact, an organization reported a prolific spread of the religion. This restriction to only congregate at the specified church and not spread Christianity has brought national attention to Cambodia on this injustice.
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1949. Print.
-Orwells novel is about a dystopian society where the government is involved in nearly every aspect of its civilians living within its boundaries because of the mass accumulation of power that it exerts. Orwell describes life in this super state through the eyes of Winston Smith, the protagonist, who is somewhat indifferent about life yet fed up with the brainwashed citizens he is forced to socialize with and subconsciously the government rule implemented by Big Brother. Winston begins documenting his thoughts in a diary when he eventually comes to meet a woman who turns out to love him because of his dislike of Big Brother. For a short period of time, they live secret double lives that stray from the Party norms as they make love, discuss rebellion, and do everything humanly possible to be insurrectionists. Unfortunately, they are caught and are completely broken down mentally because of the cruel tortures they endure and end up embracing Big Brother.
Somalia Town Threatens to Behead People Who Dont Pray 5 Times Daily. Fox News.foxnews.com.6 Dec. 2006. Web. 12 Dec. 2011.
-A court official in a small Somalia town announced that a more stringent interpretation of Islam will be implemented by forcing people to pray 5 times daily. This, however, is very foreign to many Somalis as they were able to bask in a looser interpretation of the Quran. The penalty for not praying results in a warning then be beheaded if the people did not adhere to it. Other judges are looking to discuss the matter with these strict officials.
Walsh, Nick Paton. Nearly 5,000 sign petition calling for release of Afghan rape victim. CNN.cnn.com. 27 Nov. 2011.Web.27 Nov. 2011.
-A 21 year old Afghan woman named Gulnaz is being kept in jail for being raped by a married man, who made her conceive a daughter. Almost 5,000 people signed the petition for her release which was even read by the president. He has the power to pardon her, but sadly she will have to go to trial first. While she sits in jail awaiting her trial, she is also busy raising her young daughter.
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