1984 and
Brave New World both predicted a future in which people were controlled by a central power. But the form of control took different forms, and each author saw a different aspect.
1984 showed the people being controlled by TV, but Orwell saw the TV as a monitor of the people so they could be punished for any deviation from the "law", (the "stick").
BNW showed the people being contolled by "the good life" and "shiny toys", but Huxley saw the shiny toys as being enough in themselves, the "carrot").
The engineers of our world used both TV and shiny toys. They got people to depend on the TV for information about what is going on in their lives, and they used the shiny toys to make them dependent. So, whenever they want to do something unreasonable, they use the TV to say, "If we don't do this, you'll lose your shiny toys." and the people believe it because they have been trained to believe the TV.
If we don't use oil for transport and electricity, you'll lose your shiny toys. If we don't go to war in Iraq.... If we don't help the big oil companies.... We could use wind or solar power, but you'll lose some of your shiny toys.
The result is that the people work for about 6 months of the year to pay all their governments and related stuff and for things the government should be providing, and about 4 months of the year to pay for their shiny toys, and 2 months to pay for their necessities.
Since money = power, they are giving their power away to the controllers.
Chuck and Diane Fitzgerald came to visit from California, and we made a flying trip to Whistler. We were supposed to go to Vancouver early in the morning to meet them, but we missed the ferry, by a few minutes. 2 hours wait for the next one. We finally got to Vancouver, rented a car, and went to Canada Place, where they were coming in on a cruise ship.
The drive to Whistler was very nice, no major construction and some improved roads. At Whistler, we took a gondola and chair lift up a mountain where lots of people were skiing and boarding. Here are some pictures.
