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August 19, 2021

Fahrenheit 451 is Now

 Incredible, I'm living Fahrenheit 451.

The dystopian future is here. This is it right now. The key equivalences:

Everyone lives in the here and now, there is no literature, no debate, no thought, just immediate satisfaction, endless masturbation, everyone consumes trivia with glee while being cruel toward anyone stepping out of line. The TV reinforces this by serving up endless drivel of no consequence.

In Fahrenheit 451 books are banned. But today, it's the internet that is censored. We cannot say things that are not approved and licensed - fact checked. Meanwhile books are not encouraged in schools. Schooling is indoctrination, not a place for questioning.

The police now enforce correct behaviours. Crime has become irrelevant and perhaps even encouraged to keep everyone on their toes. People are encouraged to dob anyone in who doesn't behave. Nasty.

I saw the 1966 movie from the novel back in the 60's, but at a relatively young age it went over my head a little. Believe it or not my favourite movies from the period were Le Mans (1971), Zulu (1964), Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Battle of Britain (1969) and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965). However on a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Tokyo in January 2019 (remember when travel was allowed?) I saw it again. It contains far more intellectual content than I appreciated back in the day. I suggest taking the time to view it.

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