[ExI] Amusing ourselves to death

[Dan TheBookMan]

On Jul 23, 2021, at 4:37 AM, BillK via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> I interrupted my hours of clicking on 'must-read' news and
> 'must-watch' videos when I came across this article about how media
> triviality is taking over civilisation. Excellent read!
> 
> <https://newintrigue.com/2021/05/20/the-world-according-to-neil-postman/>
> 
> Quote:
> We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy
> didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of ourselves. But
> we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark vision was another
> –slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous
> Huxley's Brave New World.…
> 
> What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared
> was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no
> one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us
> of information. Huxley feared those would give us so much that we
> would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth
> would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned
> in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive
> culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture.
> ---------------------
> 
> There is no prize for guessing who was right.
> 
> When we look around at the world today, how can we not say that we
> have become a captive society, controlled in the very manner that
> Postman and Huxley predicted? What’s more, instead of resisting this
> control, as we would under a fascist regime – we have succumbed to it.
> 
> As Postman wrote:
> People will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies
> that undo their capacity to think.
> ----------------------------------------
> 
> Postman's book can be downloaded or read online (197 pages) here:
> <https://www.eternal.life/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/amusing-ourselves-to-death.pdf>

I’ve mentioned Postman here before, but, of course, I was ignored.

Regards,

Dan