While the physical setting of 1984 is quite different than anything seen in modern societies today (with one exception, which I'll get to), almost everything represented in the book are here with us today. Instead of large grimy oblate televisions on our streets and in our buildings, we have suveillance cameras by the millions (yes, in the USA). Instead of "Eurasia" or "Eastasia"..we have our own changing enemies..Iraq, Afghanistan, USSR, etc etc. Instead of loud blaring military announcements with hypnotizing music, we have mind-numbing politics and pop culture. We don't have proles, but we do have minorities who are treated not as well as the "majority" and a large and growing lower working class. Things here may look different than something typically "Orwellian", but it's here in the "free" world..in varying scales and forms. While maybe we are not at the 1984 level now, we certainly have come further than many of us realize. <br> There is ONE major exception to what I said above. There is one place left in teh world, which in many ways almost physically mirrors Orwell's masterpeice. If one looks at any pictures or reads any articles about North Korea, specifically the capital city of PyongYang..you will notice the frightening similarity between London of 1984 and PyongYang of today (and of 1960 for that matter). Some say China and Cuba are similarly "Oceania-like, but from what I can tell, the Democratic People's Republic wins top prize as the most Orwellian dictatorship, in philosophy and form.<br><br>p.s. I consider 1984 the best book ever written..and have read it in full at least 25 times, first as a high school freshman. I also have a copy of the movie, also great, starring Richard Burton (his last role, and yes, shot on location in London in the actual year 1984) and John Hurt. It's at the front of my video collection (yes, people think it's a bit odd) and only hope I can get a DVD copy soon!
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