“In no way am I telling you to be dogmatic about your defense of your freedoms; instead, be aware of the things your government does, be aware of the actions the party you ascribe to takes and, most importantly, be aware of where you stand on these issues. And then be skeptical of them.”
Zachary Antoyan
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Zachary Antoyan is a political science senior and Mustang News liberal columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News.
Chances are, if you know what the phrase “zombie apocalypse” means, you probably have a contingency plan to deal with the possibility of an outbreak. You see the news on the television, proceed to the nearest Big 5 to obtain your main weapon — a crossbow, because duh, it’s a freakin’ crossbow.
Then, gathering your comrades-in-survival, you barricade yourself inside of that last bastion of hope, Costco. Thankfully, you’ll be able to subsist on Costco muffins and Kirkland-grade vodka for a few years. Just head to the roof and play target practice with the zombies who were too slow or unprepared. The actual chances of a zombie outbreak are slim (yet ever present, which is why we have a plan), but my very conception of the situation would not have been possible were it not for the literature and media that surrounds it.
Television shows, video games and movies have, to an extent, prepared me to recognize the signs of a zombie outbreak. But what about other pieces of media that deal with our possible futures? Could it be that the collective knowledge of the dystopian future brought up by George Orwell in his book “1984” makes us more aware of the signs of such a situation?
Heads up: minor spoilers for “1984.” Thanks to this book, not only am I more prepared to recognize the systematic removal of rights through government actions, both in this country and in others, but also I know I have to keep my deep, dark fear of earwigs to myself. Nature just wasn’t satisfied with how scary it made spiders.
When we went over the themes of “1984” in school, we didn’t just gloss over the connections to the real world. This was not just some fantasy story of a world gone awry; instead, it acted as a warning and as a powerful educational tool. The idea of mere thoughts being considered crimes easily steered conversations toward basic concepts of rights and freedoms.
What our social contract dictates for us and the levels of privacy and freedom we expect to be protected, all of a sudden seemed so fragile. We were forced to think of a future that involved a ruling party (class, aristocracy, it’s all the same) that not only sought to control our very thoughts, but actively and brutally violate rules we hold to be basic and natural. We became more aware of the signifiers of that possible reality, one not very far from our own.
This idea signifies a greater role of media in our lives. From our wildest imaginations, we are able to conceive of possible scenarios that we as a people may face in the future. Politically, we can see this pseudo-foresight as a way to educate generations on the importance of the role government plays in our lives, and how we can be active participants in its actions.
We can be vanguards of the very freedoms we take for granted; not abroad, but right here at home. In no way am I telling you to be dogmatic about your defense of your freedoms; instead, be aware of the things your government does, be aware of the actions the party you ascribe to takes and, most importantly, be aware of where you stand on these issues. And then be skeptical of them.
We don’t always read the newspaper, we don’t always follow up on landmark court cases and sometimes, we believe everything we see on Reddit. But books like “1984” allow us to create thought experiments that can ask difficult questions about where we want to be 10, 25, 69 years down the road.
Conversely to how Fox News tells you how and what to think about political situations, comic books and web series can offer a dystopian future and allow you to interpret the outcomes.
This is Zachary Antoyan, thinking thought crimes all the time — and you should, too. Have a fantastic week.