Living in hostels usually is quite fun. You meet many nice people from all over the world, who have the same goal as you- Explore the city and save money. Sometimes you face a rainy day and think, that this is a perfect day to relax and get away from all the hassle of doing tourist activities. So you sit on the porch have a nice conversation and watch a guy running down the road like a wild boar. “STOP, THE POLICE”- Five policemen run after him struggling with the pace. The facial expression of one of them says: “I hate that f...ing job!” Ten minutes later a police bus passes by with the guy in the back held down by two cops.
Business as usual on a rainy day in Harlem.
Martha’s Vinyard
This tiny island located south of Cape Cod is a true rich mans getaway. What to do if you are not a rich man is explained fast. You meet some awesome people who let you spend some nights in their place and have a good time with them. And after that?
Here is what happened, and this is no joke or imagination:
Sitting in a small gazebo at the pier of Vinyard Haven, hiding from the pouring rain not knowing where to go next. The hostel and the hotels on this island have prices that are just beyond the range of an average backpacker. You sit there for hours contemplating how nice it is to have a place on your own sometimes. Where you have privacy and don’t depend on anyone.
Out of the blue Morgan comes along. She is a woman in her thirties, asking where you come from and where you’ve been so far. Then she offers you to stay in her house. You agree.
The next day she gives you the keys to her house and tells you she will be gone for a couple of days. There you are in your own house on Martha’s Vinyard on the coast with ocean view and sunshine for a week. Sometimes things just happen and you don’t know why. Wishes and dreams do come true.
Stars and Stripes or the 4th of July
1984 by George Orwell is one of the few books that ever meant anything to me. As it is written in the year 1948 it is considered as a fiction book. It predicts how society will be like for future generations. For those of you, who didn’t read the book, read it! It describes how Big Brother is watching you. The speciality of this book is that although it is a fiction book you can actually take part in the plot and feel how it is to live the life of Winston Smith, while Big Brother is watching you. Where? Here, in the United States of America. It is ridiculous how everything described in the book is actually happening right here right now.
There is the invisible enemy on the outside of the country, which is always there and always a threat of life and death. In 1984 it is called Oceania. In US it is terrorism. It is a threat that is permanent and that can strike anytime anywhere. So be afraid of it, this way you are easier to govern.
Big Brother is watching you in 1984. There are no telescreens in the United States. But therefore you are under constant surveillance everywhere. Even your own neighbour can spy on you if he gets some supplies in so called “Spy Shops”. I’ve actually been to a Spy Shop in San Francisco. So your own neighbour could give you away in case you do something strange. So you should better not trust him or her. Be afraid and suspicious. This way you are easier to govern.
No free health care for the sake of keeping people afraid of ruining themselves in case of a major health problem. Being afraid makes you easier to govern.
No free education for the sake of keeping people from thinking for themselves. This way you are easier to govern.
Great great media, that keeps people brainwashed. Everything is there like in 1984: The interviews with veterans from war. The reports from the front. The display of the enemies. And all the rest. Look it up in the book- it is ridiculous!
There is an opposition to the government. In 1984 it is called the brotherhood. Here it’s either the republicans or the democrats. In reality it doesn’t really matter. Both of them are part of the system that is corrupted itself. You can join the opposition and believe in so called “conspiracy” theories. Then you are one of “those” people, who believe in these things. People have lost the ability to understand what a fact is. A fact is that 2 and 2 is 4 and not 5. But these days everything becomes a matter of believe. Meaning that you can believe in “2 and 2 equals 4”, but you don’t necessarily need to. Here are some more facts: It is a fact that the climate changes. It is a fact that the government of the U.S. messed with the laws of Geneva against torture for applying it in Guantanamo Bay. There is nothing to believe- it is there! This leads us right to the concept of Doublethink. My spell correction doesn’t even mark that word, which makes me think even more. Doublethink is the ability to believe in two contradictory facts at the same time. For example, to believe in the fact that you live in a democracy and believe the fact that Bush won the elections 8 years ago. There are hundred examples like these. But again: You can believe it but you don’t really need to. It is your choice.
Welcome to the year 1984.
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