With Thunderous Applause

I thought I would show my inner nerd through a quote from Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith. I believe this quote epitomizes the last chapter and is a good summary for Postman's message.

"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause." by Padme Amidala

I find this quote to be very similar to a quote on page 156 in "The Huxleyan Warning"

"An Orwellian world is much easier to recognize, and to oppose, than a Huxleyan. Everything in our background has prepared us to know and resist when the gates begin to close around us. We are not likely, for example, to be indifferent to the voices of the Sakharovs and the Timmermans and the Walesas. We take arms against such a sea of troubles, buttressed by the spirit of Milton, Bacon, Voltaire, Goethe and Jefferson. But what if there are no cries of anguish to be heard? Who is prepared to take arms against a sea of amusements? To whom do we complain, and when, and in what tone of voice, when serious discourse dissolves into giggles? What is the antidote to a culture's being drained by laughter."

I believe these quotations are true. The greatest threats to our society are not expected threats that we have learned to fear, but they are threats that we warmly embrace and are not intimidating. We will embrace society's downfall with open arms, and we will applaud the loss of our liberties.

An example of a threat to our liberty is the Patriot Act. It is a controversial act that was approved in a time of turmoil that takes away some of our liberties in privacy. The act was applauded at the time by some because it was a promise of security and safety. This example relates more to the Star Wars reference because some of our liberties were taken away in a time of doubt.

An example that relates more to Postman's book would have to be technology. The majority of the people applaud new technology and are always looking for the biggest and the best. However, technology may also result in mass destruction because with the invention of new technology that amuse society (for example more advanced computer chips for video games and computers) there is always a destructive side to it (the same computer chips could be used for more accurate and deadly weapons)

The most dangerous example is modern media. Media appears to be harmless and benevolent, but it is slowly decomposing the structure of discourse in America. Media is the main factor of a Huxleyan world because it sneaks into our lives and slowly seeps into our daily routine until we eventually become dependent upon it. That is when our society will be at a point that Postman feared.

How can we defend ourselves against amusement? How can we possibly warn the public about happiness?