A Cornucopia of Dystopia
Dystopia
"Particularly when they're beautiful. Beauty's attractive, and we don't want people to be attracted by old things."
- The Controller
- Why are old literary pieces prohibited in this society?
- It relates to a dystopian society in the book because the controllers don't want people reading about these old works and changing their perception on things. This relates to today's world because there are still censors on things so that people don't get a full glimpse of what is really happening.
Modern Dystopia
In Modern America, there are some characteristics in our society that resemble ones of a dystopian society. Many people think this is farfetched, but if you really look into our society you can see the similarities. One of the "main components of a dystopian society is propaganda" (Dvorsky). It is used to control the people and sway their beliefs and perceptions. In our modern world, advertising is probably the biggest and most wide spread form of propaganda. No matter where you go there will be an advertisement for something, whether it is a commercial on television or a big billboard in Boston.
Another characteristic that America shares with a dystopian society is "admiring a concept or ideal" (Dvorsky). In America, in a sense people worship money. It is one of the most important things in today’s American society to a lot of people. No matter what people are talking about, money is somehow related to their conversation. Money is also the basis of people’s idea of success. They often overlook many other things that could possibly make someone successful.
Dystopian societies also portray illusions that their society is perfect. This is very relatable to the United States because many people want to live here. Many people think it’s a utopia due to our great propaganda. This is far from true, but there are many covers that camouflage the controversies.
The last component that makes America like a dystopian society is lack of privacy. Many people believe they are under constant surveillance by the government. This is very picturesque in the eyes of a dystopian society. It gives them the control over the people and they always know what is going on. That’s why many people in America feel like their freedom and privacy is being taken from them. So in a sense the United States could be a resemblance of a dystopian society.
"Radioactive" relation to Brave New World
Another lyric that relates back to the story is, "This is it, the apocalypse." (Imagine Dragons). The society in Brave New World, could be seen as the aftermath of an apocalypse. It can be seen as the society established after the downfall of another. This may be why the people in this new society live so much differently than previous ones. Morals and ethics have changed greatly and the outlook on life is perceived differently. As compared to today's world, abusing drugs and having orgies are dastardly deeds in the eyes of the majority of people.
The lyrics, "I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems grow" (Imagine Dragons), show how John the Savage was feeling in the story. He realized after reading many prohibited literary works, by Shakespeare, that there was something wrong with this society. He saw that the people had no emotions over things and that they weren't free. He wanted to escape the societies drug based coma.
GMO's
In the world of agriculture and health, GMO’s are a highly debated topic. “GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE” (GMO Facts). When plants and animals go through this genetic modification it is unlike any natural process. That is why many people disagree with the safety of these foods.
Personally I think that GMO’s are an efficient and safe alternative to naturally developed crops. They provide great benefits to countries that are agriculturally starving. With GMO’s you are able to produce more food which lasts a lot longer than naturally grown crops. “Over 17 million farmers around the world plant GM crops, and their numbers grow each season - they grew by 6% from 2011.” (Why are GMO’S Beneficial). This helps to cut down on the number of people hungry in starving countries.
In contrast, “Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs.” (GMO Facts). However, in the US GMO’s are approved by the government. Studies have shown the positive affects GMO’s have had. The problem with the approval of GMO’s to most people is they don’t know whether the food they’re buying is a GMO or not. Companies are not required to label the food they are selling. This leaves many people in a dilemma on which food to buy. In opposition to many consumers, "many farmers reap the benefits from GMO’s.farmers that use GMO’s have seen growth each season”(NaturalRevolution). GMO’s also require less maintenance, “Easier adoption of no- or reduced till farming, which saves time, equipment usage, fuel and carbon emissions” (Why are GMO’s Beneficial). GMO’s not only have a higher crop yield, they are also environment friendly due to the reduction of carbon emissions. Many environmentalists see the benefits that they bring to the lessening of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Another great problem the GMO’s help to prevent is soil erosion and nutrient deprivation. It helps to cause “Soil preservation & moisture retention” (Why are GMO’s Beneficial). Soil erosion and nutrient deprivation is a huge problem many farmers face. They often over produce on land with natural crops with take all of the nutrients out of the soil. This makes the land non-arable and it needs time to replenish its nutrients. It takes a long time for the land to regain the nutrients.
Another thing that GMO’s provide that is close to my heart is an addition of flavor and nutritional value. Foods that aren’t GMO’s tend to have less taste and be sort of bland compared to a similar genetically modified food. I’m almost certain that everyone would want better tasting food at a lower cost. Organic or non-GMO’s are more expensive for a product that isn’t superior. It has been proven that they are safe.
Works Cited
Dragons, Imagine. Radioactive, Continued Silence EP. Imagine Dragons. Interscope Records, 2012. CD.
Dvorsky, George. "Why Modern Society Would Appear Completely Dystopian to a Visitor from the past." Io9. KINJA, 26 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
NonGMOproject. "GMO Facts." The NonGMO Project RSS. NonGMO Project, 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Revolution, Natural. "The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMOs - Natural Revolution." Natural Revolution. NaturalRevolution, 2 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.