Future Warnings

Indoctrination schooling, cancel culture, tech dominance, history erasure, government-dictated media, de-platforming— nightmarish realities seemingly emerging without any precedent or justification. No one had foreseen the arrival of any of these disturbing trends, no one except perhaps, Eric Arthur Blair, later to be known by the pseudonym George Orwell.

Born in India to European parents in 1903, Orwell studied in England before serving with the colonial police in Burma in 1922. Resigning in 1928, Orwell retreated to the slums of London and Paris, living a willfully meager existence as a conscious reaction to his personal attitudes on his experiences in Burma. This inspired his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, published in 1933.

The Road to Wigan Pier, published in 1937, cemented Orwell’s socialist agenda while he enlisted in the militia of the Spanish Civil War. These experiences soon inspired Orwell’s newfound fears regarding communism which he expounded on in Homage to Catalonia, published in 1938.

In 1943, Orwell became literary editor of the socialist newspaper, The Tribune. The novella Animal Farm followed, which allegorically depicted the Russian Revolution with an array of farm animals. This paved the way for the work his name would forever be synonymous with. Nineteen Eighty-four, published in 1949, addressed the threat of Nazism and totalitarianism in a not-so-distant future.

In the novel, the story’s protagonist clashes with a draconian government which alters and censors previous accounts of history and monitors citizens by employing ‘Thought Police’ who seek to brainwash and eradicate any elements of individuality. Orwell’s greatest contribution to literature would also be his last. He succumbed to tuberculosis in London in 1950 at 46.

To now say that Nineteen Eighty-four fortuitously prophesied present developments is an arguable understatement. A rapidly evolving political climate where any dissent from those in power is immediately labeled as “misinformation” and even “immoral” obviates how many of Orwell’s 20th Century fears have been realized thus far.

The symbiotic development of these ideas within one year of Covid lockdowns can’t be chalked up to coincidence. A grimly premeditated power grab has clearly been made by those eager to take advantage of a dire global crisis.

Ironically, young Americans whose predecessors once burned draft cards have moved on to burning books. Presently, one wouldn’t exactly be alarmist to imagine Orwell’s work itself as the next pile on the bonfire.

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

Will their utopia become your dystopia? By George, let’s hope not.

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Christopher Robinson

Leaving the Building

  Diners are a part of New
Jersey's image and history

Americans are beginning to see some of the effects that state lockdowns have had on local businesses. In many cases they either couldn’t adapt to the crisis for one reason or another or they lost too much time and revenue to pay their rent, utilities, workers etc.

One of my favorite local diners looks to have been resolutely affected by this crisis and will probably not reopen as the business that it had been for thirty years or so. It’s one more sad and disappointing reminder of how the country has been economically devastated in a variety of ways.

Must all good things
come to an end?

I can’t say that I have too many memories of the place but- wait! An odd reminiscence now comes to mind.

A local detective once told me that she had recently responded to a police call at the diner because one of the customers thought they saw Elvis Presley there(!) I found this to be slightly perplexing since Elvis sightings would seem to be low in critical nature within my limited understanding of police prioritization.

A sign of the times.

In any case, I don’t think the person in question turned out to be Elvis, nor did I believe it could even be possible.

The site of the alleged incident boasted a decent salad bar and reasonably-priced lunch and dinner specials but no all-you-can-eat deep-fried starch-fest that one would logically expect to be fit for the King. Besides, if it was him, what exactly were they prepared to do?

Another diner bites the dust.

This, of course, is all in accordance with a notorious long-standing supposition that the 42 year-old star never passed away 43 years ago(last week)on August 16th, 1977. But- were it true anyway, could an out-of-state police charge someone with a felony for faking their own death in another place, twenty-five years earlier?

Elvis (circa 1977)

Do logic and reason become blurred when something fantastic is at stake?

Do rules often leave you confused?

How do you determine which to follow... and which to flout?

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Christopher Robinson

Communication Theories

If there is one activity in our lives that would now seem to be more crucial than ever, it would be our ability to communicate effectively with each other. The complexities of our lives coupled with technology, social media and the potential for misinformation stresses the importance of proper and reliable communication in our nation and world as the key to, not only public safety but societal order in general.

The research and theory of interpersonal communication is a modular field which scholars study to determine how various methods, environments, factors and other elements affect the transmission of messages between a sender and a receiver. In recent years, the influence of mass media, politics and social media forums such as Facebook have created new disciplines within these studies that are yet to be fully researched or understood. Opinions are now sent and received in the guise of objective communication.

Currently the country is witnessing some of the chaos and disruption in cities where aggravated groups seem to be mobilizing their varied protest goals by linking up with more aggressive and organized outfits whose motivations are more politicized and (ironically) authoritarian.

Their communication methods are more social-media driven than grassroots such as the 1960s counterculture. Similarly, mayors, governors and local and state law enforcement officials need to have precise and effective communication models to deal with these unprecedented and increasingly dangerous developments as they transpire.

The information regarding COVID-19 and the necessary guidelines and restrictions the public needed to take became the apotheosis of a major world health information campaign in the digital age of mass media, Twitter and Facebook. The tools we share are as readily available as the necessary outlets are ubiquitous. The remaining dilemma pertains to our ability to properly utilize them and derive the correct results.

Are you communicating interpersonally? Is what you sent being properly received? Are you receiving opinions dressed as objective messages? Furthermore, does any of this frighten you a little?

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Coronavirus: Making the Best of a Bad Situation

Greetings,

Lately most of us are experiencing a surplus of down time. Hopefully everyone out there is staying safe and well.

I mostly try to use the time creatively--that is creating something so as to use the time to my advantage and also do so in a positive way.

What are you creating? Is it getting you through this? Let me know how you're doing with it.

Christopher Robinson

P.S.
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