"This Land is Your Land"

1. It is that of collectivism because he seems to be opposed to the trespassing sign and he sees that people are starving and hungry in the current system.

2. I find it to be anti-government because he says things like "No one can stop me," or "Make me turn back" which seems to point towards a lack of regard for government control.

1984 Post 2

1. Winston is experiencing difficulty because he is an outsider to the society he lives in. He was born outside of its parameters and thus he knows even if it's mostly sub consciously that there is something more.There was life before Big Brother and not everything he says is actually truth. He remembers airplanes from his childhood and he knows the didn't come from Big Brother.

2. Winston questions the party in every way. He defies them in both thought and action. He writes a secret diary, he participates in acts of raging passion very much forbade by the party, and he doubts the party in every way. It is in a way a protest, but even more just a yearning to experience life. He wants to love, have, and think. He wants to be able to love Julia with passion and sex. He wants to have things that the government forbade. He wants to think his own thoughts which in many ways violate the party's laws. He just wants to be able to chose and live how he wishes. It has little to do with outright opposition of the party.

3. Winston's small protests differ greatly from the protests of Tea Party members. Winston makes choices that violate law while most modern protest groups do not, at least on paper. Also Winston's actions are more for the benefit of him alone. He doesn't serve a greater purpose in the same way that tea part members do.

4. Our society is not very Orwellian. Our people can point out the flaws of the government. Past discrepancies and miscalculations aren't rectified by a ministry of truth, but rather are available for all to see and judge. The fact that we have things like occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party movement prove that we are not Orwellian in nature because we allow free thought and disagreement with the government.

The Egg

1. He was a relaxed and happy man who enjoyed relaxing and drinking. He became ambitious. The American passion for moving up in the world took hold of them.

2. He hates them. He finds them to be a waste of both time and resources. The egg symbolizes hope for betterment and wealth, but the chickens show that it comes with a price.

3. It is him holding onto his past ventures.

4. The egg controlled their lives even when they left the chicken farm behind them. So it was victorious over them. 

American Friendships

American friendships are perceived this way because as a society we are afraid of showing weakness or an inability to be independent. We also seek outsiders for help because we enjoy the idea of experts as well as feeling like our payment compensates for the time they give us.

Quote Response 10-24-11

1. Yes I agree because close mindedness is a sign of a lack of intelligence. Someone who can atleast understand an idea even if they disagree with it will posses a wider understanding. 

Me VS. We

1. In a collectivist society a conformist and loyal person would be ideal. In an individualistic society it is more favorable to be productive and successful.

2.  PHD with the most books would be true of an individualistic society because it is based on merit and success while age would be more important in a collectivist society because they better know the system and it is not based on merit and success.

3. A teacher moving from a collectivist culture to an individualistic one would encounter a wide gap in grades and test scores. She would value the growth of the group as opposed to having a few students that excel.

4. Someone that you know, but you wouldn't consider a friend. It possesses a negative connotation because it is often used as a polite way to say you don't like someone very much.

2+2=5 by Radiohead

1. He is talking about a society that is blinded and sheep-like in that they aren't paying attention and they follow blindly.

2. The music does mirror the message. The message is very repetitive and almost droning and the steady tempo and set rhythm of this song create the same feel.

3. Because 1984 much like the society in the song clouds truth and manipulates the public. As we've seen in 1984 if you control truth you control reality.  

Globalization and Conflict 10-19-11

1. It is a blend of internal and external conflicts. Internally one conflicts on how to blend cultures in globalization. Externally though conflict arises when cultures collide with one another.

2. Globalization creates conflict because when very different cultures collide often people become defensive and attempt to fight to protect their culture. It is all the spread of western ideas and showing wrong in other cultures.

3. It allows for new role models to be viewed in societies especially for women which creates empowerment.

4. The west follows the constitution while Muslims follow the Koran.

1984 Post 1

1. In 1984 equality is established through distribution and monitoring. Everyone's actions are closely monitored and even minor infractions carry heavy consequences. Equality is also established through the distribution and rationing of goods. For instance clothing credits are issued to citizens allowing them access to only so much clothing. In addition food is rationed as we see in this first section when chocolate rations drop from 30 grams to 20.

2. Conflict has been eliminated through control. Big Brother controls everything establishing one single truth. Which we see an example of during the 2 minute hate which sends everyone into a frenzy of anger.Through strict laws and monitoring though and action are not allowed to deviate from Big Brothers predetermined route preventing almost all conflict.

3. 1984 clearly depicts a dystopia. The world the characters live in is full of old buildings that are falling apart and in extreme disrepair. The entire citizenry is completely restricted in thought as well as action. However some like many of the characters the author works with and his neighbors seem completely unaware of what they are missing although they aren't exactly what I would consider happy. For those individuals though  it may very well be a utopia, but based on my perspective the personal restrictions and the poor quality of life depicted in 1984 can bring me to no other conclusion than the fact that it is dystopia.

Utopia

1. A utopia is a balanced world or society in which crime, violence, and ill will do not occur. They live outside of conflict and crisis. The economy is in constant growth.

2. In my ideal world the days would be longer to allow for more sleep and productivity. People would be far slower to act and speak. Thus thoughtless words and actions wouldn't devastate so many people. It wouldn't contain alcohol or cigarettes because those things bring only pain and regret. There would be no poverty because people would legitimately care about their neighbors and fellow citizens.

3. My utopia would play classical music and uplifting music. Lyrics would involve hope and helping others and self betterment.

"You Were Right" by Built to Spill

1. The speaker feels as though he has been wronged in some way and that he has missed out. "You were wrong when you said everything would be alright" and "You were right when you said you can't always get what you want."

2. The loud and heavy music in the song indicates the frustration being conveyed by the lyrics.

3. The smooth lyrics seemed to contradict the loud fast music. The lyrics are far more flowing than the music that accompanies them.