Big Brother Is Watching You!

The movie Enemy of the State introduces current issues and political debate topics that Orwell includes in his novel 1984.  The first debatable topic is wiretaps.  In this movie, the government hacks into people’s telephone conversations in order to spy on them.  In theory, this is done to make sure no attacks against society are made or to make sure that no illegal or shady things are occurring.  However, in this film, the government overhears that a film documentary director had captured on tape the murder of a senator by a government official.  Because this will make the government look bad, this tape must be found and destroyed along with the person who captured it.  There is a team of people working for the government who use a satellite to find the exact position of the film director so that government officials can find him.  This directly relates to Orwell’s novel 1984 because there are telescreens positioned all over Oceania to watch what all its citizens are doing.  This is an example of invasion of one’s privacy.  Not only are the telescreens seeing everyone’s actions but they can also hear what one says and can even talk back.  “‘Smith!’  screamed the shrewish voice from the telescreen.  ‘6079 Smith W!  Yes, you!  Bend lower, please!  You can do better than that.  You’re not trying.  Lower, please!  That’s better, comrade.  Now stand at ease, the whole squad; and watch me’” (Orwell 36).  This is just an invasion of privacy and an excuse for the government to have total control over its people.  Personally, I don’t believe that the government had the right to listen in on phone conversations because they think a person is a terrorist or they think someone is against the government.  It’s an invasion of privacy and violates a person’s rights.