~Voltaire
Since Georgia Orwell's publication of the dystopic novel '1984', the tale of totalitarian state control taken to terrifying conclusions as the ruling elite (a.k.a.'the Party') wield complete power over inhabitants of 'Oceania', the concept of "Big Brother" as described in '1984', the all seeing, omnipotent leader, has since entered the lexicon as a synonym for abusive government and state power, particularly as it relates to civil liberties.
Since Orwell wrote in 1949, many nations and some continents have grown to resemble the repression illustrated in the fictional story of '1984'. The last decade in North America, ideology has teetered on the brink of 'doublespeak'. Deliberately euphemistic language when referring to the destruction of war, enemies, citizen protest coupled with blatant media censorship has proliferated. Our truths as citizens, our attempts at real democratic movements, our expressions of freedom of speech, our striving for civil rights and an end to perpetual war have become obscured by divisive language. At times there has been outright silencing of conscientious voices with blanket statements such as "you are either with us or against us"*. Those who might wish to see a brighter, less violent future have faced repressive states and internal resistance to change. Fortunately the world is not black and white, we live in a time where the cracks in the system are revealing the brilliance, creativity and intelligence of millions the world over. Never again will a single story be told as if it's the only one***.
Big Brother (conceptually) is all around us, in the manipulative and often confusing messaging of advertising, and politics. It's a common idea in satire, an archetype within surveillance, and pop culture. "Big Brother", the reality television series out of the UK, consists of a house of people isolated from the outside world, amid cameras and microphones that record their every activity while they compete for money and try to catch each other not playing by the rules. The analogies are clear. Erik Jacobson defined Reality TV as: "A truly saddening development of modern media. Programming which lacks any redeeming social, intellectual or moral value but is nonetheless poignant in a macabre way for the reflection it offers of a rapidly declining western culture".
Big Brother is the ultimate icon of the paternalistic, authoritarian, and repressed elements of a society grappling with paranoia, fear, spiritual death and isolation. A society gripped by alienation and disconnection from nature. That this archetype has emerged in so many societies around the world illustrates a very human struggle to resolve our most challenging aspirations to control life. It remains the most apt metaphor for how the outmoded elitist power structure of the empires we all live within cling helplessly to tools like violence, fear, 'divide and conquer' to whip the ever growing human spirit into submission.
Rebel Soul is anyone not cut off from their humanity, those of us still living free expression, creativity and connection. We are all soulful rebels, we are all siblings, when we see creativity as fundamental to who we are as human beings. ...Whenever you choose love over fear, compassion over hatred. It is the praxis of a rebel soul to bravely dance and protest when others might stand still in terror, make music when we might otherwise cry or become paralyzed**. To borrow some words from Stephen Fry "there comes a time when it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind, it becomes a pleasure". Rebel Soulful is respect, dignity and celebration of the art, human spirit and music of living. In Orwell's novel, it's unclear whether Big Brother is a man or an entity crafted by 'The Party'. This Rebel Soul is a feminine archetype, a nurturer, the one who knows without seeing, her eyes are that of intuition, empathy and compassion. Her ears would rather hear people 'drop bombs' spinning records, or spit unbreakable flows, rhythms and beats into a mic, than pay for perpetual war. She is surrendered to the uncertainty of living, and learning the wisdom in creative community.
"My weapon of choice in a world that chooses to paint the landscape in blood - I write to revive the heart beat of a generation gone numb." ~Spokenword Artist Mush
Little sister is breathing life into a civilization of many generations that has gone numb. And she will do it with a sparkle of mischief, a hint of inspiration in her eyes, if not a little bit of dreaming and manifestation. The little sister's view is that our capacity for innovation, for redesigning our very human and planetary future is limitless. Building relationships compassionately feeds, engages and waters our world with emotional, spiritual growth. Open up and breathe the future into being, life can't wait. Overall living is pretty amazing. The more room we make for art, dance and music, the more time spent contemplating spirit, cultivating emotional intelligence means fewer wars waged with ourselves, with our brothers, and across the planet. There is no time for tyranny when we're busy building community.
What is your anti-thesis to deprivation, destruction and the violent suffering of our time?
*George W. Bush
**Image from the scene in "1984" movie depicting the Big Brother worship called "Two Minutes Hate".
***The Songs & Stories of Whales & Wolves
