George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon • Hacker News Board

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#341

Post by JulianMorrison » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:33 AM UTC

beloch wrote: post #17

I must admit, I'm really confused by how impeachment works in the U.S.. Clinton was impeached for perjury and abuse of power because he took advantage of his position (and a political intern) and then lied about it. Now we have a president who is not giving up his business interests while in office and who has already told some absolute whoppers, including the release of official press releases that were nothing but…

There is no apolitical mechanism to impeach. And the Republican congress, for all they can't stand the man in private, knows they rise and fall with Trump. So essentially he can get away with murder right now.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#342

Post by ktRolster » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:34 AM UTC

beloch wrote: post #30

curuinor wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's 70 years old and his dad had Alzheimer's.

Reagan was 70 when he took office and did later develop Alzheimer's. Did he develop it while in office? If he did, his staff covered for him quite effectively. If you're saying Trump has Alzheimer's now , and that explains his behaviour... Well, Trump's been acting like this for decades!

his staff covered for him quite effectively

Reports are that yes, they did.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#343

Post by wallace_f » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:34 AM UTC

endisukaj wrote: post #335

Mikeb85 wrote: post #281

Kind of ironic given Bush and Obama were the ones to expand the surveillance state, Hillary demonised the shit out of Russia to try create an enemy/scapegoat, and here Trump is, only a few days in power, not having done anything particularly bad. Also, I should add - for Democrats out there who keep trying to compare Trump to Hitler, say he's fascist, etc... That weak rhetoric is what gave you guys your worst electio…

The worst result in 80 years is winning the popular vote with a margin of about 3 million?

When your opponent is Donald Trump: Yes.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#344

Post by TheSpiceIsLife » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:35 AM UTC

hueving wrote: post #73

skylan_q wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why everyone assumes that you can only be a female if you have a vagina

Most people associate female/male with sexual organs. You can see this any many metaphors (e.g. google "female electrical outlet" and "male electrical outlet").

In almost all cases, everyone I can think of anyway, the female electrical connector gives and the "male" takes.

No wonder we're all so confused about who we are under the kilt!

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#345

Post by XparXnoiAx » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:36 AM UTC

endisukaj wrote: post #335

Mikeb85 wrote: post #281

Kind of ironic given Bush and Obama were the ones to expand the surveillance state, Hillary demonised the shit out of Russia to try create an enemy/scapegoat, and here Trump is, only a few days in power, not having done anything particularly bad. Also, I should add - for Democrats out there who keep trying to compare Trump to Hitler, say he's fascist, etc... That weak rhetoric is what gave you guys your worst electio…

The worst result in 80 years is winning the popular vote with a margin of about 3 million?

The worst election result is losing the house, senate, and presidency all at once. Look at who has power, not the votes.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#346

Post by halflings » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

endisukaj wrote: post #335

Mikeb85 wrote: post #281

Kind of ironic given Bush and Obama were the ones to expand the surveillance state, Hillary demonised the shit out of Russia to try create an enemy/scapegoat, and here Trump is, only a few days in power, not having done anything particularly bad. Also, I should add - for Democrats out there who keep trying to compare Trump to Hitler, say he's fascist, etc... That weak rhetoric is what gave you guys your worst electio…

The worst result in 80 years is winning the popular vote with a margin of about 3 million?

In an electoral system that doesn't take the popular vote into consideration? Yes. Democrats are now pretending that they lost "by chance", but their campaign (like the Republicans') is engineered and fine-tuned/optimized to get the swing states, not to optimize by how much they will win in traditionally blue states.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#347

Post by XparXnoiAx » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

jankiel wrote: post #330

Melk wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think Trump did nothing bad then you missed the last 24 hour news cycle. Hillary is a little old lady who ran for president a long time ago so I'm not sure why you brought her up. And also an outsider here, but I've seen Republicans call Obama a lot worse things then Hitler. So apparently weak rhetoric works well on the right.

Can you give an example? Being compared to Hitler is pretty high on my list so I'm interested. And how did that thetoric worked for right if Obama won?

Do a search for "Obama Antichrist" and you'll see plenty of examples. "Obama devil" gets some hits, too.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#348

Post by wallace_f » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:40 AM UTC

noobermin wrote: post #50

While I love 1984, I think Fahrenheit 451 has become more true than Orwell's novel. People have willingly given into an information bonanza that is the internet, with headphones always in (seashells). We don't need the TV walls, as our cellphone has taken that role, altogether with the hyperactive delivery of such content. A collectivist state has not become the dominating power, but wealthy individuals and corporati…

> the world today still is a better world it was say 20 or 30 years ago

Are you sure? Can you tell me why you think this? Domestic crime has increased. We're bombing seven countries. Civil rights have been diminished. Human rights have been diminished. The last administration went to far greater lengths to go after whistle blowers and journalists than any in history. Income inequality is at all time highs. More than ever struggle to afford a home or to pay off debt (student loans).

The biggest improvements seem to have been isolated to those in technology.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#349

Post by reddytowns » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:40 AM UTC

twright0 wrote: post #296

jakeogh wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

227 vs 306 is not close. I said near-landslide because a landlside (I think) is usually something >=370. No worries, it might still happen.

I'll also point out that Trump lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes (2%), which makes it really stretch the imagination to even call it a "near-landslide".

The problem with calling it close based on the popular vote, is that you have to retroactively change the rules. The MSM made the game of winning the popular vote much different than winning the electoral college, by being so biased against Trump, and he campaigned hard in the swing states. Only those people really heard what he had to say. The rest of the US was hearing information filtered by the MSM.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#350

Post by Simaramis » Wed, Jan 25, 2017, 9:45 AM UTC

siculars wrote: post #279

1984 and Brave New World are my all time double plus good books. We've been gradually sliding towards those worlds over the last number of decades, regardless of Trump. If nothing comes of this election but stronger protections around all sorts of freedoms then I'll be happy for it even if just by way of grassroots demand from the general public through awareness and engagement. I really do hope this election increas…

Instead I can recommend Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, or to understand presently overwhelmed United States: Cervantes' Don Quixote. Both much less stale and dry in their prose, but incredibly more insightful.