The state of modern American (& perhaps British) society. Huxley was more right than Orwell

I like to stay relatively up to date with current affairs. This does not mean that I treat every newscast as gospel truth but rather that I gather information from many sources and then attempt to draw my own conclusions.

One of those sources is the financial web site Zero Hedge. It often takes a contrarian position to the main stream media and so offers insights into the global pushes and pulls of the finance industry.

Sometimes a guest post catches my eye; this is one of those posts.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-10-08/guest-post-decline-decay-denial-delusion-and-despair

It highlights the failures both financial and health related in the USA today.

It's a good coffee break read; it posits that many Americans have moved away from self reliance to being clients of the state. This has impacted mental awareness, financial well being and now personal health too.

It appears that Aldous Huxley was right; here is the final revolution for mankind a doped up, over fed, unwell, mentally and physically compliant mass of unproductive (in any useful sense) people.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions.” In 1984, Orwell added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that our desire will ruin us.”

– Neil Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death

It's happening here in the UK too.

Are you awake and aware or just another drugged up and distracted, passive client of the state/banks/commerce (of the least useful kind)?