1984 is a famous novel which was written by George Orwell and which is about a totalitarian regime that controls its population. It is an interesting plot in so far as it deals with a pressing issue in current societies, in which Special Intelligence Services are completely in charge of preserving the security of their citizens. But, where should the control over our lives end?

Recently, some incidents involving The American Intelligence Service, like Wilkileaks, have raised the alarms in the rest of the countries.Civilians started to protest because of the excessive control exerted over them, and people began to demand more freedom over their actions.
However, authorities in most countries aren´t inclined to reduce anti-terrorism defences in exchange for more freedom for their citizens. And, even some of their citizens wouldn´t agree with that either.

But, who can promise us that constant vigilance can guarantee our security? There is an easy answer: nobody. No one can assure us that a crazy person won´t become the leader of a country -Hitler´s shadow is there to warn us. Were that to happen, terrorists would be in control of the population. Is surveilance the best option to protect society from terrorist attacks? I don´t think so. The best weapon against violence is education. If children grow up with peaceful ideas, in the future, the simple mention of the word "war" will terrify them. They won´t need ideas such as control or fear: they will only need education.
Lorena