Censorship in The Real World
Should one man be able to control the actions of another? Should we live in a world where all men aren't created equal? I ask this because as children, we're taught that all humans are created equal and have the right to freedom. We believe that in today's world, it would be impossible for a country to get away with censorship (a different term for modern day slavery). There's no possible way that someone could control another person in today's world. But yet, it continues to happen. In countries like North Korea, most of their citizens are treated like slaves, forced to do whatever the government tells them to do. They have no rights and can often be put in jail for simply disagreeing with the government.
This world is a lot like the one described in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In this novel, the main character Guy Montag lives in a dystopian future where the government controls it's people. Guy fights to overcome this, but in the end, he is just one man up against an entire country. The censorship that Guy endures happens in the real world, never ceasing to exist. Censorship needs to end because it causes modern slavery and it takes away the human rights of a country’s population.
Not only does censorship effect the mental aspect of a population, but it affects them physically and financially. Countries that endorse censorship and communism consistently have lower GDP per capita's then their capitalism counterparts. According to cda.gov, no communist country has a GDP per capita within the top 50. China is the top communist country on this list with a GDP per capita of $8,826, compared to the US's $60,000. And China is the most highly developed country out of all of the communist and censored nations. Other countries like North Korea have a GDP per capita of only $1,800. Imagine trying to support your family on only $1,800 a year. These people living in communist countries often have no option to leave, so they are forced to make little to no money and be treated like slaves. The people in these countries often don’t have the option to leave because they are usually engulfed in modern day slavery. This type of slavery is less direct than old-fashioned slavery, it isn't owning people, it's taking away their right to knowledge and teaching them at a young age to do whatever their government tells them. The Walk Free Foundation's Global Slavery Index claims that North Korea has the highest proportion of the population in modern slavery. This comes as no surprise, but even though this is a different form of slavery, it's still slavery! What many people don't realize is that slavery still exists today. No matter what form or type it is, it has no place on this planet. Censorship gives citizens less of an opportunity to have a financially healthy life, and usually ends with people being involved in modern slavery.
While there aren't many advocates for communism these days, there are still many people who believe that it creates good rather than harm. For example, some people may say that it protects people because everyone is treated the same and has the same opportunity. These people are wrong for thinking this though, because almost every communist country becomes a dangerous dictatorship. North Korea is a perfect example of this. They started off as a communist country created by the Soviet Union, but now they are hardly still communist. They are basically a dictatorship controlled by the Kim family. We all know what dictatorships can cause, most major wars that you can think of are caused by some form of dictatorship. So, if you argue that communism will protect a country's population, just think about what will happen a few years down the road. Another key argument that censorship enthusiasts use is that everyone has the same amount of money and no one will be poor. This could not be more wrong. Not only does everyone not have the same amount of money because of dictatorship, but the money that the population makes is already much lower than their neighbors. So, if you think about it, even if everyone got the same amount of money, the country would still be really poor. Like I said, there aren't many people who are for communism and censorship, but those who are make false arguments based on perception and not fact.
All said, censorship is a terrible crime and should not be legal in any country. The same problems that Guy endures in Fahrenheit 451 occur in the real world, and people need to realize this. All of the confusion and unhappiness that happens to Guy happens all around the world. Imagine putting yourself in the shoes of a North Korean citizen, enslaved by their own government. Imagine not being able to think for yourself and be truly free. These daily realities of modern slavery, dictatorship, and censorship need to end for the world to become a better place.
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 1951.
CDA. "GDP Per Capita". 2016. 1 March 2019.
Walk Free Foundation. "Global Slavery Index". 2017. 1 March 2019.
