Thoughtcrime: Difference between revisions

If a reason is ever given at all, [[Big Brother Is Watching|apart from the obvious]], Thoughtcrime can be [[Half Truth|explained]] as "[http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrusive_thoughts:Intrusive thoughts|intrusive thoughts]]," and their '[[Happiness Is Mandatory|repression]]' leads to "[[Blatant Lies|a happier society]]." On the other hand, maybe you're in a time of war, and Thoughtcrime represents "impulses to treason." Maybe you're in a state of emergency following a massive terrorist attack, and Thoughtcrime is characterized as "sympathizers of terrorism." As ''another'' scenario, you could have been locked into a state of cold war with a rival nation, whose ideologies conflict with yours; Thoughtcrime can be used to justify a [[Witch Hunt]] for spies. Maybe there's a civil war erupting between various factions within your nation, and Thoughtcrime is identified as rebellion (as decreed by the ruling faction) or complicity ([[The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized|as declared by the opposition]]). In some cases, the civil war is more nuanced than just [[La Résistance]] against [[The Empire]]; whatever they're fighting for, Thoughtcrime can be described as sympathizers or collaborators to whatever ideology the warring factions embody (pro-slavery, anti-slavery; capitalism, communism; isolationism, interventionism). Whatever the excuse, governments (including those [[One Nation Under Copyright|controlled by]] a [[Mega Corp]]) use it against its own citizens to suppress dissent, forcefully and effectively.

Related to [[The Evils of Free Will]]. In more nuanced stories, some of these guys sincerely believe they're using [[Brainwashing for Thethe Greater Good]]. For others, it's just business as usual. As a means of propaganda, if the methods combating Thoughtcrime are known to the public, the government (or their corporate benefactors) might attempt to paint it in a lighter vein by calling them [[Enhanced Interrogation Techniques]].

* ''[[THX 1138 (Film)|THX 1138]]'', which is ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''-esque.

* Apparently something like this existed to some degree in the world of ''[[Starship Troopers (Filmfilm)|Starship Troopers]]'', at least in the military. At one point, a soldier says he'd like to get back at the drill sergeant who broke his arm. He's immediately corrected by his fellow soldiers with, "Whoa, improper attitude!"

* A mundane variant comes from the ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' episode "The Happiness Patrol", where enforced cheerfulness was the law on one planet.

* ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' had an episode where they came across a people who were extremely telepathic, so sensitive that any extreme emotions would incite them to act out on those feelings; having violent thoughts was a crime in and of itself. Torres was put under trial for having a brief violent thought when someone bumped into her, and Tuvok's investigation into the planet's culture found a sort of "violent thoughts" [[Black Market]]. Of course it examined the nature that when something was so taboo it meant their own people were unable to handle it when confronted with the situation.

{{quote| I live in San Francisco where the parking is impossible. I saw a sign on a guy's garage that said "Don't even think about parking here". So you know what I did? I sat right there and I thought about it. I yelled up at his window "Hey buddy, I'm thinking about it. Go ahead, call the cops. I'll just tell them I was thinking about something else."}}

* ''[[Paranoia (Tabletop Gamegame)|Paranoia]]''. Under The Computer's rule every citizen is required to be happy. Anyone who isn't happy is a traitor and can be punished, such as by being required to take drugs that ''make'' you happy.

* ''[[Sluggy Freelance (Webcomic)|Sluggy Freelance]]'''s 4U City enforced [[Happiness Is Mandatory|mandatory happiness]] with involuntary drugging. And mandatory efficiency with mandatory drugging. And so on. The alternative was to be thrown down a judgement chute. This also created some security holes ("[https://archives.sluggy.com/book.php?chapter=60#2009-09-28 Does it make you happier or unhappier?]").