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"Orwell and the War on Terror"


Orwell and the War on Terror
Philip Gourevitch talks about what photos of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison don’t show. Richard Flanagan wrote a novel about a society gone haywire in response to terrorism. Fred Burton explains the threats that counter-terrorism agents worry about. Tim Robbins and The Actors’ Gang produced a contemporary version of 1984. Jim DeVita’s novel is set in a dystopian world much like our own.

Documentary film-maker Errol Morris has made a film called "Standard Operating Procedure" about the American soldiers at Abu Ghraib. Morris and journalist Philip Gourevitch have written a companion book. Gourevitch tells Steve Paulson that the nauseating photos from the prison are remarkable for many reasons, including what they don't show. We also hear excerpts from the film including interviews with soldiers who worked at Abu Ghraib prison.

Australian writer Richard Flanagan is the author of "The Unknown Terrorist." He says that his book is the story of a society gone haywire.

Fred Burton says we're right to fear the insidious threat of terrorism. Burton was one of the first three agents to serve in the U.S. government's elite Counter-Terrorism Division and is the author of "Ghost: Confessions of a Counter-terrorism Agent." He tells Anne Strainchamps who we should really be worried about, and what kinds of threats are foiled by the intelligence services every day.


Three members of The Actors' Gang, a theater group in Los Angeles, perform a scene from George Orwell's "1984" which the group recently staged, set in our own time. Artistic Director for The Actors' Gang is Tim Robbins, star of such films as "Bull Durham" and "Mystic River." Robbins tells Steve Paulson what Orwell got right, and why he's still relevant.

Actor Jim DeVita has written a novel called "The Silenced." He tells Jim Fleming about the dystopian society he's created and why he's afraid that something like it could happen to our world. And he reads an excerpt from his novel.


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October 14, 2008
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