World Events Disprove Orwell's Prediction of Stale Consistency1984 Witnesses Victory and Defeat, Joy A mere thirty-seven years ago, the British visionary George Orwell predicted a 1984 filled with mindless automations living in a stale , constant environment dominated by "Big Brother." But as history turned out, the second half of 1984 proved anything but stale and constant. We witnessed new heights in American patriotism and energy, but also disasters of terrifying dimensions. All in all, 1984 was a most memorable year. The second half of 1984 began with a bang - the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In the City of the Angels began a patriotic surge which helped carry Ronald Reagan to the Presidency in November 'and still have Americans optimistic about our future. The excitement began with an extravagant opening ceremony worthy of Hollywood's reputation, and during the following two weeks, Americans gave their . hearts to Mary Lou Retlon, compared Carl Lewis to the immortal Jesse Owens and cheered to an Olympic record 83 gold, 61 silver and 30 bronze metals. If the Soviets and friends chose not to come, they just missed the fun. American enthusiasm was also buoyed by strong economic growth. Wages rose while unemployment fell to 7.5 percent and inflation remained refreshingly low. The biggest beneficiary of the nation's optimism was Ronald Reagan. He breezed through the presidential election carrying 49 states and 59 percent of the popular vote. Preaching upbeat patriotism , Reagan's only stumble came during the first television debate. Walter Mondale survived a tough nomination process, but his warnings of future gloom and tax increases proved unpopular with voters. Mondale's most memorable action was nominating Geraldine Ferarro. This brassy lady from Queens showed guts and determination surviving questions about her and her husband's finances. Ferarro said, "Lemme tell ya," American politics took on a new dimension. Jesse Jackson also showed black political power winning two Democratic primaries and giving American blacks a strong leader. But 1984 carried disasters with the glory. On December 3, methyl isocynate from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India , killing over 2,000 and injuring tens of thousands - the worst industrial accident in world history. U.S. lawyers flooded Bhopal filing billion-dollar lawsuits as critics complained of judicial ethics. The terrorists continued to make bloody news. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher narrowly survived an IRA bombing which destroyed her hotel suite : Indira Walk Through Space Makes Stars Obtainable. Once Again. Mission specia1'fst Bruce McCandless takes a walk in space in early 1984. In the photo he is seen using the so-called manned maneuuering unit as he moued away from the Shuttle Challenger during the eight-day space mission. - photo bv AP/ WideWorld Photos. 42 World News
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