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The new world state of Un was created in the aftermath of the war, and it aimed to bring unity and order to
the world. The name "Un" was derived from the French word for "one," and it reflected the government's belief
in having a single, unified culture for the entire world.
To achieve this goal, the government of Un believed that having a single culture was paramount. To that end,
they set out to create a homogenised culture, one in which all people shared the same beliefs, values, and
norms. A key component of this cultural unification was a single language, which was seen as necessary for
creating a common identity and understanding.
The idea of a single culture and language was met with resistance from some quarters, who saw it as an
infringement on their individual freedoms and cultural heritage. However, the government of Un was determined
to carry out its vision, and it went to great lengths to enforce its cultural and linguistic policies. The
result was a world that was culturally uniform and monolithic, but also one that was rife with tension and
dissent.
The world of Un was a bleak one, with a suppressed and heavily monitored population living in fear of
expressing their thoughts or opinions. People who broke the law and spoke in a language other than Null Speak
were immediately arrested and punished. The government used their monopoly on language to control the flow of
information, spreading only the information they deemed fit for the population to know.
The population was in a state of constant uncertainty and anxiety, as the government monitored all forms of
communication, from the most personal conversations to public speeches. People became afraid to express their
thoughts and emotions, leading to a society of apathy and conformity. The once diverse and vibrant cultures
were suppressed, and people were reduced to mere automatons following the government's orders.
The erasure of history also meant that people lost touch with their roots and cultural heritage. They had no
way of knowing about their ancestors or the events that shaped the world. The government controlled the
narrative, painting a picture of a perfect society where everyone was happy and united. But this was far from
the truth. The society of Un was one of oppression, where people lived in fear and without the ability to
express themselves freely in any form of communication.
In the context of this dystopia, the government's use of the "Null Speak" language as an analog form of
communication is based on the ideas of Gregory Bateson, who differentiated between analog and digital forms of
communication. Analog communication is continuous and can convey a wide range of meanings, whereas digital
communication is discrete and limited to a set of symbols or codes. The government of "Un" believed that by
restricting language to an analog form, they could more easily control the flow of information and prevent the
spread of dissent and rebellion. They monitored all forms of communication, including face-to-face
conversations, phone calls, and other forms of analog communication, to ensure that their control over
language and information was absolute.
Analog communication in humans refers to the non-verbal ways in which we communicate, such as body language,
tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures. It is a form of communication that is continuous and can
convey a lot of information without the use of words. For example, a smile can convey happiness, a frown can
convey sadness, and crossing arms can convey defensiveness. Analog communication is a critical component of
human interaction as it often provides contextual information that helps people understand the meaning behind
words.