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I told you so.
If George Orwell could visit our world today, 75 years after writing “1984,” he might say, “I told you so.”
In “1984,” Orwell warned about the dangers of a world where words lose their meaning and totalitarianism reigns. Terms like “thought police,” “Big Brother,” “doublethink,” and the “memory hole” that he coined for the novel have become common in our discourse. The adjective “Orwellian” itself is derived from this book. All of these terms point to the loss of our most precious freedom – freedom of thought. Unfortunately, it seems that our society is heading in that direction.
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“1984” is set in a dysfunctional, decaying London after the “atomic wars” reshaped the world into three primary nation-states. Oceania (London and the West) is in a perpetual state of war, sometimes with Eastasia, sometimes with Eurasia. The actual enemy doesn’t matter as long as there is someone to hate.
“1984” author George Orwell (ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Constant warfare is a theme in the novel. The enemy is ever-changing, based on the whims of the rulers. This pattern also exists in our world. In the 1980s, we armed the Mujahideen to weaken the Soviet Union and turn Afghanistan into their Vietnam. However, after 9/11, these same “freedom fighters” became our enemy. The public accepted this shift without question. Orwell was right – as long as there is a war somewhere, the citizens don’t seem to mind. Some even enjoy it!
Today’s version of Big Brother, fueled by social media, is cancel culture.
Even the name “Department of Defense” sounds like it belongs in “1984.” It was previously called the Department of War until it was renamed in 1949, just a year after the publication of “1984.” What exactly were we “defending” for two decades in Afghanistan? It’s anyone’s guess, but it may have had something to do with the interests of defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Halliburton.
The protagonist of “1984,” Winston Smith, works as a newspaper editor responsible for rewriting articles and editorials after the subjects have been tortured and killed by the government. Any trace of these individuals is then erased from print. Today, our version of Big Brother is cancel culture, propounded and strengthened by social media. Make one wrong move at work, on campus, or online, and you risk losing your job and disappearing down the memory hole, just like Smith’s ill-fated colleagues in “1984.” Orwell himself would likely have been a victim of cancel culture for speaking out against it.
The first step toward totalitarianism is letting others think for us or redefine words so that their true meanings are lost. If we’re not careful, freedom itself will slide down the memory hole, as Orwell warned.
In the novel, Big Brother’s regime is divided into three main ministries: the Ministry of Peace, which perpetuates constant war; the Ministry of Plenty, responsible for perpetual famine; and the Ministry of Love, where the government carries out extensive torture. In Room 101 of the Ministry of Love, enemies of the state are subjected to tailored torture techniques designed to break their spirits and make them love Big Brother.
In our world, we may not physically torture people (hopefully), but we do torture the meaning of words to serve our political agendas. Words now carry meanings that were never originally intended. Yet, no one seems to complain.
Orwell predicted this as well.
In “1984,” the regime maintains control by manipulating emotions through daily “Two Minute Hate” sessions and occasional “Hate Week” events. In today’s polarized society, we no longer “agree to disagree” as we used to. Those who hold opposing views are not merely wrong but considered evil. We spend much more than two minutes hating others these days.
“Telescreens,” omnipresent in “1984,” are two-way TV screens that monitor behavior and issue commands to people, even during mandatory exercise sessions. While Orwell may not have predicted the internet, screens now surround us everywhere. While the government may not be monitoring our behavior (or maybe they are?), advertisers certainly are. Big Brother may not be watching, but Big Business is.
LILLE, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 21: Protester holds a sign reading “Big brother is watching you” in reference to Orwell’s book “1984” during a demonstration at Republique Square of Lille in protest of the proposed global security law bill by the French Government on November 21, 2020 in Lille, France. ((Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images))
In the novel, Winston rents a room without a telescreen where he secretly meets with a woman. They try to rebel against the regime, but Winston is betrayed when he mistakenly trusts a colleague who is not a true member of the anti-Big Brother group. He is captured, tortured, and brainwashed until he becomes a loyal supporter of Big Brother.
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All these elements come together to create a society that is, dare I say, Orwellian. While you and I may not explicitly love Big Brother, the first step toward totalitarianism is allowing others to think for us or to redefine words until their true meanings are lost.
If we’re not careful, as Orwell warned, freedom itself will be forgotten. We won’t even remember what we meant when we used to say “let freedom ring.”
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