The Rise of Totalitarianism in 1984
The iconic book 1984 by George Orwell describes a society ruled by totalitarianism. In the book, Orwell discusses and describes a community where the government has tight control over every element. The state secret police in issue are used to keep tabs on the citizens. The lack of personal independence is so severe that the government controls and benefits from emotional expression. Language is made less intellectually stimulating, sexual activity is only permitted for the purpose of reproduction, and war is an ongoing fact. Worse still, the ruling party can change the history nation’s history at will to serve their interests. In the novel, O'Brien summarizes the unlimited power of the government when he remarks that “we control life, Winston, at all its levels” (Orwell, 2003: p. 338). A reflection on 1984’s overarching theme reveals that the novel accurately predicted the definitive characteristic of the contemporary capitalist democratic system of governance.
The Surveillance State: A Modern Parallel
An analysis of Orwell’s novel reveals stark similarities between the methods adopted by London’s government to maintain law and order. These strategies are characterized by a pervasive state of surveillance that would contradict the idea of the right to privacy. In 1984, the government which is otherwise popularly known as “Big Brother” uses a variety of technological applications such as telescreens to keep watch on Londoners within the broader Oceania superpower. It complements the numerous cameras on London’s streets with an extensive network of state police whose duty is to monitor the citizenship to detect and report expressions of dissent or other illegal conduct. This situation indeed parallels the current state of surveillance in global nations and particularly in the developed countries. For instance, the infamous or rather famous exposition on government-sponsored surveillance by Edward Snowden is a testament to the accuracy of the novel’s prediction. The whistleblower has since 2013 engaged in a campaign to expose the National Security Agency for deliberately collecting the personal information of American citizens from the internet and mobile devices as part of a coordinated spy program.
The Power of Propaganda: Then and Now
Modern society also parallels that in 1984 regarding the prevalence of propaganda. In the novel, the government uses the Ministry of Truth to design propaganda messages for purposes of societal control. Such propaganda is then disseminated to the general public through the dictionary publication titled Newspeak, which the government uses to achieve its goal of making “thoughtcrime literally impossible” by “narrowing the range of thought” (Orwell, 2003: p. 67). In Oceania, the government intends to use Newspeak to instill a culture of orthodoxy that is intolerant of divergent opinion. Their objective is not to control but to eliminate it so that citizens think only as the government wishes them to. Indeed, contemporary society is experiencing the same challenges of government propaganda, which is transmitted through highly influential media houses and popular social media platforms. For instance, the U.S Customs and Border Commission in 2014 sponsored the production of a propaganda song titled “La Bestia” (Spanish for “The Beast”) to portray Mexican immigrants in a negative light to prevent more from crossing the border. The song was even published on Youtube to reach a wide audience. Keen observers of the extent of mass propaganda may indeed even acknowledge that the emergence of the “fake news” phrase is an attestation to the reality of the continuing practice of misinformation as a form of propaganda.
Torture and Control: Then and Now
Modern society also resembles that in 1984 regarding the extent of torture meted to civilians and the purposes of such violence. The novel foremost depicts violence as the most effective tool of torture for totalitarian governments in their quest to suppress a rebellious attitude. 1984 further informs its audience that torture can indeed adopt various forms apart from physical suffering. For instance, Big Brother uses mind control as a subtle form of torture to which it subjects the residents of London. For example, Orwell narrates that “day and night the telescreens bruised your ears with statistics proving that people had more food, more clothes, better houses, better recreations” (Orwell, p. 95). Orwell also notes that “always the eyes were watching you and the voice enveloping you” regarding the constant state of surveillance (Orwell, p. 34). The author’s choice of negative wording arguably functions to convey the undesirable experiences of the citizens. The government’s use of Room 101 in 1984 to subject prisoners to their worst nightmares and fears are also demonstrative of psychological torture.
The Present Reality: Torture in the Name of Security
The contemporary American government has indeed been culpable for using torture in the maintenance of law and or order. For instance, human rights organizations have consistently criticized America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for torturing prisoners acquired in the war against terrorism. Waterboarding has been used extensively of the prominent forms torture in torture camps such as Guantanamo Bay despite the CIA refusing such allegations. Besides physical pain, prisoners have also been subjected to the psychological torments of isolation, which is the fundamental concept behind solitary confinement (Welch, 2017).
The Continuing Relevance of 1984
Overall, 1984 is a reliable and accurate prediction of the current world despite the fact that Orwell conceptualized a futuristic setting for its narrative. Much like the Big Brother government in the novel, contemporary governments practice unauthorized surveillance, propaganda, and torture in equal measure. Given such accurate predictions, it is only prudent that modern societies reexamine themselves to devise more appropriate means of governance and to alleviate civilian suffering.
Works Cited
La Bestia "Death Train" with English Translation Lyrics. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 11 Dec 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGimonYeqsk&feature=youtu.be
Orwell, George. (2003). Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Penguin Books.
Welch, M. (2017). Doing Special Things to Special People in Special Places: Psychologists in the CIA Torture Program. The Prison Journal, 97(6), 729-749.
