1984
by George Orwell
“Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.”
“Stupidity was as necessary as intelligence and as difficult to attain.”
“History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right.”
The parallels between Orwell’s dystopian society and modern politics are prophetic. With little imagination, I can see how modern democracies fall prey to the very tactics that make ‘big brother’ so successful. And it is for this reason 1984 is enduring – the world Orwell lays out is not so far away. While we may not be continually spied upon (despite the ubiquitousness of our screens), the real warning lies in the control of information. As the quote above implies, those controlling the narrative have power. 1984 is haunting, frightening, and hits close to home. No matter what side of the political spectrum one falls, right, left or somewhere in between, there is much for each side to ponder.
The story centers around Winston Smith, a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Truth, a government agency that rewrites history to fit the narrative Big Brother wants at any given moment. This is a dystopian world in which, “all history is palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as necessary.” Sound familiar? Winston’s job is to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.” His hatred for the party grows as he begins to think for himself. But, as the story unfolds, Big Brother may have the final say on the sin of “thoughtcrimes.” Orwell certainly couldn’t have envisioned the mass media, internet, and social platforms which allow ideas (good and bad, right and wrong) to flourish. But the algorithms, media balkanization, and resulting echo chambers would not surprise him.
1984 should be required reading for everyone, regardless of political affiliation. Unfortunately, I feel most people will read this book and come away with a deeper distain for the opposite side, rather than looking in the mirror and their side’s culpability in making their country more Orwellian. Regardless of one’s affiliation, political narrative and facts matter. There is an objective reality. People’s interpretation of that reality may differ based on perspectives and background, but reality is the same. This is what is missing today. As a functioning society we need to have an agreed upon set of facts. A healthy democracy relies upon an agreed reality. When one side changes facts and the narrative for their own purpose, we then see the beginnings of an Orwellian future. This is a future I want no part of. This may be the most disturbing part of the modern political environment – the total disregard for the truth. Facts are disregarded, and the truth is distorted. And since, in Orwell’s words, “ignorance is strength,” the less people question the narrative, the better. Just as scary, is when the media, in their role as ‘fact checker,’ fail to fill this role. Scarier still, is when they are demonized for doing so. Without independent media, we rely solely on the state's narrative. Orwell tackles what we would call “fake news.” When Winston asks his love interest, Julia, about the war, she replies, “who cares. It’s always one bloody war after another and one knows the news is all lies anyway.” Fake news. This doesn’t surprise Winston, who knows “of course the past is falsified, but it would never be possible for me to prove it, even when I did the falsification myself.” This is the control of language, Newspeak. Controlling society by narrowing language.
I already mentioned that this is a must-read book. But I hope those reading it are honest, truthful, and reflective about the message. Whether you are right, left, or in the middle, take the time to think for yourself. Do not parrot what your favorite TV host or podcaster says. Look at the other side. What is their narrative on a particular issue? Challenge your beliefs. Question everything. Escape your echo chamber. Going back to the first quote above, if you give yourself into your side’s narrative, then you are perpetuating a future that makes George Orwell’s vision a reality. In that sense, 1984 should be a cautionary tale for everyone. Most people, however, won’t read this book and heed the warning.