Why do right-wingers always reference 1984 as a guide to how things are going
Brave New World would be a better fit for the point they seem to be trying to make🤷♀️.
Just my opinion
Just my opinion
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CheekyBadger · M
Apparently ownership of this book (as well as several others) is used by UK security authorities as evidence of domestic terrorism tendencies.
However, I have actually read this book and some of the themes resonate with politial ideologies now. For example the book introduces a concept of "doublethink" where a person is required to be able to hold (and reconcile) two contradictorary points of view at the same time. Another one is "doublespeak" which is the use of language in such a way as to disguise what one is saying. This is very common in politics - they will say something that implies one thing to appeal to one set of voters but at same time mean something else which will be recognised by a different set.
The concept of cancellation is covered in the book - where a person doesn't conform to the views of the state they are removed and any evidence of their existence is also removed. We see this more often now -it started with people who were seriously out of line with what mainstream society belives (e.g. holocaust deniers) but then gradually expanded to a much wider population - e.g. people who deny that people can change sex).
Another theme is that people in the book are observed constantly and any mis-words uttered or actions not aligning with the states wishes leads to punishment. This is becoming more of a problem -although we are not at the Chinese level of control where "social credit scores" are used to make people "better" - this isn't about criminal justice but softer things like helping little old ladies across the road. People who don't get a good score will be denied access to good jobs, health care, entertainment venues etc or their children denied access to better schools. There are some who think this should happen in western world too.
However, I have actually read this book and some of the themes resonate with politial ideologies now. For example the book introduces a concept of "doublethink" where a person is required to be able to hold (and reconcile) two contradictorary points of view at the same time. Another one is "doublespeak" which is the use of language in such a way as to disguise what one is saying. This is very common in politics - they will say something that implies one thing to appeal to one set of voters but at same time mean something else which will be recognised by a different set.
The concept of cancellation is covered in the book - where a person doesn't conform to the views of the state they are removed and any evidence of their existence is also removed. We see this more often now -it started with people who were seriously out of line with what mainstream society belives (e.g. holocaust deniers) but then gradually expanded to a much wider population - e.g. people who deny that people can change sex).
Another theme is that people in the book are observed constantly and any mis-words uttered or actions not aligning with the states wishes leads to punishment. This is becoming more of a problem -although we are not at the Chinese level of control where "social credit scores" are used to make people "better" - this isn't about criminal justice but softer things like helping little old ladies across the road. People who don't get a good score will be denied access to good jobs, health care, entertainment venues etc or their children denied access to better schools. There are some who think this should happen in western world too.
BohemianBoo · M
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
specman · 51-55, M
Good to know