The Possibilities of Some Political Facts and the Nature of Human Beings - Case Study Example

1984 by George Orwell Power: Totalitarianism in Governance Introduction In the book 1984, George Orwell explores theimpacts of a possible state of governance and the acts of the media. There are various thesis statements explored and analyzed in detail in the book. It is a based on philosophical ideas in governance and predicts a state of governance that would prevail in the world given certain prevailing circumstances. For this reason, it is a highly political book that predicts doom because of bad governance and warns, especially the western public, on the matters they treat with less rationality and dangerous assumptions. The book primarily warns on totalitarian forms of governance that deny the subjects certain fundamental rights: Oceania. It is factious, but based on the possibilities of some political facts and nature of human beings that would create a negative shift to the welfare of the world and its political front. Totalitarianism There are great dangers of totalitarian governments as it has been witnessed in the governments of Russia and Spain. Such governments would go to extreme lengths in order to retain and increase dangerous levels of power over their subjects. Orwell, therefore, designed the book to serve as a warning to the Western nations who are still not sure of the dangers of totalitarianism and communism. Before the cold war escalated, many of the American intellectuals were blindly in favor of communism and this is the time Orwell wrote the book to mark the state of democracy that should exist between the democratic and communist nations. Countries that held and hold too much power are characterized with oppressions and cruelties and these are some of the things that really worried Orwell at the time he wrote the book, 1984. He even touched on other subjects like technology to express how totalitarian governments can go to the extreme of utilizing such technologies in a bid to control their subjects. In 1984, Orwell demonstrates a vivid exemplary of a perfect totalitarian society which can be imaginable within a government with absolute power in the modern-day. The book was published in 1949 and the title was a prediction of what could possibly happen in the next 35 years if precaution was never given a chance: if totalitarianism was supported. Therefore, the depictions of the variations would become true in the next 30-40 years. In the predicted system, such government would deploy monitors that would deprive the common man most of his or her rights. They would apply extreme control in every aspect of life that no one would be safe with the free speech especially where the thoughts to free speech could be considered disloyal. The character in the book, Winston Smith is used to show what would happen to those that would be considered rebellious in any form i.e. challenging the rule set forth by the government. He discovered that the powers of the ruling party is so powerful that is suppresses even the power that of the most paranoid conceptions within his reach (Orwell p 65). As the reader comes to notice later in the book’s chapters through the experiences of Winston Smith, the government would become so powerful that it would be able to use certain techniques to manipulate and control the public life. People would be punished for their own rights and the levels of corruption would be high and tolerable among the government officials. According to Orwell, totalitarian leadership and governance is something that should be discouraged under all aspects of rule. He intended to awaken the public and encourage the government officials; especially the Western legislators, not to embrace any element of totalitarianism within the government (Orwell 72). The Powerful Big Brother’s Government and the Media Government The media is a very powerful tool that can be used by the public to keep the government in check and under control. Without the media, or in a case where the media is only allowed to exercise minimal powers, the government is likely to oppress and violate the rights of the people. This is what Orwell warns about. The media should serve as human watchdog and help in agenda setting on the subjects that affect public life. The media should act like the voice to the voiceless and should be governed by a set of rules that protects it from oppression and extreme government control (Phillips 70). This would ensure the public is well served. A corrupt media on the other had would support the establishments of such governments. They would be a disgrace to the society and would cause suffering to the lives of the public citizens. Orwell warns about such rules of totalitarianism and gives the alarm to the public to resist such establishments that would cause pain and suffering to the future generations. Therefore, if power is concentrated and given in extreme ration to the government, bad rule of the law would ensue as Orwell suggests. Orwell talks of the nation called Oceania that compromises of North America, Europe, and South Africa to Australia that is controlled and ruled by one government. The leader of the government is called the Big Brother. The Big Brother is watching you is a phrase used in the novel to express the omnipresent nature of the powerful man. He sees everything and knows about every subject. This tells the reader how the Big Brother uses his power to control the masses. He uses technology i.e. the electronic gudgets in the homes to observe people. This is to say that he would use the powers to control both the corporate organizations that manufacture the gadgets as well as the media houses to observe people’s actions. The Place Where There is No Darkness This 1984 era would be the period that no one would say anything against the government lest he or she would be held responsible for it. The consequences would be extreme. Symbolism is applied by Orwell to demonstrate how the powerful entity would bring suffering to the world. Throughout the dystopian world of Orwell, Winston seeks to meet O’Brien. There is a place of know darkness, which he assumes to be the heaven: paradise. However, when he finally meets O’Brien in this place, he discovers that it is the direct opposite of paradise; instead, it is a cell where the light is never turned off (Orwell p83). This is a depiction of the future. It symbolizes the conditions of the future. Places of light would be places of suffering and everything would be known by the system that no freedom would be enjoyed by anyone: misuse of power. Even though Winston has a strange feeling about O’Brien; that he could be the government’s operative, he chooses to trust him anyway. There would be no choice but to conform to the government and those involved in it Technology and Psychological Manipulation In the dystopian world of 1984, the powers that lies on a single hand would be misused to such extents that the information technology available would be greatly employed psychologically manipulate the public. For example, the corrupt and oppressive government of the Big Brother would be perceived as working and proper amidst the evil it will bring. The corrupt deals of this powerful government would be hidden by the technology itself. After suppressing the power of the media, the media would then be used to broadcast fallacy. They would praise the government even in their corrupt deals lest they face the music for rebellion. This would be the utmost misuse of technology. Instead of using the telescreens to advance and enhance civilization, the party would use it to meet its own ends and serve its own interests. The party to observe or monitor the subjects and manipulate the subjects would use the telescreens. People would only think what the party wants them to think and do what the party wants them to do. Final, there is hope after all the actions of this powerful government of the Big Brother; the singing red-armed prole woman symbolizes this. Winston hears the singing woman and he develops hope for the future. That the woman would one day give birth to the generation that would bring change to the people; a generation that would one day challenges the single party’s authority and restores the peace to the people. Winston often imagine of the singing woman as the mother of the generation that will restore the will of the people. What will (could) happen if 1984 is happening in the present (now)? If the dystopian world of 1984 existed in the world today, there would be a state off chaos and unrest. Even though the government would be using the media to play the people and psychologically fool them, people at one time or another would feel the pain and suffering they are exposed to. They would respond to it with retaliation and the powerful party would again react to this with punishments. Therefore, a state of chaos and unrest would ensue. Strikes would be rampant and economic crisis would prevail. As seen in the countries that have practiced communism, the living standards of the people would be compromised to the selfish needs of the party. This would be the era of utmost corruption. Peaceful organizations like the United Nations would be manipulated by the powerful Oceania and it would have lost the very essence for its existence (Phillips 53). The nation Oceania as depicted in the novel is a very strong nation and if it existed today, the rest of the world would be totally threatened. In the psychological nature of men, there is need in humanity for imperialism. Therefore, the powerful nation would seek to create dominions over other countries especially the smaller ones. Oceania would want to control other nations’ wealth and human resources. There would be a new dawn of neo-colonization and this would induce worldwide commotion. With other nations ganging up against the powerful nation, World War III would erupt. As already witnessed in the world today, among the federal governments, there is rise in the production of weaponry. Many of such nations disburse a lot of their government spending to military actions such as weapon manufacturing and testing. One could only imagine if 1984 were their already; military operations would be the priority of every nation instead of the welfare of the citizens and this would cause deficit in the national income due to large military expenditure. The world would be threatened especially in this age of nuclear technology. Some of the countries that would be against Oceania include the counties in the Middle East, Russia and Asian countries that Orwell did not include as possible mergers to the powerful union (Phillips p65). Unfortunately, not only the people from outside the merger would suffer. In fact, the people that contribute to the merger or the greater nation would suffer the most as expressed and explained by Orwell. The Big Brother who leads the government would be so preoccupied with his own personal interests exposing everyone to poverty and economic conflicts. People living at the mercy of the government and suppressed or crippled media would make the nation. Misused government spending would result to greater levels of poverty and wars would be more frequent not only in the streets but among nations as well. The state of 1984 as depicted by George Orwell is, therefore, a pity state that should not be wished for by any nation. People need their freedom and rights to many aspects of life that respects humanity. This can only be achieved by embracing democracy and this should be the mission of every earthling seeking a better world for everyone. Works Cited Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Fairfield (IA: 1st World Library - Literary Society, 2004. Print. Phillips, Brian. 1984: George Orwell. New York: Spark Pub, 2002. Print. Read More