The society portrayed in “1984” is one in which social control is exercised through disinformation and surveillance.Ī publicity photo on the set of the CBS anthology television series ‘Studio One’ depicts a presentation of George Orwell’s ‘1984.’ CBS Television Smith lives in a constant state of uncertainty he is not sure the year is in fact 1984.Īlthough the official account is that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia, Smith is quite sure he remembers that just a few years ago they had been at war with Eastasia, who has now been proclaimed their constant and loyal ally. Smith works at the Ministry of Truth, and his job is to rewrite the reports in newspapers of the past to conform with the present reality. Even though there are no laws, there is a police force, the “Thought Police,” and the constant reminders, on posters, that “Big Brother Is Watching You.” The novel tells the story of Winston Smith, a hapless middle-aged bureaucrat who lives in Oceania, where he is governed by constant surveillance. By that standard, this is the strongest administration in our history.Seventy years ago, Eric Blair, writing under a pseudonym George Orwell, published “1984,” now generally considered a classic of dystopian fiction. The current administration is a living example of Orwell’s statement, “Ignorance Is Strength.” Orwell was explaining the value of doublespeak. Now we are stuck with a modern-day version of the “Ministry of Truth,” and can’t do anything about it. George Orwell (nM-i Eric Blair) tried to alert us to the mind control problems to come in his classic novel, 1984, but we didn’t pay attention.

He was just too careless to get a factual report airtight before airing it, thereby setting himself up for the chopping block. What’s odd is that Rather wasn’t close to a Murrow or a Walter Cronkite. Remember when Jerry Falwell threatened to buy CBS and fire Dan Rather? Guess what? Jerry Falwell didn’t do it, but corporate America did. People who think these networks aren’t biased are just fooling themselves. The talking heads are just that, talking heads. ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC are all owned by Corporate America and they control what we are permitted to see and hear. Some people complain about Fox News, but it is the most honest of the television networks, because it doesn’t attempt to hide its bias. For starters, Eric Alter’s book, What Liberal Media? should be a nice beginning. For those readers who continue to write and bemoan the “liberal media,” it’s time to tune out Rush Limbaugh and listen to reason.

Ministry of truth 1984