Propaganda on 1984 by George Orwell

Introduction
At the time of authoring the book ‘Propaganda on 1984’, George Orwell was
concerned by world affairs that were taking shape around the world such as
communism and government control over the lives of people. George was
skeptical of the power tricks used by communist parties with regards to
leveraging power at the expense of people. Freedoms, rights and values of
people are the main concerns expressed by George as evidenced in the book
(Orwell, 5). Increased spying by the government according to Orwell is a
threat to social values that hold a society. Most of the expressions in the book
are a reflection of what the author predicted would happen in the foreseeable
future. Debates on whether to adopt the communist ideals in the American
society also motivated Orwell to express his opposition to the proposals.
This paper will take the approach of an argumentative essay that will explore
issues related to government control and propaganda as a tool for
consolidating power. To better understand issues presented in the book, a
detailed review of the work by George Orwell will be explored from an
analytical perspective.
Analysis and Discussion
The first theme that best explains the perspective of Orwell with regards to
infringing the freedoms of people and society is authoritative rule. By the time,
communism gained momentum in Europe, there were differing opinions on
this new system of governing. Accordingly, there was support from some
regions on the new system of administration that had been made real thanks
to the dominance of Russia and the Soviet Union. Orwell raises a red flag in
his book by slamming communism since, the latter advocates for the
restrictions of freedom and speech. From a practical perspective, rights such
as speech freedom and press are integral in the harmonization of a given
society (Orwell, 15). Communism was an outfit that was developed with the
objective of holding on to power by suppressing the rights of people to
choose their leaders in a democratic way. According to the author, democracy
is a must have for any society that pursues effective leadership that lives
within the moral principles of a given society. For example, at the height of
communism, there was major outcries from people around the world on how
the rights of the people had been infringed. There was oppression in most
dictatorial regimes around the world and this was of concern to Orwell who
foresaw a world where people would live in fear.
Party power is described in the book and was used for instilling fear and
allegiance of those affiliated. By doing this, the dominant party would lock
people from making personal decisions. In other words, the party was
transformed into a power base that commanded every aspect of freedom and
choices made by people. Manipulation on a psychological basis is an
example of a power control tool that would be used by the party for controlling
the masses (Kellner, 9). The rationale of these manipulations according to the
book is to deprive people of independence and personal choices which are
instrumental in the life of any person. Logic dictates that consolidating power
needs a strategic approach such as interfering with the way of thinking of a
given people. This is the same message presented here and the use of the
character Winston sends the message home. Winston wonders about the
influence of the Big Brother advocated by the government. In a sense, people
are made to believe that Big Brother is the authority mandated with protecting
people while at the same time watching enemies that would seek to threaten
them. There are many questions to this tag as suggested by Orwell in the
book. By spreading fear and tension, the government would gain control
easily as compared to allowing people to make personal choices. The scope
of manipulation with regards to government protection is seen in the way
family values are compromised (Yeo, 5). To make the systems better, the
government has additionally developed a junior spying program that entails
kids reporting activities of their families to the government. The tactical
approach used by the government in accomplishing this objective is the bone
contention as seen in the book. When a government decides to manipulate
people through the mind, then it can be said that dictatorship has taken route
thereby, compromising the freedoms of people (Lang, 6). There is no logic in
the government claiming that it would protect people by way of making
choices by them. Information and intelligence regarding the activities of a
government should be known by the public in order, to properly scrutinize the
leadership system in place. Democracy entails the ability of people to choose
leaders and live in a society where freedom and other values that bind people
together are present. Big Brother therefore, is an illusion created by the
government with the objective of attaining their ill motives. People have no
information and as seen in the Oceania region, no one knows about the
leadership system used in running affairs (Lang, 20). This implies that there is
a bridge between people and the reality on the ground. Propaganda has been
used a way of eliminating the dirty tricks used by the government and those in
power to advance their selfish ideals.
Deliberate attempts to destroy the past and present through, manipulative
tactics is another thematic presentation that raises an argumentative view of
the book by George Orwell. For example, the government ensures that
information about the past is erased to keep people in the dark and feed them
with information that lacks basis and credibility. Such levels of diversionary
leadership are seen in the world expressed by Orwell in the book. Controlling
the present largely depends on how well the past has been compromised by
the system of power in place. Control has been attained in this regard and is
best portrayed by loss of memory by the main character (Iskandar, 40).
Winston seems to lose track of the past and engages in personal reflection
for the sake of getting a grip of the past. What comes out from this experience
by Winston is clearly government machinery used for hindering the thought
patterns of people by causing discrepancies in time. Confusion is an
important tool required for commanding control over a given population and
has been happening within the ranks of government. Such a rule is
detrimental to the stability and future prospects of a country, since, it does not
recognize the significance of upholding integrity within leadership. There is no
doubt that manipulations of this level are a manifestation of the problems
facing people (Brown, 3). Winston is the only sober character in the book who
endeavors to make connections between various events which have taken
place.
Another analytical argument to the propagandas introduced by the
government according to Orwell is mistrust between families and use of
technology for spying. As stated earlier in this argument, the government is
responsible for creating divisions among people by making every citizen part
of the spy network. Arguably, this approach has the capability of shaping how
people relate with the government and other people all for the motives of the
government (Raab, 35). The mental condition of Winston is clear illustration
of the mental manipulations that have taken place in the society. O’ Brien
attracts a lot of suspicion from Winston who thinks he might be part of the
new system of controlling people. Trust is required for holding values and
principles that guide a given society without influences that shape how people
thinks and make decisions. Government control asserted in the book by
Orwell is similar to divide rule where causing tension becomes a stronghold
for government control. From a technological perspective, information should
be freely disseminated to the public without any alterations that may lead to
questioning. Developing of surveillance systems such as Tele screens is an
experience raised by George and does nothing but watch the movements of
people. Technology should be used in a way that helps spread knowledge
and information to people all the time without fear of being spied. Such a
world is ideal and best represents the values of a democracy. In comparison
to the modern world, this dream is valid and can be attained without causing
unnecessary jitters to the government (Yeo, 7).
The language component as a factor for asserting control of the mind draws
analytical perspectives based on the strategies used by the government for
controlling people. Simply put, affecting the thinking patterns of people is the
best way of controlling them. When freedom of speech and free thinking is
encouraged, chances are that people will be free to express their opinions on
various things. Progress would be made in this way by forming a united
society that looks into the needs of people and providing a sense of
accountability from the government. A government system that engages in
surveillance programs for spying on their own people infringes on their rights
and privacy needs as stipulated in the constitution. The world envisioned by
Orwell is best described by the above description and encompasses value
based leadership that addresses the needs of people without intimidating
them. The events of communism and the consequences support the above
assertions and show the problem with dictatorial regimes that do not respect
the freedoms of citizens as spelled out in the constitution. Provisions in the
constitution on the rights of people are clear and should be followed to the
latter. If there is a lesson that world has learnt is that communism has no
place in any society. Conflicts and tension is common place in the long run
and show how people loathe dictatorial regimes. From a legal perspective,
denying people their rights causes divisions that would most likely impact the
manner in which the society functions (Brown, 8). A healthy society should be
comprised of an accountable system of leadership that delivers on the
fundamental rights of people such as freedom. The argumentative basis
provided by Orwell in relation to the above description shows numerous
similarities of the vision outlined by the author of a democratic world where
peace abounds.
Double think is another form of manipulation used by the government with
regards to shaping the current agenda depending on their interests. By
instilling contradictory thoughts to people, the leadership in place maneuvers
in order to create chances for usurping power on a global scale. For example,
a government can convince people on turning an enemy into a friendly nation
as long as the interests of those in power are met. By brainwashing people,
powerful figures are able to control agenda on various issues that affect
society (Sessions, 19). In addition, people are led to believe that the
proposed agenda is better for them and the future of their nation. Patriotism is
the tool used for rallying people behind a given cause that sincerely speaking,
cannot be justified. For example, invading another nation can be reached by
a government and assure people that going to war would promote peace.
How people are tricked is one thing and how the government accomplishes
these objectives is another. The bottom line is that mental enslavement is a
mechanism that has worked for the case of many autocratic regimes that
endeavor to contravene the fundamental rights of the citizens. Soft power is
applied by dictatorial regimes and shapes the manner in which people adopt
to the new circumstances. Practically speaking going to war for any nation is
a costly exercise that can cause short term problems such as economic
crises or weakening of diplomatic ties. In a way people think that the
government has their best interests at heart while in reality, the government is
interested in taking away the liberties and freedoms. Orwell shows instances
of double think in various parts of his book and shows how the government
can influence societal agenda.
From a social perspective, poverty and crime are some of the major
contributors to urban problems. The government in the book by Orwell has
disregarded the social needs of people such as jobs and good shelters which
are important for boosting economic growth. The depiction of this situation by
Orwell is a classic example of how resource misallocation is used for
stabilizing power in dictatorial governments. Restricting the flow of resources
in an equitable manner results to hopelessness that takes a nation backwards
(Orwell, 36). Regardless of this, the government is less concerned about the
needs of people and lets poverty become widespread without doing anything.
Such imbalance is used by the government to hold people at ransom and
consequently, perceive the government as the legitimate provider of their
needs. Economic independence is an important element with regards to
enhancing the rights of people and progress that trickles down to working
families. Taking these rights is a mistake and shows the incompetence of the
government in terms of providing economic freedom to people. Evidence from
the book by George shows the plight of people economically and how this is
orchestrated by those in power. Wastage and poor planning policies are to
blame in many countries where extreme poverty abounds. The author is
categorical in terms of how the government is involved in the resource
management and denounces this approach as dictatorial and unfair. Many
regimes around the world are represented by these sentiments from the book
by Orwell. Looting and wastage of resources meant for public usage is the
order of the day and goes unpunished in the midst of harsh economic times
facing people.
The use of guilt through the main character can be looked from different
angles and speaks volumes about the conditions facing most people. A look
at people shows confusion and manipulation that is shaped in form of
freedom (Sessions, 22). In short, there has been a total overhaul of how
people think, make choices and their relationship with others. Winston is
confused in most of the insights provided by the author in the book and
reflects the situation facing most people. The irony is that people have
believed that everything is alright and that the government is justified in the
formulation of various policies that influence the functioning of society. Guilt is
best expressed by Winston who feels that something is missing and sets out
to change things. A look at this situation tells more about the role of
government in disrupting human values that are much needed in promotion
cooperation and unity among people in the long haul. This is not the case
according the current events facing most people in the country and evidence
shows that people are darkness. A comparative analysis of the book by
Orwell and other authorships such as ‘1985’ and ‘Brave New World’ shows
the same thematic message as highlighted the mentioned books (Orwell, 30).
Just like the presentation by George, the above mentioned books provides
accounts of human rights contraventions and how systems of rule such as
communism were detrimental to world peace and harmony. All these
accounts have a similar message as that provided by George in his book and
emphasize on the problems facing most people in autocratic states. There is
no room for autocracy according to these authors in the modern world and
should not be allowed to thrive.
The mention of media as a propaganda tool makes a lot of sense and
provides the situation facing most nations around the world gripped in
authoritative rule. A good example of media influence and how it failed people
can be explained from the situation that led to attacks on American soil in
2001. Media perception of things and use of fabricated facts was common
place and led to widespread confusion with regards to addressing the
problem of terrorism and extremism that had spread around the world. By
providing unverified information and taking sides, the media compromised the
liberties of people with regards to their right to know accurate information
(Brown, 13). There were many details that were left out in the proposals
provided by the media in relation to war on terror. The conspiracy surrounding
these attacks is another aspect showing the intensity of things with regards to
propaganda promotion by the media. Every logic shows that the media was
partisan with the government on the issues that were facing Americans after
the occurrence of these events.
Conclusion
The analytical approach used in exploring the reasoning by George Orwell in
his book is clear testimony of the dangers of allowing dictatorial leadership
principles such as those that gripped Europe during the era of communism.
The combination of the teachings by Orwell and present day events around
the world is proof of these sentiments. As seen in this critical review of the
book, according people their rights and freedoms goes a long way in terms of
showing respect for human rights and values.