Are We Living in 'Orwellian' Times?

Hello and welcome back to another edition of Think About It.

One of my favourite pieces of advice comes from Ryan Holiday. He says:

Ever since I read that, I’ve been doing that. Once you do that, you’ll realise how much sense it makes. Because breaking news often doesn’t involve any context, which is essential to understand any happening. Sadly, the weight of being aware of the context lies on the individual now. And that’s why we have to seek information that has a long half-life.

It’s been almost two weeks now since US-Israel began bombing Iran. Now I know in situations like this, it’s impossible to avoid news and the constant stream of content that you’re going to encounter by merely being online.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to lecture you about who’s right and who’s wrong. Instead, I’m going to step back and try to make sense of current events.

This is a good time to remind ourselves what George Orwell warned us about in his book 1984:

Normally, wars are fought to defeat the enemy. But in Orwell’s 1984, the government (The Party) doesn’t actually want the war to end.

If a war never ends, people stay distracted. They don’t stop to question the government. They accept shortages, surveillance, and strict rules because “we’re at war”.

Also, the government has an excuse to use up all the country's resources on military equipment.

Orwell writes further:

So, as per Orwell, a "hierarchical society" (one with a tiny elite at the top and a huge working class at the bottom) can only exist if the people at the bottom are too tired and too uneducated to rebel.

If people are comfortable, educated, and have time to think, they will start asking awkward questions. They might challenge the system. And that’s dangerous for those in power.

On the other hand, if people are constantly worried about where their next meal is coming from or how they're going to pay their bills, they don't have the energy to think about politics or revolution.

And if the government controls the news and flow of information, people stay uninformed, and they can't decide what's best for them.

If you think about our current society, this is exactly its condition.

Orwell continues:

This is where he gets really blunt, and it gets unsettling.

Orwell says that the real target of the war is actually the country's population and not the enemy because war justifies keeping people poor (or as they are), scared, and obedient. Resources are poured into weapons instead of improving ordinary life.

Using war, national security crises, or geopolitical conflicts to justify broken promises is a strategy often employed by leaders to shift focus from domestic failures to external necessities.

When you read it now, Orwell’s writing almost seems prophetic.

In Homage to Catalonia (1938), he writes:

We need to realise how chillingly accurate this is! How many times have we seen that in the last few years?

The politicians, analysts, writers, journalists (and now keyboard warriors) can scream and be among the loudest voices because they are far away from the battlefield, in the safety of their homes or studios. They aren't in any danger, so they can afford to be as hateful and dramatic as they want.

Orwell noticed that the further you are from the frontlines, the more exaggerated and dishonest the story of the war becomes.

Just tune into any (western) news media now, and you'll realise how spot on Orwell is.

He highlighted that there's a huge disconnect between the ideological fury of the media and the physical and mental exhaustion of those on the frontlines.

1984 is referred to as "dystopian literature," but given the current state of the world, is it really?

Orwell left it as a warning, but now it seems like some leaders are using it as a playbook.

That’s all for this edition. I hope it made you think about the current events from a different perspective—a perspective that no mainstream media is going to show. It’s something we have to seek.

Until next time

Stay safe and curious

Zaid