The Calendar Says 2021, But It Feels More Like “1984”
Nothing good has ever come from a society that promotes rewriting its history and removing its structural icons
“Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past,” from George Orwell’s novel 1984. This classic dystopian novel is even more relevant today. Published in 1948, the frighteningly prophetic world of a totalitarian regime has many parallels with current events. It was required reading for most of us when we were in high school, and I recently re-read it. It is still relevant.
Big Brother
“Big Brother” is the dictator of Oceania, a mythical country including the British Isles and America. He shares similarities with Joseph Stalin, the brutal Russian Communist dictator. It is not clear if he is real or imagined. But his picture and propaganda adorn banners everywhere. Under him is the “Inner Party” that runs the regime. They spy on every citizen with “telescreens” and hidden microphones. Hence, the iconic phrase, “Big Brother is watching you.” We don’t have a Big Brother today, although many on the Right feel a “deep state” serves the same function. The modern version of being watched is served by social media. Countless individuals have lost jobs, college admissions, and livelihoods by…
