The Warnings Were Too Late

1938 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: role of mass media in public opinion

Why do people automatically believe that their government can be trusted? Many believe that their government is the best because it’s built on morality honesty, virtue, freedom, and equality. But, what if our government is actually making us believe these things by hiding the truth and manipulating the facts so that the citizens that love their country so dearly will continue to do so to the point that they will give up their lives to do it. George Orwell warned against this type of government in his novel 1984. He predicted the future and what it would look like. His novel had caused quite a scare and governments began to make sure that they did not become Big Brother and citizens made sure that they didn’t become the Party members. But, in reality, it was too late because today there are more similarities between the citizens of the United States with the Party members and the United States Government with Big Brother. The United States government controls and regulates everything in an average American’s everyday life. The most important thing that they control is the amount of information that reaches the American public. The FCC can be compared to the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984. This particular Ministry “…concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts…” (Orwell p8) and was responsible for the destroying of any evidence, meaning articles, photographs, videos, books, etc., that would make the government inferior to anyone or incorrect. When war enemies changed the information was changed so that the new enemy had been the same enemy from the beginning. You couldn’t refute or challenge the government because of the fact that “Who controls the past controls the future; who co... ... middle of paper ... ... media tells them. The media is controlled by the government; so, in essence, although Orwell’s message was delivered it was not understood. I admit wholeheartedly that the United States government is not as bad as the Party in the novel because people are still allowed to think and act for themselves. The problem is that the majority of Americans choose not to. As a matter of fact, according to Lev Grossman, only thirty-six percent of Americans question what they are told by the media. The solution to understanding Orwell’s message and his warnings is to find the truth for you and not be dependent on the truth or lie that has been discovered by someone else. Investigate every piece of evidence before you decide to believe something or to not believe it. When this is accomplished, only then will Orwell have succeeded at preventing what has already happened.

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between Postman And George Orwell

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    First of all, Orwell’s concept seems to somewhat true for many people with Trump as a President of the United States; however, if the concept is fleshed out, Orwell’s concept is nowhere to be

    Read More

  • The Use Of Propaganda In 1984, By George Orwell

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    “"Propaganda is as powerful as heroin, it surreptitiously dissolves all capacity to think” by Gil Courtemanche connects to the sad fact of using propaganda as a deadly weapon to feed people with false information and stop them from thinking. George Orwell’s novel, 1984, describes a totalitarian dystopian society where the Party is constantly brainwashing its citizens with information that is beneficial to its own rights. On the opposite side, people are working for the party just like dominated slaves for their masters without knowing what’s going on. But, in order for the party to achieve this goal, they have to use different techniques of propaganda in Oceania to create fear for people so that they can obey the rules. The use of propaganda in the society of 1984 takes away freedom from individuals because of the absence of privacy, thinking and making decisions.

    Read More

  • 1984 a Novel by George Orwell

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novel 1984, by George Orwell, made me paranoid. It made me suspicious of our government's power and intentions. I became aware of the potential manipulation which the government could impose upon us. I came to see that the people I believe to be wholly dedicated to the well-being of society, the people I rely so heavily on to provide protection and security have the power to betray us at any given time. I realised that in my naivety I had gravely overlooked the powerful grip government has over society, and what it can do with that power.

    Read More

  • 1984 Should Be Banned Essay

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Orwell reveals how ignorant people are due to Big Brother erasing history. In the beginning of the novel, the main character’s job is describe to be rewriting history, “By 2050, earlier. Probably- all real knowledge of old speak will have disappeared. The whole literature of the past will have been destroyed.” (Orwell pg.65) Literature such as Shakespeare will be destroyed due to the government’s censorship rules. 1984 is ban by the government in Russia, thus readers know that if government can censor this book, imagine what else the government can block. Later on in the novel, Winston explains to O’Brien about what will happen to history, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” (Orwell pg. 313) Throughout history, it is obvious that our

    Read More

  • 1984, by George Orwell and the USA Patriot Act

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel, 1984, written by George Orwell, gives readers an insight to a possible frightening future where one government has complete and definite control of the people. But “control” might not be the term to describe such a rule. The Party dominates every aspect of life. There is not a single thing that is not under the Party’s rule. Feelings, history, language, statistics, and even human nature are submissive to the Party. They corrupt the mind so much that there is no longer a line that separates truth from a lie. Slogans are repeated through telescreens on a daily basis so the people are gradually forced to believe in illogical statements. Upon first glance, it may seem that a 1984 society is not even imaginable in the world we live in currently. But is it really logical to make such an assumption so quickly? Do we know that what we see on the news and read in our history textbooks is completely accurate? The Internet is one of the most powerful technologies our world has, consisting of an insurmountable amount of information, which is not always what it seems. Ultimately, there are so many things that we do not know, some of which is being held a secret from us. Modern day society shockingly has evidence of a transformation into a menacing 1984 society because of similar government actions and abuse of advanced technology.

    Read More

  • Example Of Individualism In 1984

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... middle of paper ... ... When oppressed by a Party that takes away basic inalienable rights, publicizes false information, and each individual has a common knowledge of consequences that they might receive from thinking, it is extremely difficult to maintain a sense of reality. Orwell proposes that when an individual faces all of these prohibitions, they are easily manipulated into psychological enslavement.

    Read More

  • Self Control In 1984

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government blocks almost all forms of self-expression in order to assert its authority over the people. Those within the society who show signs of defiance against the set rules, even those who act unwillingly, are seen as a threat to the success of the regime are wiped from existence. In Orwell’s 1984, the government uses different forms of propaganda and brainwashing to achieve complete control of society for their own personal benefit.

    Read More

  • 1984 and Brave New World

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1984, George Orwell explores the many facets of a negative utopia. Orwell seems to focus on the measures that the government takes to maintain a public of plebeians who have no personality or identity and believe that they are not unique individuals, but instead are part of a greater senseless mob of people who constantly work for a hostile and oppressive government which is involved in incessant wars. These people are taught to love. They then learn to fear their government because they believe all of the propaganda that is constantly instilled into their minds. They willing follow their government without contest for the duration of their meaningless lives. The government controls all forms of the media (thus denying the people the basic right of free speech) and use it to personify the government (known as “big brother”) .The government therefore seems omnipotent, or all knowing and always correct. Forecasts are changed from one week to the next always proving the government was correct. As was mentioned before, many of the rights that present day Westerners take for gran...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Freedom Of Speech?

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    The First Amendment protects the right of freedom of speech, which gradually merges into the modern perspective of the public throughout the history and present. The restriction over the cable TV and broadcast media subjected by the Federal Communications Commission violates the freedom of speech, irritating the dissatisfied public by controlling over what can be said on the air. Should the FCC interfere with the free speech of media? The discretion of content being presented to the public should not be completely determined by the FCC, but the public in its entirety which enforces a self-regulation with freedom and justice, upholding and emphasizing the freedom of speech by abolishing the hindrance the FCC brought.

    Read More

  • George Orwell's 1984 and Today

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1949 when Orwell’s novel was published, television was a relatively new invention. Fewer than 10% of the United States households had a television set in them and at this time programming was limited to mainly news-oriented shows. Many people believed that television would never surpass radio as the chief means of mass communication; they could not have been more incorrect.

    Read More

  • 1984 by George Orwell: The End of Freedom of Speech

    1600 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the novel 1984, George Orwell predicts the world’s future, when human rights, such as freedom of speech, do not exist anymore. Everyone has to obey the government. The government controls its citizens’ lives. No one speaks up against the government yet because they do not even have a chance to make up a thought about it. The government dominates the citizens’ thoughts by using technologies and the thought polices to make sure no one will have any thoughts, that is against the government. George Orwell wrote:“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows,” (Orwell.2.7.69) the government tries to control Winston knowledge and change it to fit into the purpose of the Party. To Winston, O’Brien said: “Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.” (Orwell.3.2.205). As a citizen, no one get to look at or tal...

    Read More

  • Essay On Lack Of Privacy In 1984

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Orwell’s novel, 1984, depicts a dystopian vision of the future, one in which its citizens thoughts and actions are controlled by Big Brother government. This novel relates the ruthless surveillance and lack of privacy of the citizens to government actions today. Totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy may all be common themes in Orwell’s novel 1984, but are also prevalent in modern day society and government. Many people today have and will continue to dismiss the ideologies mentioned in 1984 as unrealistic predictions which could never occur in the democratic run system they live by today. But, are Orwell’s ideologies completely implausible, or have his predictions already played a hidden role in society? Many citizens today are truly unaware of how much of their private lives are made public. Especially with new technological advances, the modern democratic government can easily track and survey citizens without their knowledge. While the government depicted in 1984 may use gadgets such as telescreens and moderators such as the Thought Police these ideas depicted can be seen today in the ever evolving democratic government known to be the "equivalent" of the people's voice. Orwell may have depicted a clearer insight into modern day surveillance then one may have imagined from this "fictional" novel.

    Read More

  • Psychological Manipulation in 1984

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    Psychological manipulation the Party uses on the citizens is one of the first themes Orwell exposes in this dystopian society. The Party maintains this manipulation by constantly overwhelming citizens with useless information and propaganda.

    Read More

  • 1984 George Orwell Essay

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Orwell’s intent in the novel 1984 is to warn society about the results of a controlling and manipulative government by employing mood, conflict, and imagery.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Internet Censorship

    2193 Words  | 5 Pages

    slowly turning the United States into a censored nation. These regulations may not be imposed directly by the government, however an independent agency with very strong ties to the conservatives at the White House, runs an organization that pretty much determines what we can and cant see/ hear.” ©2016 TermPaperWarehouse.com In today’s modern day world, is censorship in the media a good thing or a bad thing, what can be gained and what can be lost? .” We now have the freedom to believe, think and say what we want. However, don’t you think there are some

    Read More

More about The Warnings Were Too Late

Open Document