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The Government In 1984 By George Orwell's 1984

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For decades, governments all over the world have abused their power ; whether it was erasing events in history, not releasing the full story of wars and crimes, or using surveillance on their citizens without them knowing. This was brought to life in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. The novel follows Winston Smith during the year 1984 in a dystopian society. The government is called the Party and is led by Big Brother, who has full control over the entire Oceania (London), along with the slogan “Big Brother is watching you,” put all over the city. The slogan is enforced by hidden cameras and microphones everywhere, including homes, and spies pretending to be average people. The Party has the citizens who work in the Ministry of Truth erase things that are in the newspaper that go against the government and what they want the city to see. The government in 1984 is similar to the government in the United States in present day. George Orwell said, “Historical memory is dangerous to authoritarian regimes because it has the power to both question the past and reveal it as a site of injustice” (Giroux). Orwell’s theory is supported by the creation of malls, theme parks, media driven spectacles of violence , and a culture of consumerism, self-interest, and sensationalism. The government uses this tactic to distract us from what is happening in the world. In 1984, they use the Two Minutes Hate, where they look at a picture of a man called Goldstein and yell at him, as a distraction

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