1984 and Now - George Orwell

Just how close is The United States to the society George Orwell created in his novel 1984? They still have a long way to go. 1984 is different from our society today in many different departments such as how rebellions are handled, social classes, loyalties and relations, economic systems,and access to information. The United States is a democratic society which means that it is run by the people so all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that make that effect their lives. Orwell created a totalitarian regime in Oceania, which means that a single body controls almost every aspect of public behavior in support of an official state ideology, there is no tolerance towards activities which are not directed towards the state goals. This leads to the party in power controlling business, relations, society, and the day to day lives of the inhabitants.

Almost all nations are a result of the resistance between two powers, because each wants to build a different life. When the founding fathers were shaping America, they disliked British rule and wanted more freedom, and less power for the government to have so a large ideal is the option to resist the government. The main ideal of the party that built Oceania is Power. In Oceania Big Brother is forever and the Party is immortal. The United States is set up so that citizens have freedoms that are never oppressed. These include the freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, or petition. Oceania does not allow a single one of those freedoms. Press is controlled by the Ministry of Truth, people assembling for anything other than Hate Week, 2 Minutes of Hate, or for the gain of the Party is suspicious and could lead to capture by the Thought Police. Religion is not even allowed, just the word god is prohibited. Citizens of Oceania do not think of petitioning because the Party brainwashes them into hating traitors like Goldstein. The Two Minutes of Hate that everyone participates in creates an automatic dislike of traitors. For example when Orwell writes “As usual, the face of Emmanuel Goldstein, the Enemy of the People, had flashed onto the screen. There were little hisses here and there among the audience.” (13) The Party is making the public subconsciously hate the traitor, so they wont be the traitor, or ally with the traitor. The Thought Police arrest anyone that looks suspicious to “cure them.” They make arrests based on rebellious thoughts, or thoughtcrime, based on inappropriate facial expression, or facecrime, or even based on actions such as walking alone down a street (ownlife). No one dies a martyr, because they are tortured until they willingly follow the Party. By using tools like painless shock treatments, and Room 101, where the criminal is forced to face their worst fear, they can discard a person's ideals, and fill their head with the ideals of Big Brother. In America, people petition against a variety of different things, abortion, abolitionism, suffrage,