Doublethink is
the ability to hold two contrasting ideas, , arguments at the same time, i.e. to believe that
one thing and its opposite are both true; doublespeak is its speech counterpart, physically
uttered by a member of the Inner Party. In , it is elevated to political
custom because it allows complete manipulation of the masses: the slogans are perfect examples:
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. However, the book does not depict a
distant reality: scenes and situations were taken from the political arena at the time of
writing (1948-49). Doublethink is a direct product of Stalins propaganda in the USSR, especially
in the 30s. Stalin came out a victor over the Nazis at the end of World War II even if he had
struck a non-aggression deal with Hitler (known as Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). Obviously, there
have been disconcerting cases in very recent years, such as the war in Iraq - which was hailed
as an attempt to bring democracy to a dictatorial state through the epitome of violence.
Guant¡namo is also a striking instance of doublethink: Mr Bush ordered the incarceration of
many people without trial ostensibly to protect our civil rights. Doublethink constitutes the
bone of political discourse; 1984 is all the more important as a book
exactly because it increases our awareness of this process.
Monday, July 1, 2013
what are some examples of doublespeak or doublethink (1984) in real world?
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