Doublespeak, Doublethink, Thought Police, and 1984

[Timothy C. May]

slowdog wrote:

> I just read this piece the other day. Had people from FLETC talking about 
> people being "victimized by information" and included lines that 
> doublespeaked supporting freedom of speech while asking what types of 
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> speech should be made illegal, making these two contradictory ideas seem 
> perfectly compatible and natural.

Slowdog is exactly right! This whole debate we're seeing is a perfect
example of "doublethink," in which two opposing ideas are held in
one's head at the same time, eventually eroding all principles
(so that if four fingers are held up, but the State says "five," then
it really _is_ five fingers being held up).

I first read "1984" in around 1966, when I was in the 8th grade, and
it has stuck with me ever since. No other novel has added as many
basic linguistic and political ideas to the language as this novel--by
yet another member of the Eric Conspiracy Secret Laboratories!

Big Brother, Thought Police, thoughtcrime, doublespeak, doublethink,
Big Brother is Watching You!, War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery,
sexcrime, unperson, and probably several other terms I've left
out. All are part of our language.

Too bad people on both the left and the right are missing the lesson.

Any Cypherpunk who hasn't read this novel should run out tonight to
the All-Nite Barnes and Borders Megastore and buy a copy.


--Tim May, Citizen-Unit 227-80-5894

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