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George Orwell's 1984: The Danger That Abuse Of Power Poses To Individual Liberty
There are several themes in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four that are still relevant in our world today, which is evident if a process of analysis is used to draw parallels between the book and current day issues. One such theme is the danger that the abuse of power poses to individual liberty. Indeed, the preceding statement is as true of democratic nations like America as it is of totalitarian regimes. Take, for instance, the recent American war in Iraq or the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the U.S. military. If instances of such abuse are left unchecked, it can lead to the death of individual liberty just as Orwell describes in his work of fiction.
True, Orwell's work was perhaps meant to demonstrate primarily the dangers of totalitarian regimes such as that of Stalinist Russia. However, it is interesting that Orwell also touches on the lengths that people may be willing to go to achieve the objective of attaining freedom. This is evident in Winston and Julia's agreeing with O'Brien that they would be prepared "...to cheat, to...
305) Thus, Orwell seems to have implied that 'doublethink' can exist everywhere. Indeed, several critics have picked up on this fact to demonstrate the presence of 'newspeak' and 'doublethink' in American media and to imply that J. Edgar Hoover was the equivalent of 'Big Brother' during the Vietnam War (Raskin, 1983). Similarly, today, the questionable American invasion of Iraq can be said to be 'Big Brother' abusing its power and position, using the war on terrorism as a pretext.
Of course, there can be no denying that the American war has freed the Iraqi people from an oppressive regime, quite similar to the one described by Orwell. But the fact is that America went to war without the support of the United Nations. It is, therefore, not surprising that there are many Americans and non-Americans who feel that America was abusing its position as a world power. Further, it is quite clear that the Iraqis resent the American occupation, a situation that has not…
Works Cited
Orwell, G. "Nineteen Eighty-Four." Oxford: Clarendon, 1984.
Raskin, J. "George Orwell and the Big Cannibal Critics." Monthly Review. May 1983.
Accessed June 16, 2004 from The Chestnut Tree Cafe Web site: http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/ctc/docs/cancrtcs.htm
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