Quiba 1

Lydionne Zavdiel D. Quiba

Mr. Golem

ENG4U

05/01/24

The Dangers of Totalitarian Governments

1984 is set in a dystopian society where its government has full control over their citizens. These types of governments use propaganda, censorship, surveillance, and indoctrination in order to forcefully control their citizens. Similar to 1984, this causes people to be unaware of the truth behind the government's actions. In totalitarian governments, the leader or head of the regime usually becomes the symbol of government, and people are taught to follow or stay loyal to them, just like Big Brother in 1984. They control public behavior as much as they can, which removes their sense of freedom. These governments pose many threats to their citizens by stripping people of their rights, and negative things could happen if governments are given too much power. Although totalitarianism has been a form of government in the past, it is still an ongoing thing today.

One way the dangers of totalitarianism is shown in 1984 is through surveillance. Winston is always reminded that he is being watched by Big Brother, "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran" (1984, Chapter 1, pg. 4). This constantly reminds citizens that they are being watched. Along with that, the Thought Police monitors citizens' behavior and their thoughts. "There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any

given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork” (Winston, P.1, Ch. 1, pg. 4). Today, there is a surveillance system in the Xinjiang region of China used to monitor the activities and behaviors of Muslims and other minorities. “Right now surveillance technology is being used to identify and control over a million Chinese people. Some are being held in detention, or so called 're-education camps'” (Jacky Habib, pg. 1, line 4). Similar to 1984, this makes people live in constant fear and paranoia. Their citizens have no way of knowing the extent to which they are being monitored or when they might be targeted for punishment by the authorities. Committing thoughtcrime or having negative thoughts against the Party or Big Brother could have you killed. “Ruled by third-generation totalitarian leader Kim Jong Un, the government maintains fearful obedience by using threats of torture, executions, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, and forced labor” (Tirana Hassan hrw.org, 2024) In real life, people in countries like North Korea are not allowed to speak against the government, or they may face prison time or death. In the book, people are not given any privacy in their lives. Today, privacy is limited in North Korea under Kim Jong Un’s leadership. People are under state surveillance, limited internet access, and are required to have permission to travel within the country.

Another way is by deceiving the public and manipulating the truth. Throughout history, this has been done through acts like propaganda, newspeak, rewriting history, and controlled media. “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered” (Narrator, Part 2, pg. 139). These methods get rid of what is true and change

what is reality into something in their favor. When history is changed or altered, it becomes hard for people to fully understand the past and make decisions on the future. “The Nazis effectively used propaganda to win the support of millions of Germans in a democracy and, later in a dictatorship, to facilitate persecution, war, and ultimately genocide” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC, 2018). During World War II, the Nazi party used propaganda to manipulate people into believing what they told them. Just like 1984, the Nazi party also used these tactics to maintain control over Oceania. “Stalin didn't have Photoshop—but that didn't keep him from wiping the traces of his enemies from the history books” (Erin Blakemore, April 20, 2018). The USSR was also known to rewrite history to their liking. Stalin is known to change history and tamper with Soviet files and photographs. In the Great Purge, many of Stalin’s enemies disappeared from their homes and were erased from history.

https://www.cbc.ca/passionatee/features/in-xinjiang-china-surveillance-technology-is-used-to-help-the-state-control

https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/propaganda/home/state-of-deception-the-power-of-nazi-propaganda