“Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”
In George Orwell’s 1984, the past is altered, but war is constant; the names of the combatants are changed retroactively, but combat is continuous.
Members of nations at war bond more tightly with their compatriots. War offers a shared dream of triumph over a common enemy. Thus, continual state of war is an effective means of social control. It doesn’t really matter who Oceania is at war with, as long as Oceania is, and always has been, at war.
1984 illustrates how supporting wars is a sucker’s game. War is a product of the Establishment — governments, the military-industrial complex, corporations — using us, the people, to maintain their power. Keeping us in line. Keeping us obedient with fear!
We the enlightened, who have read 1984, don’t get caught up in nationalism. Instead, we RESIST. We resist the war machine, the governments, the military-industrial complex. We don’t play their games. We organize a student protest! We build a shantytown on campus. We demand a ceasefire now!
Students have always joined such movements against the Establishment. “Revolution Now” has been chanted for centuries. There is always a revolution in progress, and there is always a power structure to be revolted against. There is always a dream of triumph over a common enemy.
While most revolutions fail, every once in a while one succeeds. Then what happens? The Resistance becomes the Establishment. The Resistance IS the Establishment. Just as the students making protest camps on the green lawns of universities ARE the upper middle class.
Who funds the Resistance? The Establishment.
Why would they do that? Because they want to be always at war. The same reason warring nations do. Social control, you dupes.
The Resistance has always been at war with the Establishment.
The students should walk away from college for a couple of years. Maybe the loss of tuition will send a message. Peaceful non-cooperation.
I feel like I should be selling “Useful Idiot” T-shirts. I’d make a fortune.
I’ve read a few dozen of your blog posts, and somehow, not a single one of the comments is about you or your work. They’re all just people regurgitating their own beliefs, usually with them having very little to do with the post. It’s hysterical sometimes, but mostly just depressing..
If you win within the system you have already lost
Nina, Students also formed the “Deutschtum” i won’t claim that it is a predecessor to the later fascism in Germany but many of the students, like my Grandfather, joined them because in general the ideas was similar.
The conclusion of the students was that there will be never peace if you don’t force peace, talking is useless.
And sure this needs a strong hand to reign.
Also what one will conclude out of 1984 will differ, it depends on your attitude.
Sure students influence each other, in one or the other direction.
Some will see a solution in it, it seems we only unite using an enemy image.
Do we really need enemy images to be united?
Can’t we find a goal which is worth to work together?