An Example Of A Totalitarian Government

Everybody walks around like a robot, every move and every word is being surveillanced. A totalitarian government is a political concept that citizens should be completely subject to an absolute state of authority. In 1984 many examples of the control and authority, the totalitarian government of Oceania has over it’s citizens are made very clear, and are quite alarming to the average reader. Residing in a “free” country without freedom, this is totalitarianism, this is 1984. In today’s world, nobody really pays attention to the contemporary surveillance that takes places in everyday life. In 2002, the Homeland Security Act was put in place, in result of the September 11 attacks in 2001 (“ Homeland Security Act of 2002”). So with that, security cameras were mounted everywhere. Stores, schools, restaurants, libraries, every public place has a security camera. They are indeed helpful when it comes to criminal activity but nobody ever thinks about how often they’re really being watched and observed. At some public schools, teachers and various staff members can observe what every student is doing on their computers at any time. They can see what websites are being accessed, when, and even for how long. The staff even has the ability to close any tabs from their computer, on a student’s laptop. George Orwell used telescreens and microphones as his source of contemporary surveillance in his book 1984. The citizens were told being watched, listened to, and just controlled in general was for their own good. However, O’ Brien explains loud and clear that in fact, it has nothing to do with the citizens’ well-being. Their government only wants power over the people and that is all. “ We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power.” (Orwell 263). In 2015, it seems there has been an outbreak of police brutality. …show more content…
According to killedbypolice.net, nearly 1200 people have been shot and killed in 2015 alone. A trend sparked in 2015 causing people to jump to the conclusion that African Americans individuals are being targeted. Black lives matter appeared everywhere, from television to social media, to signs on street corners. Police brutality can happen anywhere and anytime. If the officer suspects the citizen is armed, they have the right to take action. It has been proven that officers have mistaken an armed citizen. February 19, 2014, 17 year old Christopher Roupe was shot in the chest holding only a Wii remote in his hand (Irving Dejohn New York Times). The police officer believed what he was holding was a hand gun aimed directly toward her, causing her to shoot in fear of her own death. Clearly, the officer made a mistake. Several cases of police brutality result from toys and other various objects being mistaken as weapons. Police brutality occurs within 1984 as well. The Proles are the lowest class of people in Oceania. They are the working class and they get discriminated against quite often. They’re treated as the minority and they’re disrespected on many levels. Throughout the book, Winston states that hope lies in the Proles. “But the Proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength, would have no reason to conspire. They needed only to rise up and shake themselves like a horse shaking off flies.” (Orwell 69). The Party purges the Proles to show them they have to behave, but if they rose up, Winston believes they could overcome the Party. 1984 demonstrates several techniques of control and intimidation. The main form of intimidation seemed to be the use of technology. Winston describes how normal it is to see a telescreen. Everywhere he looks, he sees the face of Big Brother staring back at him and he knows where there is a telescreen, there is a microphone. This tricks the citizens into behaving because they know their every move and every sound is being observed by the Party. Another form of intimidation is the use of secret spies. Nobody can trust anybody because they never know who is a spy and who isn’t. Even their own families turn against them such as the Parson family. Children are trained to become secret spies and turn in their parents and other family members if they commit