Has ‘Newspeak’ Become A Reality?

[naomi24]

For those who don’t know what Newspeak is, this from Wiki. //Newspeak is the fictional language in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by George Orwell. It is a controlled language created by the totalitarian state Oceania as a tool to limit freedom of thought, and concepts that pose a threat to the regime such as freedom, self-expression, individuality, and peace. Any form of thought alternative to the party’s construct is classified as "thoughtcrime".//

It seems to me that we now inhabit a very strange world where we’re expected to be ever-conscious not only of what we say but of how we say it. A very slippery slope, in my opinion – and beyond the point of no return. What say you?

[naomi24]

ag, You’re too smart to allow the puerile nonsense of reporting and zapping to affect you. When you’ve read the book I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts.

rockhopper69, haha! That doesn’t surprise me.

[agchristie]

Will do Naomi ;)

[naomi24]

I look forward to it.

Night all. x

[Canary42]

////we now inhabit a very strange world where we’re expected to be ever-conscious not only of what we say but of how we say it.////

I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem such a very strange world to me. I feel that I've lived by that for over sixty years.

[naomi24]

Rockhopper, it occurred to me that your reference to the fuss over the Cecil Rhodes statue is very relevant to this thread. Winston Smith, the central character in ‘1984’, is employed by the Ministry of Truth to rewrite history by amending documents and newspaper reports, and doctoring photographs, so that they tally with the official party line. Sound familiar?

[Old_Geezer]

In my view it was more than just that wiki description. It was about presenting lies as truth, and manipulation of the masses. And yes it's been around for quite some time now, although less severe than in the novel (yet).

[naomi24]

OG, //...it was more than just that wiki description.//

It was indeed - but I thought it best not to cut and paste the whole book. ;o)

[agchristie]

My word! I thought the world could be a difficult place at times and yet the worst is yet to come!?

I must read it quickly so that I am prepared! ;)

[naomi24]

:o)

[agchristie]

> I fear that very soon this growing penchant for, and acceptance of what I view as insincerity will become the norm, no one will know, or trust, what anyone else is saying - and we’ll all end up meeting ourselves coming back. I think we’re creating a very sad, mad, world.

Naomi, I have just had the chance to read the entire thread and in particular your statement above really caught my eye. It made me shudder! Can you imagine a society full of insincerity, shoulder shrugging, frowning folk engaging in a language that nobody can infer the true meaning?! Plenty of examples in our everyday communications and in the media. English is fast becoming a code rather than a language! Dot dash dot.....

Great OP Naomi thanks and very thought provoking. I hope it continues. (I'm ordering 1984 tonight ;)

[naomi24]

ag, I don't know if you've read Orwell's 'Animal Farm', but if not there's food for thought there too.

[agchristie]

Naomi, I've wanted to read them both for a while and just never got round to ordering them. Will do so for Animal Farm too! ;)

[jomifl]

Going back to Jackdaw's comments about the word 'homophobia', it should really be 'misopederasty' or similar, since it isn't fear of self but dislike of same sex relationships.

[Togo]

“Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought-crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by eactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten. . . . The process will still be continuing long after you and I are dead. Every year fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller. Even now, of course, there's no reason or excuse for commiting thought-crime. It's merely a question of self-discipline, reality-control. But in the end there won't be any need even for that. . . . Has it ever occcured to you, Winston, that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now?”

The above is an extract from 1984. Substitute 'Newspeak' with PC and you are most there. I used an Orwell quotation in a post yesterday. Here is another.

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
George Orwell

[agchristie]

Naomi, I've received Animal Farm today and 1984 is on order! Will let you know when I've read the first.

[Gavmacp]

When in the NHS we were expected to attend a course on culture and diversity. It taught you how to think correctly. I did find it Orwellian.

[Gavmacp]

I watched an interview of a headteacher who had many nationalities and many could not speak English in her school. To every question she was asked she managed to put a positive spin to her answer. It was as if she couldn't say anything negative.

[ichkeria]

I've said this before but as well as 1984, which is a great book but fiction after all - try 'Nothing is true and everything is possible' by Peter Pomerantsev - which is factual : and puts panic about 'PC' into some sort of perspective
The consolation or should that be disappointment is it isn't about 'us' but someone else

[agchristie]

Thanks ichkeria.

[naomi24]

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