1984 Part 1: Government Control

1984 Part 1: Government Control – Dangers and Prevention of Abuse

What are possible dangers caused by a governmental abuse of power?  Government can take away basic human rights; loss of freedom, privacy, and property  Government is lazy and inefficient  No one offers (or can offer) different opinions to point out flaws  Corrupt leaders (or occasional bad decisions from good leaders)  Government eliminates checks on its own power and abuse worsens  Scapegoating and racial profiling  Government allows rich organizations to control things  Powerful leaders get whatever they want, and don’t care that others are suffering  Increasing gaps between the classes. Economic failure and poverty; lack of resources; lack of innovation (as of technological advancement)  Gangs or other small warring groups compete for power  Violence breaks out – genocide, civil war, rebellion  Revolution is likely to cause death and destruction, and may lead to a worse leader  Protestors/people with strong opinions become violent  Police brutality in dealing with protestors  Poor justicesystem: unfair arrests, no trials/unfair trials, unfair punishments, unsafe jails, forced labor camps  Torture  International relationships are unstable; country may be invaded  Government controls media. Propaganda, brainwashing, and falsified history  Environmental destruction. Poor/unsafe working conditions.  Youth groups that teach only their view/propaganda. Decreased educational standards.  Atmosphere of fear and paranoia  Loss of faith in the government  Rising ignorance, partly because no one knows what is actually true  People’s morals deteriorate  Increased rate of suicide  Decreased standard of living – health care, food, housing, government aid  Families/friends are separated – relationships undermined  Increased conformity. People lose individuality – ethnicity, religion – as well as control and choice. They feel isolated and lose their pride.

If the government has too much power, but the leaders are good, will everything be okay?  Maybe for a while, but…  Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

How can people protect themselves and/or improve the world?  If it looks very bad, prepare for the worst. Maybe leave the country.  Sing songs – maintain a sense of nationalism, belonging, and pride  Know how the system is supposed to work, and pay attention  Talk to the leaders. Better yet, become one.  Spread out power in the system: checks & balances, term limits, diversity in leadership  Control criminal organizations  Take responsibility for yourself – don’t give up your own beliefs  Educate yourself and others, be aware, know about propaganda, ask questions Government control techniques 1  Learn from history  Question the media, looking to several sources  Speak out about what’s wrong!  Publicize profiling and scapegoating  Rebel against bad leadership; protest if you really disagree  There must be restraint in protest – and in controlling protest  Research your political leaders and vote! Don’t just vote for party members.  Create an opposing party and support them; unite dissenters under one cause  Create Peace Councils dedicated to making positive change  Support national organizations focused on civil rights, i.e., ACLU  Support international organizations focused on human rights, i.e., Amnesty International, or on helping people, i.e. Doctors Without Borders

Government control techniques 2