Of How-To Manuals and Cautionary Tales

 I used to try to shame Leftists by pointing out that George Orwell's 1984 was a cautionary tale, not a how-to manual. But as things have devolved, I began to realize that the Left cannot be shamed, for they are shameless. They just don't care, there motto being whatever is necessary to further the cause.

J. B. Shurk at the American Thinker today in an article titled The Era of Great Pretending Looks Wobbly seems to have noted the same things, at least as far as Orwell is concerned:

Invoking George Orwell to describe the madness of our current age has become so common that doing so feels downright trite in 2025. But the man understood the dangers lurking inside Western societies so well that Eric Blair’s pen name deserves to be at the tip of every thinking person’s tongue for quite some time!

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. In the dystopia of Orwell’s 1984, these are the Uniparty’s official slogans — inscribed in giant letters on the towering white pyramid that houses the Ministry of Truth. Could you devise better mottoes to encapsulate the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset” or the basic tenets of the “New World Order” long pushed by the collection of Marxist globalists, warmongers, central bankers, bureaucratic authoritarians, pseudo-intellectuals, celebrity know-nothings, and assorted “elites” of our era?

Why must we fight the Russians for control of Ukraine? Because only by killing hundreds of thousands of Europeans and risking a nuclear WWIII can we enjoy peace! Why must central banks rig our markets and spy agencies read our emails? Because only when we do everything that bankers, spies, and bureaucrats tell us can we be free! Why must governments censor online speech and hunt down dangerous “disinformation”? Because only when we are so ignorant that we believe everything the State says can we be strong! Unapproved dissent leads to “extremism,” which is why every unsanctioned opinion is “malinformation” — or bad information! Remember, citizens (and undocumented “citizens”), we’re all in this together! So take your “thinking caps” off, plug into the State’s narco-drip of acceptable “narratives,” and let the Deep State lead you to salvation.

Does Shurk sound bitter here? Yes, he does, and he has good reason. The day you wake up and realize that EVERY country, including your own, lies about everything and only accidentally tells you the truth is the day one becomes cynical. Moreover, at the same time they lie, don't you lie to them, no sir. They'll throw the book at you. But, Shurk has a cure for the propaganda laden fare we have been, and continue to be fed:

As a rule of thumb, whenever a government or similarly powerful institution says that something is true, it is best to assume the exact opposite until the facts of the matter are firmly hammered down. “Conspiracy theories” frequently prove to be partially or wholly accurate in the long run. People who dissent from popular “narratives” tend to be months — or even years — ahead of the corporate news talking heads when it comes to “breaking news.” Because “conspiracy theorists” are often far ahead of the news cycle, some people rightly refer to them as “Fact Hoarders” (hat tip to Chuck L. for that beauty!). Don’t be afraid to hoard facts.

Whenever political leaders reprimand citizens for doing their own thinking (Ignorance is strength!) and cheerlead for devastatingly costly and bloody wars (War is peace!), it is a particularly good time to question the dominant “narratives” running on loop in corporate newsrooms. Questioning everything is a good first step toward liberating a mind. Liberating minds is often the only way to prevent or conclude catastrophic wars. No matter how much today’s Ministry of Truth objects, freedom of thought is not slavery! Groupthink, on the other hand, is the mind’s most cumbersome ball and chain.

As Orwell warned humanity, the Deep State’s most effective weapon is language. By manipulating the meaning of words, governments try to reverse-engineer our thoughts. Here’s an example: Antifa. By any measure of property damage and physical violence (including murder), Antifa is a major domestic terror group in the U.S. and across much of Europe. Its members conspire to effect political change by threatening the safety of citizens. Antifa cells commit arson, destroy public and private property, intimidate and harm civilians, and engage in all kinds of serious felonies that justify their designation as an international terrorist organization. Instead, Western politicians, newsrooms, film studios, and even law enforcement agencies excuse Antifa violence and romanticize their criminal activities.

As a wise person has said many times, consider the source. Understand their particular motives in writing what they do. If possible, follow the money trail. Most of all, keep an open mind.