1984

           Thesocialatmosphereisthatofabesiegedcity,wherethepossessionofalumpofhorsefleshmakesthedifferencebetweenwealthandpoverty. Andatthesametimetheconsciousnessofbeingatwar,andthereforeindanger,makesthehanding-overofallpowertoasmallcasteseemthenatural,unavoidableconditionofsurvival. 

           War,itwillbeseen,accomplishesthenecessarydestruction,butaccomplishesitinapsychologicallyacceptableway. Inprincipleitwouldbequitesimpletowastethesurpluslabouroftheworldbybuildingtemplesandpyramids,bydiggingholesandfillingthemupagain,orevenbyproducingvastquantitiesofgoodsandthensettingfiretothem. Butthiswouldprovideonlytheeconomicandnottheemotionalbasisforahierarchicalsociety. Whatisconcernedhereisnotthemoraleofmasses,whoseattitudeisunimportantsolongastheyarekeptsteadilyatwork,butthemoraleofthePartyitself. EventhehumblestPartymemberisexpectedtobecompetent,industrious,andevenintelligentwithinnarrowlimits,butitisalsonecessarythatheshouldbeacredulousandignorantfanaticwhoseprevailingmoodsarefear,hatred,adulation,andorgiastictriumph. Inotherwordsitisnecessarythatheshouldhavethementalityappropriatetoastateofwar. Itdoesnotmatterwhetherthewarisactuallyhappening,and,sincenodecisivevictoryispossible,itdoesnotmatterwhetherthewarisgoingwellorbadly. Allthatisneededisthatastateofwarshouldexist. ThesplittingoftheintelligencewhichthePartyrequiresofitsmembers,andwhichismoreeasilyachievedinanatmosphereofwar,isnowalmostuniversal,butthehigheruptheranksonegoes,themoremarkeditbecomes. ItispreciselyintheInnerPartythatwarhysteriaandhatredoftheenemyarestrongest.