1984

           Ascomparedwiththeiroppositenumbersinpastages,theywerelessavaricious,lesstemptedbyluxury,hungrierforpurepower,and,aboveall,moreconsciousofwhattheyweredoingandmoreintentoncrushingopposition. Thislastdifferencewascardinal. Bycomparisonwiththatexistingtoday,allthetyranniesofthepastwerehalf-heartedandinefficient. Therulinggroupswerealwaysinfectedtosomeextentbyliberalideas,andwerecontenttoleavelooseendseverywhere,toregardonlytheovertactandtobeuninterestedinwhattheirsubjectswerethinking. EventheCatholicChurchoftheMiddleAgeswastolerantbymodernstandards. Partofthereasonforthiswasthatinthepastnogovernmenthadthepowertokeepitscitizensunderconstantsurveillance. Theinventionofprint,however,madeiteasiertomanipulatepublicopinion,andthefilmandtheradiocarriedtheprocessfurther. Withthedevelopmentoftelevision,andthetechnicaladvancewhichmadeitpossibletoreceiveandtransmitsimultaneouslyonthesameinstrument,privatelifecametoanend. Everycitizen,oratleasteverycitizenimportantenoughtobeworthwatching,couldbekeptfortwenty-fourhoursadayundertheeyesofthepoliceandinthesoundofofficialpropaganda,withallotherchannelsofcommunicationclosed. ThepossibilityofenforcingnotonlycompleteobediencetothewilloftheState,butcompleteuniformityofopiniononallsubjects,nowexistedforthefirsttime. 

           Aftertherevolutionaryperiodofthefiftiesandsixties,societyregroupeditself,asalways,intoHigh,Middle,andLow. ButthenewHighgroup,unlikeallitsforerunners,didnotactuponinstinctbutknewwhatwasneededtosafeguarditsposition. Ithadlongbeenrealizedthattheonlysecurebasisforoligarchyiscollectivism.