In the fictitious world of George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, a dystopian techno-modern life is closely monitored, manipulated, and controlled by a totalitarian regime simply known as The Party. Reports of global warfare on distant battlefronts far removed from everyday life and stories about the latest neighborhood arrest of traitors are the subject of daily news consumption. As The Party uses its vast resources to craft propaganda narratives of existential threats, rewrite history, and engage in a de facto global stalemate among the remaining superpowers, a more nefarious war is waged every day within its own borders.
The novel’s protagonist, Winston Smith, comes into possession of The Book, an underground exposé deemed illegal by The Party. “War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair,” it reads. “The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact. The very word ‘war,’ therefore, has become misleading. It would probably be accurate to say that by becoming continuous, war has ceased to exist…[this] is the inner meaning of the Party slogan: War is Peace.”[1]
Orwell’s thrilling tale was fit for an emerging Cold War era. In 1984, he imagined a world redefined by atomic war that chose to side with authoritarian regimes in exchange for the allure of peace and security. Today, his novel takes on a new form of relevance in our post-pandemic world where global injustice, conflict, and societal distrust are approaching new extremes.
“War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair.”
George Orwell, 1984.
The United States of America is said to be fighting an enemy from within. What began as rhetorical-sounding words on the campaign trail have manifested into an ever-present and unsettling reality. In late September, the President spoke to top military generals in a televised speech and said, “We’re under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don’t wear uniforms…And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.”[2]
Many attempts have been made to label or identify subversive groups set on the destruction of America, but all continue to fall short of demonstrating any true form of coordinated invasion or existential threat. Immigration, asylum seekers, and human trafficking—each presenting a unique challenge—have become the scapegoats for today’s domestic issues. The tropes are as old as the nation. Labor replacement (“They’re taking our jobs”), increasing crime (“They are drug smugglers, criminals, murderers, or jihadists”), social burdens (“They’re freeloading”), and theories of cultural and ethnic replacement (“They want to destroy our way of life”), are misleading, false, and discriminatory claims that stoke anxiety and distrust among the public.
Three decades of patch-worked immigration policies have created the conditions for a dominant narrative where our diverse history of a nation forged by immigrants is forgotten and virtue is set aside. We are now witnesses to a growing visible war presently focused on non-white residents accused of being invaders and terrorists. The pretext for the use of military force on American soil and its residents is already in motion and being normalized.
We are now witnesses to a growing visible war presently focused on non-white residents accused of being invaders and terrorists.
Masked agents with military-style gear now openly conduct reckless arrests in grocery store parking lots, traffic stops, neighborhoods, and places of business across the country. Images of men, women, and children arrested and swept away into unidentifiable vehicles are filling our social media feeds. Reports of overcrowded and unsanitary detention centers, family separations, and daily deportation flights are what thousands of our peaceful neighbors are currently facing. Without due process, publicly announced charges, or legal representation, the government is arresting and expelling large numbers of people with little accountability or evidence to prove these individuals as the perceived enemies of the state they claim them to be.
Good citizenship requires thoughtful questions. Who exactly are these enemies? Can they be identified as part of a military group? How are they organized and what are their goals? And what are the implications of military generals that are given a directive to see a perceived, unidentified “enemy from within” as a “major part” of future action?
At the same high-profile meeting of top generals with the President, the Secretary of War gave a blistering and alarming speech that attempted to shape a new ideological culture within the Department he oversees. “We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality, and authority for warfighters,” the Secretary declared. “You kill people and break things for a living.”[3]
We’re not living within an Orwellian simulation, but the idea that peace and security can only be achieved through authoritative power, oppression, and violence is now mainstream belief. The persecution of non-combatant, non-uniformed, non-white people living and working in our society cannot make neighborhoods safer or a nation great. Nor can the intimidation, strong-arming, or exploitation of global neighbors cultivate a world that flourishes.
We’re not living within an Orwellian simulation, but the idea that peace and security can only be achieved through authoritative power, oppression, and violence is now mainstream belief.
War is not peacemaking, but an injustice against people, economies, and our shared planet. This is not political correctness or liberal ideology; it’s the foundational principles to protecting human dignity for ourselves and our neighbors. The consequences of the trajectory we find ourselves on will be catastrophic for generations if we miss the opportunity to change our ways. We do so by standing for true justice that chooses compassion and mutual flourishing for each other.
Hope and Justice For All
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[1] George Orwell, 1984.
Matt Till 