We’re Living Off Crumbs

Yet still supporting a system that is destroying us

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Dystopia, a word that crops up frequently to describe the situation of the world in 2022. The avalanche of crises that we now face is due to decades of the erosion of our civil rights, our school systems, and our social services, all in the name of profit for the few.

Democracy in the US is no more than a facade. We have for decades been an oligarchy, hiding behind a mask of “freedom.” An oligarchy that profits from systemic racism, ensuring the growth of inequality.

In our hearts, we know that this is immoral, yet we continue to participate because we can no longer imagine a better way. We are stuck. We ask, “Why?”

George Orwell tried to enlighten us in his novel 1984.

“War is Peace/Freedom is Slavery/Ignorance is Strength.”

Orwell opened his book in this way on purpose in order to introduce the reader to the concept of Doublethink, which is what allows the people of Oceania to live with constant contradictions in their lives. Doublethink is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in one’s mind simultaneously. The Party develops this ability in it’s citizens by undermining their individuality, independence and autonomy and by creating an environment of constant fear through propaganda. In…