Language plays an important role for political debates and government decisions. Information is often misrepresented to gain the favor of the populous. This is evident in Orwell’s writing and in the “Hackvists” documentary, often during the course of Knappenberger’s documentary it is shown that euphemisms can greatly mislead and disrupt events in society. Orwell expresses similar views on the topic of euphemisms. In his writings Orwell conveys that a government’s ability to abuse power for gain is completely unjust, this coincides with the hacktivist point of view on freedom of speech and oppression.
The theme of censorship is commonly seen in the film, in relation to Orwell, he describes that the withholding of information can only lead to the betrayal of trust. Orwell desires a use of clear language and less vague lifeless writing, while in the modern documentary on hacktivism echo’s the need for freedom of speech and decensorship. Overall it is seen that the main desire for clear language is spoken through Orwells writing while also being displayed by Knappenberger’s documentary. The term euphemism is a common theme to political speeches and writings worldwide.
The misleading of information while maintaining the writer’s original goal shapes the opinion of the readrer “Humans have always resorted to euphemisms, vague and indirect expressions, in their quest to avoid and camouflage life’s harsh realities. “(Halmari). In relation to Orwell the same views are held, the use of euphemisms greatly skew the true information, “The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms” (Orwell).
These methods of language leave one with a lack of content to form a proper opinion about a statement or event; this is seen in the conflicts over Egypt displayed in the hacktivists documentary. The hacktivist group stands for freedom of speech, to protest, and clear language from their government. This group takes action in various ways ranging from physical protest to DDoS attacks. This coincides with Orwell’s vision, because first world society euphemism is used to provide a cloudiness and vagueness to harsh more serious events in history (Orwell).
Through both Orwell and the film the desire for said clear language is evidently shown. Concluding the current state of our politics revolve around a government’s ability to use euphemisms in order to continue current actions while representing them as a viable reasoning’s to the public (Orwell). Censorship is suppression of information and is a common practice politically. Government, in order to retain power and likeness will side to withhold and not display their engagements they might be making.
Empathized in the Orwells writing the notion of power over the use of language is critical to politics, commonly criticizing ones lack of clear language in speech and writings. Where as in the modern-day hacktivist’s documentary the action is seen everywhere and is used in a way to suppress the population of Egypt. To the hacktivists the use of censorship on the internet is the suppression of ones right to privacy and free speech, they believe no one should be restricted from it. As seen in the hacktivist documentary they are completely against this and fight for themselves and other in order to rid censorship.
Orwell has said that with the use of unclear language said party can gain power over their politics concluding that currently the sum of politics is saturated with this method of speech. Knapp contrasts this with the Tunisian and Egyptian Government and their use of internet censorship. Political writings and even scientific writings are still haunted from misused and overused vices to this day (Orwell). These very vices conflict the importance of topic at hand. Clear language, a lack of sincerity and the English language is at the mercy of how politics use them.
People skew information to lessen the effect, Tragedies in war are written off and turned largely turned into euphemisms and while this happens governments are gaining power from it. In the hacktivists, politics are boldly defined in negativity, to many of the anonymous the government and its politicians are labeled as main oppressors of their rights and takers of their security and freedom; Anonymous often attacks the government and resources because of this. In the documentary PayPal cuts there ties with wikileaks possibly because of their ties to the anarchic Anonymous group.
To Orwell Language is a modern society’s most harmful quality with political writing consisting of long “pretentious diction” and “meaningless words to either make the reader believe it to be better based on bias or to lose them from seeing the point you’re trying to make. Overall hacktivism strongly relates to Orwells teaching on clear language, freedom of speech and power of politics. These strong connections stem from the euphemisms commonly found in Knappenbergs modern day hacktivism, and the anonymous opinion on governments and the actions of the country’s in currently history.
Although the Hacktivism of anonymous may sometimes contrast Orwell’s more political approach to change they follow his basic principles on language and freedom of speech. A common collusion is too often among governments in order to obtain gains, there is a means to zero censorship from the government and the ability for its people to speak about their choices or protest against them, both writings/documentary’s defining this. A main desire for clear language is spoken through Orwells writing while being displayed by Knappenberger’s documentary about the hacktivists.