Thought police and Oceanic Azerbaijan

Source: Google Images

Perhaps you have heard of this term. I camE across it while reading 1984 by G.Orwell. Interesting book by the way. A friend recently told me that 1984 applies more to countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan while Huxley's Brave New World to the West. The more I read, further I realize my friend is right and that I fully agree with him. 

The extent of surveillance state, paranoid assumptions, robotized thinking and much more- remind me of my own country and many other countries around the world where governments could not care less for its people while skillfully instilling fear in minds of millions.

So far however, my personal favorite in the book are references to what the author describes as Thought Police. People vanish because of their thoughts writes the author, especially when they are different i.e., potential challengers of the status quo must go (literally). There are monitors everywhere to "help" Thought Police, there are spies too. You are not safe even when you are with your family let alone your "comrades". The careful strategy implemented by the Big Brother ensures its power and permanency while eliminating any possible threats. 

Reminding me of how Azerbaijani police deals with protestors, advocates, journalists and activists on the streets and off the streets acting on the commands of their own version of Big Brother makes me think that soon we might too have the Though Police department. And the neglect of reality fits even better. Earlier in the book the author describes how easily facts are changed, including economy. 

The actual output was given at sixty- two millions. Winston, however in re-writing the forecast, marked the figure down to fifty- seven millions, so as to allow for the usual claim that the quota had been over- fulfilled. In any case, sixty- two millions was no nearer to the truth than fifty- seven millions, or than a hundred and forty- five millions. Very likely no boots had been produced at all. Likelier still, nobody knew how many had bee produced, much less cared. All one knew was that every quarter astronomical numbers of booths were produced on paper, while perhaps half the population of Oceania went barefoot (pp. 43- 44).

Rings a bell? Think Azerbaijani State Statistical Institute, think inflation numbers, think unemployment numbers, think whatever indicator that comes to your mind then put it into present day Azerbaijani context and voila, Azerbaijan ain't that far from Oceania.

And then add this article (and you can even watch it too [AZ]) published today of bold statements made by the President of Oceania ehm, excuse me, of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev speak of prospering democracy in Azerbaijan while vicious Europeans slam their people for protesting on the streets. Never mind how his very own police is slamming its very own people and the recently adopted gigantic fines added on November 10th to the Law on Freedom of Assembly. Never mind any of that, so long as the bellies of the upper echelons are full, their minds empty and their pockets full.

I guess the show must go on...