Luke Burrage’s Reviews > 1984 > Status Update

One of my favorite things about the book is that the interesting plot, setting and characters are all a kind of excuse to get people to read The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, in which Orwell lays out the sad truth that humans have it within their power to use science and technology to give everyone a decent life, but largely fail to do so. He also throws in a clear explanation of the endless social class cycle, just as a nice bonus.

I think Orwell may have been somewhat irritated, had he lived, at how much attention has been payed to the aspects of the fictional totalitarian regime instead of his analysis of the ongoing reality of waste and evil. Or perhaps not, as he foresaw the reaction to his words:

'The programme it sets forth is nonsense. The secret
accumulation of knowledge--a gradual spread of enlightenment--ultimately
a proletarian rebellion--the overthrow of the Party. You foresaw yourself
that that was what it would say. It is all nonsense. The proletarians will
never revolt, not in a thousand years or a million. They cannot. I do
not have to tell you the reason: you know it already. If you have ever
cherished any dreams of violent insurrection, you must abandon them. There
is no way in which the Party can be overthrown. The rule of the Party is
forever. Make that the starting-point of your thoughts.'