“Knowledge is power. Information is power. The secreting or hoarding of knowledge or information may be an act of tyranny camouflaged as humility”. - Robin Morgan. Controlling information ultimately is a way to manipulate the masses and silence the those who are against the current state.
The controlling of information, what with the constant propaganda as well as extreme censorship, it is these methods that ended up leading the people of Stalin-Era Russia to be oppressed much like college students are in The United States. While the propaganda aspect isn’t always explicitly used, the students still face extreme censorship brought on by the school and occasionally even their fellow peers. Orwell’s novel shows how control of information can
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What with the dictatorship of the pigs as well as a the mistreatment of the other animals, it is clear that Animal Farm is something much more than a story about livestock. “Napoleon becomes better and better at satisfying his own goals and needs and in duping the other animals into believing that he is doing it all for them. Each new project that takes all their energy keeps them from questioning whether their lives are truly improved. Napoleon is a master of propaganda, as was Stalin.” As a result of not only lying to the animals and distracting them with new projects that drain them emotionally and physically, but feeding them endless propaganda lead the animals to follow Napoleon and not acknowledge the absence of liberty that they are experiencing. “Squealer is so persuasive that he can cleverly turn ideas and thoughts inside out until the other animals are no longer sure of what is right or even what has happened.” Squealer is Napoleon’s mouthpiece. Whatever act of tyranny Napoleon has committed, Squealer will make the animals believe it was for their benefit. Thus causing the animals to follow blindly and not question their conditions. The ever present censorship experienced in the United States has been no different than what was experienced during the Russian revolution, both are ways of controlling information to in turn control the