Appendix

Appendix: Definitions of Orwellian Concepts

Newspeak is the best known. It involves a narrowing of language aimed at restricting the scope of thought. There have been numerous examples since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with directives to remove words from federal agencies and websites such as ‘climate crisis’, ‘racism’, ‘woman’, ‘decarbonisation’…

Doublethink involves maintaining contradictions by making a conscious effort to believe that both are true, as in the famous example from the novel 1984: “War is peace.”

Mutability of the past is an attempt to erase and rewrite history so that it aligns with the government’s agenda. For example, it is no longer possible today in the United States to say that it was built largely on slavery if one wishes to receive funding or to organize exhibitions or conferences within federal institutions.