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There are four "ministries" or sections of government: the Ministry of Truth, which primarily rewrites history (and in which Winston, the story's protagonist, is employed); the Ministry of Plenty, which squanders resources; the Ministry of Peace, which fuels the perpetual war with Eastasia or Eurasia by using these resources for war purposes; and finally the Ministry of Love, where Party enemies, usually those guilty of ''thoughtcrime,'' are tortured and brainwashed into loving the Party before eventually being killed. The novel describes the Ministry of Love as the most terrifying, as it has no windows and is surrounded by barbed wire and gorilla-like guards with truncheons.  
 
There are four "ministries" or sections of government: the Ministry of Truth, which primarily rewrites history (and in which Winston, the story's protagonist, is employed); the Ministry of Plenty, which squanders resources; the Ministry of Peace, which fuels the perpetual war with Eastasia or Eurasia by using these resources for war purposes; and finally the Ministry of Love, where Party enemies, usually those guilty of ''thoughtcrime,'' are tortured and brainwashed into loving the Party before eventually being killed. The novel describes the Ministry of Love as the most terrifying, as it has no windows and is surrounded by barbed wire and gorilla-like guards with truncheons.  
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Note that all of these names are heavily [[irony|ironic]]:  
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Note that all of these names are quite [[irony|ironic]]:  
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* The Ministry of Truth is in fact a ministry of deceit, where the Party maintains control over newspapers, television and historical records in a never-ending race to edit the past to conform to the attitudes of the present. This campaign of historical revisionism, usually the provenance of academics trying to "uncover" new information, is performed here by an army of Party members who knowingly edit the truth and fabricate people, dates and events whole cloth. It is unlikely the Orwell envisioned such behavior occurring in his own country so soon, see [[Climategate]].  
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* The Ministry of Truth, or Minitrue, in newspeak, is in fact a ministry of lies, where the Party maintains control over newspapers, television and historical records in a never-ending race to edit the past to conform to the attitudes of the present. This campaign of historical revisionism, usually the provenance of academics trying to "uncover" new information, is performed here by an army of Party members who knowingly edit the truth and fabricate people, dates and events whole cloth. By systematically changing what records state, so that never, is the party seen as wrong. Ironically, the Ministry of truth, is indeed spreading truth, if the past only exists in records, and memory, and all who hold that memory will cease to hold it.
    
*The Ministry of Plenty rations almost all food and drink, with the notable exception of cheap "Victory Gin." Orwell was very insightful to note the connection between heavy alcohol use and compliance to the whims of a "nanny state," especially when the government is the only source of food and money for the population. All other food products are of poor quality, made in government-owned factories that are constantly behind on schedule because of the (intentional) inefficiency of the government-run industries in Oceania. Orwell was almost eerily prescient to have had this insight, as in the following years [[Stalin]] proved just how far an ultra-liberal would go to starve his people into compliance.
 
*The Ministry of Plenty rations almost all food and drink, with the notable exception of cheap "Victory Gin." Orwell was very insightful to note the connection between heavy alcohol use and compliance to the whims of a "nanny state," especially when the government is the only source of food and money for the population. All other food products are of poor quality, made in government-owned factories that are constantly behind on schedule because of the (intentional) inefficiency of the government-run industries in Oceania. Orwell was almost eerily prescient to have had this insight, as in the following years [[Stalin]] proved just how far an ultra-liberal would go to starve his people into compliance.
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