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I believe the keyword here is "assert". As people have free will, you can either motivate/entice/lead them or you can demotivate/punish/control them or a combi
by rawgabbit 2y ago
I believe the keyword here is "assert". As people have free will, you can either motivate/entice/lead them or you can demotivate/punish/control them or a combination of the two.
"Assert" implies O'Brien has already chosen the punitive route. In other words, O'Brien is not revealing some deep secret of human power dynamics. Instead, O'Brien is giving a self congratulatory self justifying explanation for his wrong doing.
- Terr_ 2y ago> Instead, O'Brien is giving a self congratulatory self justifying explanation for his wrong doing. It is at the minimum of very different kind of self-justification than what you'd usually expect from a villain. When Winston answers with the the expected "for your own good" narrative, O'Brien rejects it and punishes him for it: > The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing.
- rawgabbit 2y agoThe first rule of power is those in power want to stay in power. The second rule is that they will only voluntarily give up power if they can keep their ill gotten gains.