Doublespeak and Doublethink Explained

Doublethink is having two contradictory beliefs which was coined by George Orwell in the novel 1984. An example is supporting the Libya war while calling it a humanitarian action, or "peace." Doublespeak is similar in that actual words are distorted or have a reversed meaning; again, "war" means "peace." Once you know what it is, you will begin to see it everywhere, not just in politics, but in media, and entertainment. The song "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" sings about how much of a classic cowboy he is like John Wayne, riding his horse into town instead of a Cadillac SUV. Yet if you've even seen the singer in real life--a prime example was the reality show that brought singers from other genres to sing country songs on CMT--he wears big fut coats.