The online journalism diploma module at JOMEC
Wales' doublethink
One day, I decided to take on my time to go and give my blood. I am a real activist so this means a lot to me and I usually give my blood several times a year.
So, after a short day of class, there I go, to the Students Union. I queue, as usual (I think I’m getting used to this very strange habit…). The only thing that differs is that I have to queue for quite a long time before someone actually talks to me. And when I say “quite a long time”, I mean 1 hour! Never mind… After that time, someone actually talks to me to check if I am fit to give my blood. But I am having a rush so this could be a problem. The nurse, or whatever she is, is not sure however. So I have to wait again. Less… Only half an hour. Only to be told I can’t give my blood. Great! One and a half hour for nothing!
But I don’t really care. For two main reasons.
First, I didn’t see any food to comfort people after they gave their blood. Don’t they think we deserve something after such an activist gesture? Are they not afraid of hypoglycaemia? But this doesn’t relate to me anymore…
Second, as I was queuing, I was given a card indicating, roughly, in which case people are allowed to give their blood, and in which they are forbidden to do it. It was then I discovered Wales’ (I dare not say, the UK’s, I don’t know, and I really hope not the UK’s) doublethink.
I’ll just quote Winston Smith, who says in 1984, written by G. Orwell: “To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself.”
So why am I saying that Wales is using doublethink? Let’s go back to this card I was given about who can and who can’t give their blood…
People having had sex in exchange for money or drug are forbidden from giving their blood. There is no mention of condom. This applies, whether people did or did not use a condom and whether they have HIV or not. First question mark; I didn’t know you could catch AIDS through money and drug… I ingenuously thought it was only transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.
This is the first sign of Wales’ use of doublethink. But the worst is still to come…
Men who had sex with another man or women who had sex with a man who had sex with another man are also forbidden to give their blood. Once again, no mention of whether a condom was used or not. We reach another stage now and we learn that AIDS is more likely to be transmitted to male homosexuals, and women who had sex with one of them, than to heterosexuals or female homosexuals. (Which scientific study discovered it? I really need to get myself up to date!) Anyway, here is the second sign of Wales’ use of doublethink.
On the one side, Wales claims to respect values such as equality and tolerance. One the other side, Wales shows it is unequal and non-tolerant. Prostitutes and gays are recognized as normal human being and citizen like everyone else, but at the same time they are stigmatised and prejudiced, unlike everyone else.
I was horrified and it made me want to throw up. So this is a developed nation within a developed State! Well, no wonder the world is not getting any better! As long as doublethink will remain in use in Wales, in the UK, and in the whole world, things will not improve. ! We are not stronger because we close our eyes, so that we cannot see problems, but because we look at them, so that we can find solutions to overcome them!
So, let’s stop hypocrisy and doublethink and let’s start thinking, logically, reflecting, and looking at reality in the eyes.
So, after a short day of class, there I go, to the Students Union. I queue, as usual (I think I’m getting used to this very strange habit…). The only thing that differs is that I have to queue for quite a long time before someone actually talks to me. And when I say “quite a long time”, I mean 1 hour! Never mind… After that time, someone actually talks to me to check if I am fit to give my blood. But I am having a rush so this could be a problem. The nurse, or whatever she is, is not sure however. So I have to wait again. Less… Only half an hour. Only to be told I can’t give my blood. Great! One and a half hour for nothing!
But I don’t really care. For two main reasons.
First, I didn’t see any food to comfort people after they gave their blood. Don’t they think we deserve something after such an activist gesture? Are they not afraid of hypoglycaemia? But this doesn’t relate to me anymore…
Second, as I was queuing, I was given a card indicating, roughly, in which case people are allowed to give their blood, and in which they are forbidden to do it. It was then I discovered Wales’ (I dare not say, the UK’s, I don’t know, and I really hope not the UK’s) doublethink.
I’ll just quote Winston Smith, who says in 1984, written by G. Orwell: “To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself.”
So why am I saying that Wales is using doublethink? Let’s go back to this card I was given about who can and who can’t give their blood…
People having had sex in exchange for money or drug are forbidden from giving their blood. There is no mention of condom. This applies, whether people did or did not use a condom and whether they have HIV or not. First question mark; I didn’t know you could catch AIDS through money and drug… I ingenuously thought it was only transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.
This is the first sign of Wales’ use of doublethink. But the worst is still to come…
Men who had sex with another man or women who had sex with a man who had sex with another man are also forbidden to give their blood. Once again, no mention of whether a condom was used or not. We reach another stage now and we learn that AIDS is more likely to be transmitted to male homosexuals, and women who had sex with one of them, than to heterosexuals or female homosexuals. (Which scientific study discovered it? I really need to get myself up to date!) Anyway, here is the second sign of Wales’ use of doublethink.
On the one side, Wales claims to respect values such as equality and tolerance. One the other side, Wales shows it is unequal and non-tolerant. Prostitutes and gays are recognized as normal human being and citizen like everyone else, but at the same time they are stigmatised and prejudiced, unlike everyone else.
I was horrified and it made me want to throw up. So this is a developed nation within a developed State! Well, no wonder the world is not getting any better! As long as doublethink will remain in use in Wales, in the UK, and in the whole world, things will not improve. ! We are not stronger because we close our eyes, so that we cannot see problems, but because we look at them, so that we can find solutions to overcome them!
So, let’s stop hypocrisy and doublethink and let’s start thinking, logically, reflecting, and looking at reality in the eyes.
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