# How long before Trump employs O'Brien to reducate us on crowd size? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 27, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323 "2017-01-27T17:38:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/1 "2017-01-27T17:38:29Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Whatever Trump holds to be the truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of Trump. That is the fact that you have got to relearn, Winston. It needs an act of self-destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane.’ He paused for a few moments, as though to allow what he had been saying to sink in. > > ‘Do you remember,’ he went on, ‘writing in your diary, ‘Freedom is the freedom to say that larger crowd is the one with the most people?’ > ‘Yes,’ said Winston. > O’Brien held up a picture of Trump’s inauguration in his left hand. > ‘Is this the largest inauguration crowd in history, Winston?’ > ‘No.’ > ‘And if Trump says that it is the largest?’ > ‘No.’ > > The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston’s body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O’Brien watched him, the picture still held up. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased. > > ‘Is this the largest crowd, Winston?’ As foretold here: [_1984_ by George Orwell](http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/1984-2.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/2 "2017-01-27T17:47:20Z")
No need for all that. Just denigrate all accurate sources of information as “biased”, and tweet to out to everyone who wants to believe. Their own cognitive biases will do the job painlessly. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/3 "2017-01-27T18:08:07Z")
You’re obiously [not the only one](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/25/511671118/classic-novel-1984-sales-are-up-in-the-era-of-alternative-facts) thinking along those lines ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/4 "2017-01-27T18:38:56Z")
Why did this deserve a thread, ffs? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/5 "2017-01-27T18:44:51Z")
Why did you feel the need to open it, ffs? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/6 "2017-01-27T18:50:55Z")
Obviously so I could register my distain, genius ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/7 "2017-01-27T19:45:29Z")
Ah, still struggling to engage without being a jerk, I see. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/8 "2017-01-27T19:55:31Z")
I was being optimistic in my hope this thread could generate discussion. Something like, what are the similarities and dissimilarities between Orwell’s 1984 and our current situation? Alas that has not yet been the case. Please engage in personal sniping in the correct forum. ETA: I accidently clicked the “lock this thread after post” button. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/9 "2017-01-27T20:08:03Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Obviously so I could register my distain, genius I believe the work you are searching for is “disdain”, rather than the archaic version “distain”. And I love the “genius” at the end, when you’ve made a rather basic spelling error. It adds a certain comicalness to the post that I most enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/10 "2017-01-27T20:16:22Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I was being optimistic in my hope this thread could generate discussion. Something like, what are the similarities and dissimilarities between Orwell’s 1984 and our current situation? From [here](https://theconversation.com/2017-isnt-1984-its-stranger-than-orwell-imagined-71971), I particularly like the quote: > [@](#): > > America, at least among many of the powerful minority who selected its president, the more official the fact, the more dubious. For Winston, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.” For this powerful minority, freedom is the freedom to say two plus two make five. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/11 "2017-01-27T20:23:58Z")
\ There… Are… Four… Lights! \ ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/12 "2017-01-27T20:27:18Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I believe the work you are searching for is “disdain”, rather than the archaic version “distain”. And I love the “genius” at the end, when you’ve made a rather basic spelling error. It adds a certain comicalness to the post that I most enjoyed. It was an homage to spelling mistake in the title. But seriously, Starting a whole thread for a rather unimaginative zinger is exactly why people are begging for a Trump only forum over in ATMB. This work of art could easily have been plopped in almost any one of the other bazillion ongoing Trump threads. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/13 "2017-01-27T21:01:33Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It was an homage to spelling mistake in the title. Good one! > [@CarnalK](#): > > But seriously, Starting a whole thread for a rather unimaginative zinger is exactly why people are begging for a Trump only forum over in ATMB. This work of art could easily have been plopped in almost any one of the other bazillion ongoing Trump threads. True enough. I like to post my Trump rants in the "[How has Trump pissed you off today"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=816812&page=4) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/14 "2017-01-27T21:07:51Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I believe the work you are searching for is “disdain”, rather than the archaic version “distain”. And I love the “genius” at the end, when you’ve made a rather basic spelling error. It adds a certain comicalness to the post that I most enjoyed. He’s employing alternative spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-trump-employs-obrien-to-reducate-us-on-crowd-size/778323/15 "2017-01-27T21:09:27Z")
I’m closing this in lieu of issuing warnings for failure to follow instructions. [/moderating]