Abuse of Ann Travers shows the dangers of online totalitarianism

In George Orwell’s dystopian ‘1984’, the ultimate Inner Party hack O’Brien outlines an all encompassing, terrifying future for the novel’s protagonist Winston Smith.

O’Brien paints an image in Smith’s mind of a boot crashing down on a human face forever as the lasting symbol of perpetual totalitarianism.

Orwell wrote his classic warning in the middle of the 20th century before the advent of the internet and social media networks in this millennia.

Despite the 1989 democratic revolutions, totalitarian states continue to exist from China in the east to Cuba in the west, with autocrats thriving and unleashing wars such as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The dictatorial boot is still smashing down on human faces across the planet.

A parallel vision of O’Brien’s grim prophecy exists in cyberspace where humans are stamped on repeatedly by mobs of trolls and fellow travellers faithfully defending the party line against dissenters.

Ann Travers is a dissident in the true sense of the word. She risks opprobrium online and off for speaking up for innocent victims, remembering always her sister Mary cut down in her prime by IRA assassins as she left church in south Belfast in, of all years, 1984.

For daring to call out those who would justify her sister’s murder, the attempted murder of her magistrate father Tom and all the innocents slaughtered in the Troubles, Ann is subject to the most horrendous, disgusting abuse. She has confirmed the pressure is so intense she is going off Twitter to deny her tormentors any more oxygen of attention.

Ann will be back. She has courage and fortitude but there is a lesson here, especially for voters south of the border - if you give real state power to a cult, imagine a future where dissent is stamped on and stamped out forever and forever.