So why is 1984 suddenly relevant again?

With the shrinking of basic freedoms, the rewriting of history and erosion of language and culture – have Orwell’s prophecies been fulfilled? @Bershidsky says no http://bloom.bg/35BiP2A 

Regimes, like Russia, try bits of the Oceanian recipe:

Search for external enemies
Demand blind loyalty
Increasingly sophisticated surveillance and propaganda methods

But they continue to be thwarted by those who refuse to think as they’re told http://bloom.bg/35BiP2A 

In 1984, Winston Smith ends up the loser, but thanks to the newspeak annex, we know that the Ingsoc system ultimately lost.

Winston’s rebellion wasn’t entirely wasted http://bloom.bg/35BiP2A