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by questioning whether or not things are true i think we mean: does our perception of our own freedom and the events reported by authority model reality?
in 1984 the citizens of Oceania (i think that was the mega-country's name anyway) were certain that they were free and that a valuable war was being waged. no one seemed to notice that the news coverage was being changed, history being replaced. except for the occasional prisoner being paraded around, the war was just something on tv even though it was the goal of nearly every one's existence.
that is the context in which truth is being discussed. the characters in the book were experiencing a life in which a hood was kept over the heads of citizens who were sure they were informed of the reality of their existence. when we (or at least, i) talk about truth in this thread, we're asking whether or not we, in our current situation, are being subjected to a similar ruse and, if so, the nature and degree of it.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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