system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[1984] Why didn't Winston get arrested for Thoughtcrime when they originally knew?

O'Brien says that "for seven years" he had been watching over him. His relationship with Julia and even his diary were known. However, they waiting for nearly a decade before going after him? Why did they wait until he went further to arrest him, since thoughtcrime is the essential crime in itself, and actions don't mean anything?
gpt
"always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless."  


They aren't arresting people to preserve their power, or even to stop thoughtcrime. They're explicitly arresting them for *fun*. And it's more fun to let someone think they're getting away with it before pulling the rug out from under them then it is to shut them down immediately.

They're sure their power is unassailable, so they're just fucking around. Such is the nature of a state that actively strives to cause suffering.