After researching this claim, it is historically misleading. The US renamed the War Department to the Department of Defense in 1949, under President Harry Truman. Based on the comment you linked, it is not historically accurate to call it "obscuring imperial actions"... Keep in mind, we were in the middle of the Cold War during this time, it was not some type of calculated move to hide US imperialism and not designed to hide things from the public as in George Orwell's novel, 1984 did. The US was primarily focused on being prepared military wise as tensions with the Soviet Union were only increasing after WW2. With the Cold War, we entered a new era (Nuclear weapons, race to the moon, etc.) Which could blow up mankind, literally.
May I add, in the novel 1984, it is complete control over the population with no freedom, rewriting of history, propaganda, manipulation, constant surveillance, mind control, and severe punishments for the rebellious. While the novel talks about the idea of imperialism in the never-ending wars between the 3 superpowers, this is not the main focus of the time of the cold war… If you think about it, after countries were devastated after WWII, they could easily be taken over by communism... While yes, the US VS, Soviet Union Cold War was mainly free/capitalist ideology VS. Communism, it is not appropriate to compare it to Orwellian imperialism… Which was an endless war for economic gain and nationalism. This totalitarian Orwellian regime is not comparable to the Cold War era at all where the situation was dire and the world was practically rebuilding after WW2. This comparison is very extreme.
Not to mention, be careful where you get your sources from. Social media, Blue Sky, is not an accurate source of information. On an app with many differing opinions and rumors, misinformation or inaccurate historical information can spread like wildfire. It also increases the likelihood of polarization within our country, which you can see a glimpse with the phrasing "at least Trump is being honest."
To finish off, be careful of comparing reality to dystopian books, it distorts what is actually historically accurate. And if you lived in a society like in 1984... You or the person you cited wouldn't be able to even make this comment. Something to ponder about.
Sources:
Disclaimer: *Some information is what I remember from reading this book and studying the Cold War, but I fact checked it and these websites will clarify more
Historical Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
1984 - Book Summary (video)
Cold War | Dates, Definition, Timeline, Summary, Era, & Facts | Britannica
The Cold War Background | United States History II
Why Truman changed the ‘War Department’ to the ‘Department of Defense’
