“Special Branch, the intelligence division of the Metropolitan Police, maintained a file on Orwell for more than 20 years of his life. The dossier, published by The National Archives, states that, according to one investigator, Orwell had ‘advanced Communist views and several of his Indian friends say that they have often seen him at Communist meetings.’ However, MI5, the intelligence department of the Home Office, noted: ‘It is evident from his recent writings – “The Lion and the Unicorn” – and his contribution to Gollancz’s symposium The Betrayal of the Left that he does not hold with the Communist Party nor they with him.’"
—from the Wikipedia article on G. Orwell quoting BBC News report.
Orwell based a lot of his thoughts on the role of his father with the British foreign service, keeping opium production up in Afghanistan to conquer China, as one little element. Reagan used “newspeak” quite a lot, like naming the MX (missile expensive) the “peacekeeper” among other things, like invading Grenada to save the world from Communism, again.
We’ve been repeatedly aimed towards Eric Blair’s projections, under multiple administrations, of both parties, and the core problem is when they use nationalism, masked as “exceptionalism” as an excuse to abuse the basic concept of “We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union…” It is the multiple ways folks try to disolve that unity, that is the real “1984” scenario.
cripplious over 9 years ago
You make them in test tube or issue licenses.
david.hill over 9 years ago
The absolute BEST real life example is in North Korea. Almost perfect to the T!
Thomas R. Williams over 9 years ago
“1984” was Blairspeak for “1948”.
“Special Branch, the intelligence division of the Metropolitan Police, maintained a file on Orwell for more than 20 years of his life. The dossier, published by The National Archives, states that, according to one investigator, Orwell had ‘advanced Communist views and several of his Indian friends say that they have often seen him at Communist meetings.’ However, MI5, the intelligence department of the Home Office, noted: ‘It is evident from his recent writings – “The Lion and the Unicorn” – and his contribution to Gollancz’s symposium The Betrayal of the Left that he does not hold with the Communist Party nor they with him.’"
—from the Wikipedia article on G. Orwell quoting BBC News report.
frogman0628 over 9 years ago
Actually it is a scary blend of 1984 and “Brave New World”
emptc12 over 9 years ago
And I’m reading this on my Telescreen. Which I bought and which I keep well updated.
louieglutz over 9 years ago
the shakers seem to have had that same problem.
Kip W over 9 years ago
I remember during the Bush administration, when all these things were just swell, and it was TREASON to complain about it.
To his credit, I think Stantis balked slightly at some of the more flagrant excesses, briefly.
Dtroutma over 9 years ago
Orwell based a lot of his thoughts on the role of his father with the British foreign service, keeping opium production up in Afghanistan to conquer China, as one little element. Reagan used “newspeak” quite a lot, like naming the MX (missile expensive) the “peacekeeper” among other things, like invading Grenada to save the world from Communism, again.
We’ve been repeatedly aimed towards Eric Blair’s projections, under multiple administrations, of both parties, and the core problem is when they use nationalism, masked as “exceptionalism” as an excuse to abuse the basic concept of “We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union…” It is the multiple ways folks try to disolve that unity, that is the real “1984” scenario.