By Justin King / The Anti-Media
George Orwell ranks among the most profound social critics of the modern era. Some of his quotations, more than a half a century old, show the depth of understanding an enlightened mind can have about the future.
“In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”
Though many in the modern age have the will to bury their head in the sand when it comes to political matters, nobody can only concern themselves with the proverbial pebble in their shoe. If one is successful in avoiding politics, at some point the effects of the political decisions they abstained from participating in will reach their front door. More often than not, by that time the person has already lost whatever whisper of a voice the government has allowed them.
“All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”
Examining the nightly news in the run up to almost any military intervention will find scores of talking heads crying for blood to flow in the streets of some city the name of which they just learned to pronounce. Once the bullets start flying, those that clamored for war will still be safely on set bringing you up-to-the-minute coverage of the carnage while their stock in Raytheon climbs.
“War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it.”
It’s pretty self-explanatory and while it may be hard to swallow, it’s certainly true. All it takes is a quick look at who benefited from the recent wars waged by the United States to see Orwell’s quip take life.
“The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.”
My most prized books are a collection of history books from around the world. I have an Iraqi book that recounts the glory of Saddam Hussein’s victory over the United States in 1991. I have books from three different nations claiming that one of their citizens was the first to fly. As some of the most powerful nations in the world agree to let certain facts be “forgotten,” the trend will only get worse. History is written by the victor, and the victor will never be asked if he told the truth.
“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Even without commentary, the reader is probably picturing Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning. The revolutions of the future will not be fought with bullets and explosives, but with little bits of data traveling around the world destroying the false narratives with which governments shackle their citizens.
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
Make no mistake about it; if an article does not anger someone, it is nothing more than a public relations piece. Most of what passes for news today is little more than an official sounding advertisement for a product, service, or belief.
“In real life it is always the anvil that breaks the hammer…”
In every conflict, it is not the side that can inflict the most damage, but the side that can sustain the most damage that ultimately prevails. History is full of situations in which a military “won the battles but lost the war.”
“The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.”
Haditha. Panjwai. Maywand District. Mahmudiyah. These names probably don’t ring a bell, but it is almost a certainty that the reader is aware of the brutality that occurred in Benghazi. The main difference is that in the first four incidents, those committing the acts of brutality were wearing an American flag on their shoulder.
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”
Everyday there is a new form of censorship or a new method of forcing people into self-censorship, and the people shrug it off because it only relates to a small minority. By the time the people realize their ability to express disapproval has been completely restricted, it may be too late. That brings us to Orwell’s most haunting quote.
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”
Once the people are indoctrinated with nationalistic beliefs, and the infrastructure to protect them from some constantly-changing and ever-expanding definition of an enemy is in place, there is no ability for the people to regain liberty. By the time all of the pieces are in place, not only is opportunity to regain freedom lost, but the will to achieve freedom has also evaporated. The reader will truly love Big Brother.
Republished from TheAntiMedia.org under a Creative Commons license. Written by Justin King.
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Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.
WOW!!
In our jingoistic worldview we’ve gone from “Libre de Oppresso”(Liberate the Oppressed), in foreign lands, to “Oppresso de Libre”( Oppress the Liberty.).in this our own, our native land.
That’s not what those qoutes mean..at all. First off, it’s Latin, and spelled “liber, not libre”. And the first quote means “Free from oppressed” ; the second “Oppressed (in the wrong case, by the way) from free.” The word order is also wrong. It’s supposed to be “De oppresso liber”
Mr. Sayles may have confused his Latin, but his message is right on.
You are absolutely correct Robert Arnold; my case and tense in latin are incorrect. I’m a bit like Dan Quayle when on his visit to South America, he apologized for only taking a year of Latin. My recollection of the phrase came from 1969 when I was in Bad Tolz W/Germany and the pin w/the crossed arrows that covered the flash on the headgear was emblazoned with that message. It was a mission statement and reflection of values held by group members that became deep graven on each heart. The meaning was designed as a principle to live by, a duty to uphold. The thought that today the oppressed are more and more in our native land is a reality not contemplated by most of the ghosts of those who were members of that operational group long ago, many who died in their efforts to fullfill that obligation. That said, excuse my bastardization of Latin.
Every one of these is brilliant. Every single one.
Each one is appropriate, to describe the situation here, in India.
George Orwell was English and mostly commented on political and social issues in the UK and Europe. It’s quaint and a lesson in itself that you think he predicted American life.
Huh?
Good God! Sounds like he must have known someone from Colorado Springs!
Wow, he predicted life in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s worldwide! Wait, that doesn’t sound right…
Orwell didn’t predict anything. He just wrote 3 masterpieces–“1984,” “Animal Farm,” & “Homage to Catalonia”–that transcend all time.
Very insightful of a very frightening picture of the world we have created. 1984 goes on and on for ever.