Political Figures: Most shocking Orwell fact?

Orwell is one of the most discussed authors in the world today, even more than a half-century after he died. However, his life was contradictory, as we can see! Which of these is the most shocking?

---------------------------------------

[These footnotes are NOT substitutes for consulting a good biography or encylopedia I do NOT claim them as a substitute for those]

*Lev Davidovich Trotsky led the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War. After the death of Lenin, he was exiled and later assassinated by Stalin. Orwell was possibly sympathetic with Trotsky because of his time in the POUM milita in Spain which had loose ties with Trotsky. Unlike Orwell, Trotsky rejected Burnham's (below) analysis of the Soviet Union as an emerging new class society and called it a "degenerated workers state" based on backwardness and outside pressures. Trotsky said without a "political revolution" the state would be sold out to or would be crushed by the capitalist nations. Orwell, heavily influenced by Burnham, believed the Capitalist countries would fall after the war and immediately be taken over by a new class of managers who would perfect exploitation. Orwell believed that Capitalism was doomed and socialism was impossible. So his book 1984 and the end of Animal Farm is about a historical impasse. Despite these critical differences, Orwell makes secondary protagonists out of Trotsky in Animal Farm and 1984. In both it appears that the Trotsky character is defeated.

**1984 and *the end of* animal farm portray what Burnham calls Bureaucratic Collectivism (Oligarchical Collectivism in 1984) which has defeated Socialism and has moved beyond the level of the Soviet bureaucracy which helped prevent the Spanish Revolution Orwell devoted himself to (for instance, there is a key passage in 1984 which states that the Nazis and the Stalinists came close in method but were not equivilent to "Ingsoc"). This new class is a new "managerial" class as portrayed in a book Orwell was fascinated with, the Managerial Revolution by James Burnham. Burnham was a Trotskyist until 1940 and by the 60s was a major conservative figure who was awarded a medal by Ronald Reagen. Orwell also was heading in this direction with his turning in of communist sympathizers, but he died in the 40s.

For more information please review Wikipedia, 1984 and the Managerial Revolution by James Burnham.


Edited by RoyFairbank - May 18 2009 at 21:05

Revolutionary in Spain?!

That takes my cake.

Well, I hadn't heard the bit about the communist sympathizers.  I think 1984 is one of the most important books of the 20th century.  But why did the Bush administration have to go an use it as a guide of how to do things? 

StyLaZyn wrote: Animal Farm emulates the USA in a way. The idea that all men are created equal. Yet if you observe, some are more equal than others. Particularly those with money.

And those born into the right families.

crimhead wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: Animal Farm emulates the USA in a way. The idea that all men are created equal. Yet if you observe, some are more equal than others. Particularly those with money. And those born into the right families.

That's for sure. My old roommate was one of those. We had some....fairly intense debates. Of course I always won because he was never able to prove how his economics dosn't just benefit those who have money already.
I digress

My vote went with turning in the list of Communists.
But maybe this shouldn't be a surprise. Socialists & Communists used to hate each other.

Most shocking Orwell face? He's a psychic.


"More than 2,000 10 and 11-year-olds will see a short film, which urges them to tell the police, their parents or a teacher if they hear anyone expressing extremist views. "

Full article here:
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/4425941.East_Lancashire_youngsters_see_film_on_terrorism_danger/

TheCaptain wrote: Most shocking Orwell face? He's a psychic. "More than 2,000 10 and 11-year-olds will see a short film, which urges them to tell the police, their parents or a teacher if they hear anyone expressing extremist views. " Full article here: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/4425941.East_Lancashire_youngsters_see_film_on_terrorism_danger/

I think it's great that they teach these kind of things at school. When I was 10 years old it didn't even cross my mind that anyone around me could be a terrorist. If a terrorist had attacked me on the street, I wouldn't have known what to do! Kids today can probably liquidate terrorists with their left hand while swapping Pokemon cards with the right. It's amazing how things progress!