July 11, 2006
Orwell for the U.S. today
Things are seeming a little "Orwellian" these days, no? On a re-reading of a few Orwell essays, especially "The Lion and the Unicorn" it occurred to me that Orwell's take on pre/early-WWII England -- a great power beyond its peak, embroiled in a conflict most of its citizens hardly understood -- might well resonate with a few features of U.S. culture are reflected or conveyed in our current administration's stance in world affairs.
Here are a few particular gems that seem timely, making things seem a bit "Orwellian" regardless of whether one think there are significant similarities between an Orwellian police state and the United States (a stance I would certainly argue against quite strongly given the freedoms we still protect!):
1. “Up to a point, the sense of national unity is a substitute for a ‘world view.”
2. “The left wing writers who denounce the whole of the ruling class as ‘pro-Fascist’ are grossly oversimplifying. Even among the inner clique of politicians who brought us to our present pass, it is doubtful whether there were many conscious traitors. The corruption that happens…is seldom of that kind. Nearly always it is more in the nature of self-deception, of the right hand not knowing what the left hand doeth.”
3. “…everyone described as an ‘intellectual’ has lived in a state of chronic discontent with the existing order.”
Are Orwell’s characterizations seemingly relevant now because they’re specific to countries that are – or at least, believe themselves to be – at war? To countries with common religious and cultural heritages in such a situation? Or perhaps, even more specifically, these quotes seem to resonate today because of common characteristics of a point in power and time: two great global leaders, afraid their influence is on the wane, seeking to mobilize a citizenry uneven in its interest or awareness of the greater world but at the same time fearful of how external trends threaten internal stability and prosperity.
Perhaps “Orwellian” has a whole other useful meaning today.
Posted by Sam Hodges at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)
