Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

George Orwell described Bush so well in 1984 it's spooky

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU
 
MSgt213 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:08 AM
Original message
George Orwell described Bush so well in 1984 it's spooky
Edited on Sun Oct-31-04 09:30 AM by MSgt213
A Party member is expected to have no private emotions and no respites from enthusiasm. He is supposed to live in a continuous frenzy of hatred of foreign enemies and internal traitors, triumph over victories, and self-abasement before the power and wisdom of the Party. The discontents produced by his bare, unsatisfying life are deliberately turned outwards and dissipated by such devices as the Two Minutes Hate, and the speculations which might possibly induce a sceptical or rebellious attitude are killed in advance by his early acquired inner discipline.

The first and simplest stage in the discipline, which can be taught even to young children, is called, in Newspeak, crimestop. Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction. Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity.

But stupidity is not enough. On the contrary, orthodoxy in the full sense demands a control over one's own mental processes as complete as that of a contortionist over his body. Oceanic society rests ultimately on the belief that Big Brother is omnipotent and that the Party is infallible. But since in reality Big Brother is not omnipotent and the party is not infallible, there is need for an unwearying, moment-to-moment flexibility in the treatment of facts. The keyword here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings.

Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink.

http://www.mondopolitico.com/library/1984/1984_c17.htm
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
KlatooBNikto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:22 AM
Response to Original message
1. I like the term protective stupidity but it presupposes the existence
of some intelligence.In Bush's case that may not apply.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
dirtyduck Donating Member (274 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:24 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. protective stupidity applies to the sheeple though
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KlatooBNikto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:58 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Correct.Didn't think of that.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
tmooses Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:30 AM
Response to Original message
3. I periodically flash on Orwell-the latest "the I pledge to Bush" rallies
n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
CrispyQ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 09:55 AM
Response to Original message
4. I really like this phrase . . .
"...there is need for an unwearying, moment-to-moment flexibility in the treatment of facts."
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KlatooBNikto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 10:00 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. What a great way of saying you need to be relentless in your ability to
lie!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
robbedvoter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 10:00 AM
Response to Original message
6. All tyrants look alike. Orwell was thinking Russia - but ain't it funny
how all extremes eventually meet?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KlatooBNikto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-31-04 10:01 AM
Response to Reply #6
8. Can you tell me how Bush's America is that different from the late
unlamented Soviet Union?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Tue Apr 23rd 2024, 02:40 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC