Orwell and the Obama phenomenon

[anamnua]

To keep them in control was not difficult. A few agents of the Thought Police moved always among them, spreading false rumours and marking down and eliminating the few individuals who were judged capable of becoming dangerous; but no attempt was made to indoctrinate them with the ideology of the Party. It was not desirable that the proles should have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working-hours or shorter rations. And even when they became discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because, without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances. The larger evils invariably escaped their notice. Even the civil police interfered with them very little. There was a vast amount of criminality in London, a whole world-within-a-world of thieves, bandits, prostitutes, drug-peddlers and racketeers of every description; but since it all happened among the proles themselves, it was of no importance. In all questions of morals they were allowed to follow their ancestral code. The sexual Puritanism of the Party was not imposed upon them. Promiscuity went unpunished, divorce was permitted. For that matter, even religious worship was permitted (and many of London's historic Churches, which were in Prole areas, were still standing) They were beneath suspicion.
From George Orwell's 1984. For 'proles' read 'small town Americans'.

[anonymous171]

1. lol.

[thevoiceofreason]

2. Out of Hillary's campaign manual, no doubt!

She's going to have to shoot Rendell for going off the reservation.

[MercutioATC]

3. Ah, yes...and stating that these small-town Americans are JUSTIFIABLY bitter is SO Orwellian...

Do you even realize that you contradict your own contention?

[pnorman]

4. Thanks for posting that excerpt, so relevant today. I had quite forgotten it.

Here's the complete book online: http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/index.html

Pretty much all of Orwell's writings seem to be at that site.

pnorman