soypoint-1 DAE we’re living in 1984?soypoint-2

    • yoink [she/her]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      2 months ago

      i remember the half-truth going around when I was a teenager and first encountering this book, that orwell was actually writing about a system he himself was part of

      it literally took until this thread for me to realise I still had never addressed that falsehood, like of course orwell didn’t actually live in the USSR, but i bet most people (if asked) will still believe that to be the case - that 1984 is orwell criticising a system he previously supported/was a part of, and not a piece of fiction spun out of whole cloth

      • BelieveRevolt [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        2 months ago

        that 1984 is orwell criticising a system he previously supported/was a part of

        Technically, I guess this is true if you interpret it as being a critique of ukkk. IIRC, there’s nothing in the book indicating that Oceania is supposed to be a communist country, except maybe “Ingsoc”, but you can easily dismiss that by saying the Nazis called themselves socialists too.

  • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    31
    ·
    2 months ago

    i never like to attack orwell for being a cop, a snitch and a r*pist, but instead focus on the fact that the loser worked for the BBC and ASSUMED that the USSR would be worse and wrote a whole-ass book about his daydreaming.

    • Krem [he/him]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      2 months ago

      working at the department of lies and propaganda sure feels like working for stalin’s department of propaganda which i imagine is just like my actual job, which is evil, and therefore stalin and the whole soviet union is evil

  • TemutheeChallahmet [none/use name]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    I mean I am sure this was at least a novel observation at the time that admirably encouraged a less information rich society to think and learn more, but nowadays, and likely even back then, this complaint could serve as a snooty way for effette educated men to channel their lingering resentment toward having been excluded or bullied by the working class/popular kids at their secondary schools. It’s a great line of self fellating cope for people bitter that they can’t vibe or know the haps.