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Orwell is a figure who managed to carve out a much-needed niche of being anti-fascist, anti-imperialist, and anti-Communist simultaneously. Orwell perceived Stalinism to be a negation of democratic socialism
He *never* spied on leftists on behalf of the British government.
He *never* spied on leftists on behalf of the British government.
This section makes a point and then instantly negates it with context. It's solely for the purposes of propagandizing and associating Orwell with the CIA, despite the fact this occurred after he died.
Also "mandatory viewing" is a dramatic way to say "part of a curriculum."
Also "mandatory viewing" is a dramatic way to say "part of a curriculum."
The "Orwell's List" being Orwell "collaborating with the government to blacklist Communists" is a lie
When in reality it was Celia Kirwan (the sister-in-law of Arthur Koestler and IRD official) attempting to recruit socialists and other anti-Stalin leftists to combat the USSR.
When in reality it was Celia Kirwan (the sister-in-law of Arthur Koestler and IRD official) attempting to recruit socialists and other anti-Stalin leftists to combat the USSR.
What "Orwell's List" consisted of was a list of people who he thought were not trustworthy to recruit due to their being susceptible to the charms and pressure of Stalinism and other potential dictatorial invasions, and might undermine the effort.
Orwell also wrote in this list that Peter Smolka (Peter Smollett) was 'almost certainly' an agent of the USSR (the only actual direct accusation present in the list) and it turns out that he was 100% correct about Smolka being a direct foreign recruit.
All if this information certainly puts to rest all of the sinister innuendo that is present in this section of the article.
It is true that Orwell had his prejudices, however, he recognized these prejudices within himself and lived his life arguing himself out of them. And whenever he was allowed the opportunity he advocated *against* the government sanctioned bigotry against these groups of people.
It appears that Ben stopped reading Homage to Catalonia about 3/4ths of the way through considering what Orwell thought to be a worker's paradise in certain sections of Spain was quickly crushed by the forces of the USSR and turned into a thought-policing hellscape.
This article, of course, ignores the existence of the Molotov-RIbbentrop Pact as many modern USSR apologists do. To castigate Orwell for "working with capitalists to fight the Nazis" is to (if we're consistent) castigate Stalin for working with Nazis to crush the capitalists."
Orwell thought Fascism was so incorrect and evil on its face that he didn't feel the need to write about it much. In his circles, people were more enthralled by Stalinism than Fascism.
He also argued menacingly against pacifists who advocated against war with the Nazi regime.
He also argued menacingly against pacifists who advocated against war with the Nazi regime.
Notice the dichotomy presented by Norton.
"If you read Orwell you'd think that Stalin was the TRUE evil guy and not the Nazis."
This is the warped mindset that Orwell was talking about. He opposed both Stalinists and Fascists. It is possible and consistent to do such a thing.
"If you read Orwell you'd think that Stalin was the TRUE evil guy and not the Nazis."
This is the warped mindset that Orwell was talking about. He opposed both Stalinists and Fascists. It is possible and consistent to do such a thing.
To say that Orwell's hatred of Communism exceeded his hatred of genocidal fascists is to ignore the fact that the man took up arms to fight Fascists (at home and abroad), but took up words to fight Communists. You are a delusional totalitarian nutcase, Ben Norton.
I've never read anywhere Orwell "denouncing his past work on behalf of the British Empire." If I recall correctly the only denouncing of his work he's ever done is the fact that he thought a couple of his early and relatively unknown novels were poor literary endeavors.
He also, didn't hold onto his colonial mentality. In fact, the reason he quit the Imperial Police in Burma was because he was disgusted by imperialism and even more disgusted by himself being a cog in that machine of oppression and bigotry.
The first section is a typical tankie denial of any non-Islamist rebel factions trying to throw off Ba'athist Fascism in the Middle East.
Orwell was not a neocon. He was a Trot who thought (correctly) that Stalinism was a negation of his leftist principles.
Orwell was not a neocon. He was a Trot who thought (correctly) that Stalinism was a negation of his leftist principles.
To conclude, Ben Norton, shut the fuck up you idiotic, ignorant, boot-licking, totalitarian douchebag. The fact that you are not coated in the spit of everyone you pass by on the street is a crime against humanity.
You embody everything I hate. You fucking suck.
/thread
You embody everything I hate. You fucking suck.
/thread
PS: Orwell did more to fight Fascism in his short life than Ben Norton will ever do in his inevitably long embarrassing and pathetic one. Ben Norton is a useful idiot for Fascists in the 21st Century. They love total morons like him.
