The Better Craftsperson #3. Eric Arthur Blair
Eric Blair consistently wrote under the name of George Orwell his whole life against totalitarianism in all its forms, including the far-right. His works, like Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, serve as powerful critiques of authoritarianism and the dangers of unchecked power, regardless of whether it originates from the left or right. Orwell, a self-described democratic socialist, actively opposed both fascism and communism, seeing them as threats to individual liberty and democratic values.
Both Orwell and Winston Churchill were real truth-tellers for generations to come. Yes, even for us. Both had the ability, in Orwell’s words, to face simple but unpleasant facts. Both were exiled from their political circles. Both had been fugitives. Both had awe-inspiring physical and moral courage. Both felt that their fathers regarded them as disappointments. Both flirted with suicidal thoughts. And both, above all, were children of the Enlightenment.
The “hero” of 1984, George Orwell’s chilling prediction of a totalitarian future, is Winston Smith. The names of fictional characters were never chosen by Orwell haphazardly. Orwell’s feelings about Churchill were indeed decidedly ambivalent. Although he was a self-described man of the Left, he was also far too clear-sighted and intellectually honest to accept the standard left-wing view that Churchill was a so-called right-wing grotesque.
Despite admiring Churchill's wartime leadership, Orwell stayed critical of his policies and his imperialist views. Orwell, as a democratic socialist, was wary of the potential for authoritarianism, even in a wartime leader. He also complimented Churchill by saying his writings were "more like those of a human being than of a public figure". This suggests that Orwell appreciated Churchill's ability to express vulnerability and acknowledge mistakes, qualities often absent in political figures.
Thus in the end, despite political and philosophical differences, both shared a commitment to truth and a belief in the importance of ordinary people and for that we should be for ever thankful. Moreover, Orwell was highly critical of any authoritarianism and suppression of democracy respecting free speech. He might have concerns about restrictions of freedoms and the spread of so-called cancel culture, where any individual is shamed or silenced for having opinions
[media=https://youtu.be/QrmIXK38Oe0]
Both Orwell and Winston Churchill were real truth-tellers for generations to come. Yes, even for us. Both had the ability, in Orwell’s words, to face simple but unpleasant facts. Both were exiled from their political circles. Both had been fugitives. Both had awe-inspiring physical and moral courage. Both felt that their fathers regarded them as disappointments. Both flirted with suicidal thoughts. And both, above all, were children of the Enlightenment.
The “hero” of 1984, George Orwell’s chilling prediction of a totalitarian future, is Winston Smith. The names of fictional characters were never chosen by Orwell haphazardly. Orwell’s feelings about Churchill were indeed decidedly ambivalent. Although he was a self-described man of the Left, he was also far too clear-sighted and intellectually honest to accept the standard left-wing view that Churchill was a so-called right-wing grotesque.
Despite admiring Churchill's wartime leadership, Orwell stayed critical of his policies and his imperialist views. Orwell, as a democratic socialist, was wary of the potential for authoritarianism, even in a wartime leader. He also complimented Churchill by saying his writings were "more like those of a human being than of a public figure". This suggests that Orwell appreciated Churchill's ability to express vulnerability and acknowledge mistakes, qualities often absent in political figures.
Thus in the end, despite political and philosophical differences, both shared a commitment to truth and a belief in the importance of ordinary people and for that we should be for ever thankful. Moreover, Orwell was highly critical of any authoritarianism and suppression of democracy respecting free speech. He might have concerns about restrictions of freedoms and the spread of so-called cancel culture, where any individual is shamed or silenced for having opinions
[media=https://youtu.be/QrmIXK38Oe0]
