# Was George Orwell Mostly right? (Britain, socialism WW2 etc..) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 24, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859 "2004-01-24T01:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/1 "2004-01-24T01:59:29Z")
I have been reading George Orwell:Essays and thought it would be interesting to see dopers discussing him and his views/theories. Also, it was the aniversary of his death just a few days ago, so it seems a sensible time to bring him up (not literally!) I won’t be specific, just want to see a general debate about George and his writings. ---
**Author:** ![dal\_timgar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dal\_timgar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dal_timgar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/2 "2004-01-24T18:37:02Z")
George Bushes senior and junior call each other 41 and 43 for the number of their presidencies. 41 + 43 = 84 George Orwell’s 1984 HA! Roman culture is all alike. Be it Communist or Capitalist. Czar comes from caesar, football players are gladiators in the collosium. Dal Timgar QUOTE=Lobsang]I have been reading George Orwell:Essays and thought it would be interesting to see dopers discussing him and his views/theories. Also, it was the aniversary of his death just a few days ago, so it seems a sensible time to bring him up (not literally!) I won’t be specific, just want to see a general debate about George and his writings. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/3 "2004-01-24T21:45:38Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I have been reading George Orwell:Essays and thought it would be interesting to see dopers discussing him and his views/theories. Also, it was the aniversary of his death just a few days ago, so it seems a sensible time to bring him up (not literally!) > I won’t be specific, just want to see a general debate about George and his writings. If I new much about Orwell’s writings on Britain and WW2, perhaps I could be a tad more helpful. Animal Farm was spot on, however. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/4 "2004-01-24T23:03:53Z")
If there’s any way in which Orwell was significantly right (in the context of 1984, that is), then it isn’t surveillance cameras and oppression, it is _political spin_ - the crushing regime and all that was just a backdrop to the key point that _he who controls language controls thought_. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/5 "2004-01-24T23:08:51Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I won’t be specific, just want to see a general debate about George and his writings. You’re probably gonna have to be. He had _lots_ of ideas. Pick one or two. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/6 "2004-01-26T22:35:28Z")
> [@furt](#): > > You’re probably gonna have to be. He had _lots_ of ideas. Pick one or two. OK then I will. One of the few passages I’ve read is ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’ in which he talks about England, it’s chances of winning the war, how to win the war (via a socialist revolution), the damaging views of the left wing intelectuals about the war, capitalist inadequacy to win the war (profit more important than efficiency) Heck, if you have a view then you’ve read the passage, and if you’ve read the passage then I don’t need to summarize it. P.S. What happened to the dope smileys? and why isn’t my delete key working? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/7 "2004-02-07T06:34:15Z")
Bump. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Uncivil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ccd318/32.png) [@Uncivil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncivil)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-george-orwell-mostly-right-britain-socialism-ww2-etc/225859/8 "2004-02-07T11:24:25Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > OK then I will. One of the few passages I’ve read is ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’ in which he talks about England, it’s chances of winning the war, how to win the war (via a socialist revolution), the damaging views of the left wing intelectuals about the war, capitalist inadequacy to win the war (profit more important than efficiency) His statement that that “only socialist countries can fight effectively” was clearly wrong. I still think its a good essay though, and contains some important insights. Orwell was very perceptive, and on occasion was able to make shrewd predictions. I don’t think he was all that scientific though, he was at heart a political activist, and didn’t feel the need to quantify his theories.