“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”
George Orwell, author of 1984,
had tremendous insight on how the global elite would dominate society, and he
predicted the current political climate in America today as you’ll see from
this list by Justin King of the
Anti-Media:
George
Orwell ranks among the most profound social critics of the modern era.
Some of
his quotations, more than a half a century old, show the depth of understanding
an enlightened mind can have about the future.
1) “In our
age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are
political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly,
hatred and schizophrenia.”
Though
many in the modern age have the will to bury their head in the sand when it
comes to political matters, nobody can only concern themselves with the
proverbial pebble in their shoe. If one is successful in avoiding politics, at
some point the effects of the political decisions they abstained from
participating in will reach their front door. More often than not, by that time
the person has already lost whatever whisper of a voice the government has
allowed them.
2) “All
the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably
from people who are not fighting.”
Examining
the nightly news in the run up to almost any military intervention will find
scores of talking heads crying for blood to flow in the streets of some city
the name of which they just learned to pronounce. Once the bullets start
flying, those that clamored for war will still be safely on set bringing you
up-to-the-minute coverage of the carnage while their stock in Raytheon climbs.
3) “War
against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are
going to profit from it.”
It’s
pretty self-explanatory and while it may be hard to swallow, it’s certainly
true. All it takes is a quick look at who benefited from the recent wars waged
by the United States to see Orwell’s quip take life.
4) “The
very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into
history.”
My most
prized books are a collection of history books from around the world. I have an
Iraqi book that recounts the glory of Saddam Hussein’s victory over the United
States in 1991. I have books from three different nations claiming that one of
their citizens was the first to fly. As some of the most powerful nations in
the world agree to let certain facts be “forgotten,” the trend will only get
worse. History is written by the victor, and the victor will never be asked if
he told the truth.
5) “In a
time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Even
without commentary, the reader is probably picturing Edward Snowden or Chelsea
Manning. The revolutions of the future will not be fought with bullets and
explosives, but with little bits of data traveling around the world destroying
the false narratives with which governments shackle their citizens.
6)
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything
else is public relations.”
Make no
mistake about it; if an article does not anger someone, it is nothing more than
a public relations piece. Most of what passes for news today is little more
than an official sounding advertisement for a product, service, or belief.
7) “In
real life it is always the anvil that breaks the hammer…”
In every
conflict, it is not the side that can inflict the most damage, but the side
that can sustain the most damage that ultimately prevails. History is full of
situations in which a military “won the battles but lost the war.”
8) “The
nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own
side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.”
Haditha.
Panjwai. Maywand District. Mahmudiyah. These names probably don’t ring a bell,
but it is almost a certainty that the reader is aware of the brutality that
occurred in Benghazi. The main difference is that in the first four incidents,
those committing the acts of brutality were wearing an American flag on their
shoulder.
9)
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in
isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a
general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”
Everyday there is a new form of censorship or a new method of forcing people into self-censorship, and the people shrug it off because it only relates to a small minority. By the time the people realize their ability to express disapproval has been completely restricted, it may be too late. That brings us to Orwell’s most haunting quote.
Everyday there is a new form of censorship or a new method of forcing people into self-censorship, and the people shrug it off because it only relates to a small minority. By the time the people realize their ability to express disapproval has been completely restricted, it may be too late. That brings us to Orwell’s most haunting quote.
10) “If
you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human
face—forever.”
Once the
people are indoctrinated with nationalistic beliefs, and the infrastructure to
protect them from some constantly-changing and ever-expanding definition of an
enemy is in place, there is no ability for the people to regain liberty. By the
time all of the pieces are in place, not only is opportunity to regain freedom
lost, but the will to achieve freedom has also evaporated. The reader will
truly love Big Brother.
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