How many fingers am I holding up Winston?

[BovaryX]

I don’t know if anyone knows who this was, but one feminist; when asked to suggest which book most accurately described the current climate; cited 1984. The culture wars of the 21st century are rapidly condensing down to this: Do you believe ‘equality’ is more important than freedom? This is the era of goodthink and thought crime. This is the era when external biological reality is not immutable, but flexible, pliable. Whilst everyone was sleeping, Newspeak was on the march. I wonder what this Brave New World will look like in ten years? Who could have predicted this ten years ago?

It is scary. Whilst I have been actively encouraging those who have not yet read 1984 to do so, I am a bit scared of picking it up again myself, despite it calling me from the bookshelf!
The rise of the pigs from being one of the repressed animals to overlords in Animal Farm also has some unsettling parallels to what is going on today.

You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right... But I tell you Winston, that reality is not external....Whatever the Party holds to be truth, is truth..It needs an act of self-destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane

Yes, Aldous Huxley's distopian Brave New World is also relevant. I intend to re-read them both.

A play rather than a novel but The Crucible is also relevant to the present climate.

Likeothers, I seriously doubt most of them have read it, but a lot of modern politicos and activists seem to regard it as a blueprint....

I recently reread 1984 but I think I'm going to read Animal Farm again too. I often find myself thinking of "some animals are more equal than others" when reading about these issues.

Do you believe ‘equality’ is more important than freedom?

But how can you have one without the other? And yet it is impossible to completely have either, without compromising the other.

‘Equality’is in direct opposition to freedom. Back when politicians got their principles from somewhere more intellectually rigorous than Twitter, the two main parties knew this. Equality of outcome is not only impossible, its pursuit leads to totalitarianism. And here we are in 2019 in the absurd position that people are frightened of losing their job if they give the dictionary definition of’woman’

The same as I can’t read The Trial, I can’t read 1984. I know what is in them and own them. ‘Tis enough.

"The same as I can’t read The Trial, I can’t read 1984. I know what is in them and own them. ‘Tis enough"

The Trial? Who is the author?

I dont know much about this organisation
policyexchange.org.uk/publication/academic-freedom-in-the-uk/
But the daily mail picked up this report about university students are less into free speech. It has a brexit slant but i know the talks of no platforming etc are relevant to other areas.

“How many penises am I holding up Winston.”

Oh and i read 1984 at regular intervals - just to remind myself.

Grass, thank you for that link. Sadly the authoritarianism which has become so widespread seems to have a vice like group in the very institutions which should be promoting academic freedom and vigorous debate

@Micaela64
Franz Kafka is the author of the trial.

FWRLurker
How many penises

"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."