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George Orwell (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 3 weeks ago by DisabledAceSocialist@lemmygrad.ml to c/quotes@lemmygrad.ml

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"The underlying fact was that the whole position of the moneyed class had long ceased to be justifiable. The existence of these people was by any standard unjustifiable. They were simply parasites, less useful to society than his fleas are to a dog." - George Orwell

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[–] LeninZedong@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hmm, I have a question: Are they implying that Stalin and Mao are tyrants like Hitler and Mussolini? That comes across as lib stuff to me, but it is on a communist website...

[–] sunbleachedfly@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I didn't read it that way. I don't think Asimov has any personal affinity toward ML projects, though. I think he just thought Orwell's personal animosity toward Stalin in particular led him to write a shitty book when there were much more important things to critique in the world at the time (especially in Europe).

[–] LeninZedong@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago

They said "We have to remember, though, that the world of the late 1940s, during which Orwell was writing his book, was one in which there had been, and still were, big governments with true tyrants — individuals whose every wish, however unjust, cruel or vicious, was law [not how any government works]. What’s more, it seemed as though such tyrants were irremovable except by the chance of outside force."

They then proceeded to list off examples of supposed tyrants that were "deposed", with the examples of note being Mao and Stalin.