Huxley vs. Orwell

Thanks to Tim Knight for finding this.

There is lots more, so click here for the full version.

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The cartoonist and Neil Postman think that Huxley got it right, and he certainly saw a lot that Orwell missed. However, I would argue that those who look at today’s society and only see Huxley (sex, drugs and entertainment) and not Orwell (censorship, secret police, torture, perpetual war for the health of the state) have themselves chosen the comforting version of reality.

Also, Huxley’s opiates work wonders so long as times are easy, but when the predations of the state run their course and cold and hunger are again issues, those in government become more open about their use of guns to hold onto power. In the last decade, the west has made great leaps in the direction of Orwell, with omnipresent reminders of who has the guns and who must obey.

2 thoughts on “Huxley vs. Orwell

  1. I just read Animal Farm during the xmas break.
    It’s a fantastic read. Orwell at his very best.
    Applies as much today as it did during the the 1940s…

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