John Green: “most of you are probably watching this in a school right now” Me: bold of you to assume I’m not alone in my house at night binging literary content
in 1940s, they used 12-hour clocks in Britain. Part of Big Brother is that if the society says something is, it is. Don't gawk at the change or you'll be taken away. Accept it.
It was really just a way for Orwell to tell the reader right away: this world is messed up, yo. It'd be similar to starting a story: The sun shone purple, as it had always done. The reader had to be prepared for the familiar (the sun/the clock) to be made strange (purple/to strike 13) because that's the foundation of the horror of Winston's world. It should invoke an uncanny valley-like discomfort in the reader. Orwell's warning: this clearly isn't your world, but if you're not careful, it could be.
"If thought can corrupt language, then language can also corrupt thought." I have my English exam on 1984 in 6 days; you've saved my life once again, John Green !
Definitely! A radical global NWO is being in the works now. The global elites are just working on getting the U.S. out of the way as leader of the free world.
In Norwegian, we only have one word for both dependence and addiction: avhengighet. When I talk about either of them in English, there seems to me to be a clear cut distinction between the two; they are two different concepts with different weight and associations to them. But when I talk about it in Norwegian, the distinction becomes blurry not only in my speech, but in my own mind as well.
I am German and I feel the same way. You can separate the two in German but almost nobody does it. We also talk about it as the same concept. That's how language shapes our thoughts. I love and hate that because I can't think with words that I don't have. I feel like it limits me.
I completely agree. So yes to John Green's question that does the limitation of language limits thought too. Because language is a way to communicate. Without it, we won't be able to understand the data we receiving or sending out
Denise- yes! I'm an English speaker, but a friend who speaks both German and English once described some useful German words that English definitely needs to adopt, because the concepts are so useful. He said that he loved being able to hop between languages because it gave him quicker access to more concepts. Our thoughts are limited by the language that we use to both express and contain our ideas with. Orwell certainly understood this well. Also, in English, dependence and addiction are related but different ideas. They both describe states where a person crucially needs something in order to function, but the use of the words will differ, and the causes behind both may differ. Addiction often has a more negative meaning. Dependence can be quite natural, for example the dependence of a child upon their parents. Addiction is often used more clinically- eg- a physical addiction to a chemical substance. Both have nuances.
The guy thinks that Orwell was a Socialdemocrat while he in fact was an anarchist or the very least a liberterian socialist. Green also has no clue as to the foreign politics of the soviet union during the 30's, Orwell was obviously critiquing the counterrevolutionary popular front tactics that moscow demanded of foreign comintern parties.
+Titan Uranus Orwell, while not a fan of Russia before the International Brigades, came to hate them because of the actions of the commissariat rather than the secretariat. While fairly libertarian I doubt he was an Anarcho-communist/socialist. He believed more in the responsibilities of state rather than being anti-statist, and actively hated Stalin for his betrayal of the proletarian dream that communists and socialists share rather than being driven by dislike of a bureaucratic system.
@@onepunch9203 George Orwell while alive talked about the future consisting of complete control and inescapable slavery. He called this a "fait du compli" which is Latin for "it's already over" . For example if a basketball team is winning by 65 points with 2 minutes left in the game "it's already over, even though it's technically not over yet" this is why the 13th hour reference. It's too late already so revolution or rebellion is literally useless and has been for some time
@@shawnhughes4192 We're nearly there. Allowing money to control government is driving us inevitability towards no "middle class". Your people will either be proles or party members.
Corperations are _legal persons_ . So they can sue and be sued. Would you buy from somebody you can't sue? On the Black Market in a soviet state maybe.
George Carlin once said: "We think in terms of language. Therefore the quality of our thoughts is only as good as the quality of our language." In my opinion, one cannot be a free thinker except by rejecting definitions of words provided by advertisements in the form of "news" and so on.
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language that I've inherited?" This is a really interesting point. I've lived in Japan for the better part of a decade, and while here I've come across quite a few expressions in Japanese which simply don't have equivalences in English. One example is: "お疲れ様でした。(Otsukaresamadeshita)" It's said in a number of different situations, but the most common are after finishing work or after doing something strenuous. The closest phrase in English I can think of would be: "Good job," but it doesn't convey the same meaning, which is something more along the lines of: "You worked hard and I appreciate your dedication, so try to take a good rest from now."
You’re clearly tired because you’ve worked so hard. Thank you. That’s how I interpreted it. But having said that, I’m far from fluent and shouldn’t really split hairs.
Sacrilege83 Diversity is strength. Uniformity is weakness. Antifa is antifascist. Abortions save lives. Silence is violence. Aaaand saying it’s intolerant to only say there are 2 genders while giving BISEXUALS a free pass in the lgBt movement.
I saw 1984 as a child and then read it in high school decades ago. I have seen a big change in personal rights and language and how they have been abbreviated and diced up. Cursive is no longer taught in schools. Magazines and newspapers are disappearing. Though I appreciate the lighter footprint it leaves behind. Libraries have been closing all over the nation for years. Big Brother has always had his eye on you.
What I find really funny is how much of it has to do with Capitalism, the way corporations track our purchasing histories and habits, the way stores use research to manipulate people into buying more stuff... And of course, the government is in the pocket of corporations, so it's all related.
FirstRisingSouI The NSA has been doing it for years. They have an enormous data storage installation in Utah for that purpose. James Clapper, its director, was caught lying to congress about the extent of their surveilling a number of years ago, which makes me wonder why he's still quoted by the press, as if he has any credibility.
The big difference between 1984 and Brave New World is the message they convey. 1984: the things we fear will destroy us. Brave New World: the things we love will destroy us. At least that’s my take! DFTBA!
I thought the point of BNW was that there was no genuine love anymore, just pacification. That the free casua sex could not replace genuine human intimacy, the movie things could not replace real art, and the false allure of power could not replace real meaning, hence why the (spoilers) guy kills himself in the end.
Charles Morton totally! All the effort and excitement is gone in the world because humans naturally look to obtain their needs and wants in the easiest way possible. Without the pretense of failure and strife, life essentially becomes pointless as society becomes a sort of biological machine. I agree completely. 👍🏻
3:16 lack of perspective via lack of language 6:13 stereotypical tactics of communism [and capitalism] 10:46 ideological goal of newspeak 11:46 newspeak vocabulary categories [compare B-group: 'United Nations', 'sustainable development', 'World bank': in what way do these word combinations limit and smuggle meaning? reconsult 10:46] 13:09 what thoughts can't I think due to the language I've inherited? reconsult above.
It’s peculiar that Winston is only truly free when his spirit has been broken. He’s able to do what he wants, at anytime, and say whatever he wants to anyone.
And being conditioned at from birth and placed in your designated caste system, and then fed drugs on a daily basis to keep up the appearance of happiness wasn't? Oh wait.....that's a whole lot of us... Now!
@xXlegit_ opsXx because in the book the government policy towards the enemy nations always flips after a few years to keep people scared! that was the reference that James was making. the 'What is the truth, who is the real enemy?' You missed it completely.
"What thoughts cant I think because of the language I've inherited" That statement really resonates with me, because its something I think about all the time.
One of the first things I picked up on when I first read this book was the feeling of hopelessness Winston knew he was going to die from the moment he committed a thought crime his death was set in motion and just like his death once the ball starts rolling for a dystopian timeline in any world there is no stopping it
This is my favorite UA-cam channel I swear this guy needs his own collage and teach people cause he makes it so understandable. If only more teachers acted like him more kids would probably stay in school 🧐
I loooooove this book, but Brave New World is my personal favorite dystopian novel. I highly recommend it if you like 1984, but it starts off confusingly (you have been warned).
No kidding. I remember one chapter has like three different discussions that flip from one to another with no warning and I'm like "who the hell is talking."
You know, if you like the "drowningly peaceful" dystopia of Brave New World you should try the networked culture war focused dystopia of The Diamond Age as well.
John Green I love your presenting, I love these series and all of CrashCourse. Especially your History and Mike's Mythology. Your videos educate me, entertain me and ease any anxiety I may have, and I think I speak for a lot of viewers on that one. Incredible content as always, always excited when I get a bell notification.
Mr Hamilton definitely agree with the anxiety easing! I binge watched the first two series of literature and American History when I was having a really tough time with my anxiety. It’s excellent self care to be nourishing the brain
George Orwell is by one my favorite authors, sorry John. I find there is a sort of anarchist vibe to his books, without being overtly anarchist, i think this is because of his political stance that was against totalitarianism. I find 1984 to be especially thought provoking in this era of NSA.
FirstRisingSouI He supported a socialist system but he was against soviet totaltatianism. Its even mentioned in the video. Anarchists have hijacked orwell for their own agendas
YC What are you talking about? He makes his support for Catalonia's anarchist contingent unambiguous in HTC. And while there's plenty of accusations one can level at anarchism, being "totalitarian" is not one of them.
I live in the UK and just after Brexit I was driving down the motorway with my farther and written in the dirt on the lorry in front of us was 'ignorance is strength'. Set a odd tone for the day
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language I've inherited" -- anyone looking for more on that, check out the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and linguistic relativity. Whether you agree or disagree, it's a place to look for more information on that line of thinking.
Is that the theory that states people with different mother tongues literally think differently? If so, I totally agree. I was raised with two active languages, but when I was younger I favoured Welsh, and I really do think differently about things depending which language happens to be in my head that day.
I recently read 1984, and I loved it so much. I didnt think about how changing the language the way they were was affecting how people literally think! But it reminds me of interesting ideas like how people with different languages think differently. Cultures with greater foci on color, or food, or family than mine create people that think dramatically different than how i do.
"War is peace" is pretty much the slogan of America today. And the victims change and we act if they have always been the same. I don't see much difference to the book.
This man makes me fall in love with literature, and languages, story-telling, history, sociology, and the whole experience of being a thinking human being. Thank you, John.
@John Green, I love your old videos where you are extremely energetic, but I also love that you are slowing down and giving some more focus and calm to your speech. To me, the method in which Crash Course is made is just as important as the content in it, and you and your crew continue to get better and better.
If I see one more person in the comments calling “1984” their favorite antiutopian novel or “Brave New World” their favourite dystopian novel, I’m gonna snap. Brave New World is an anti-utopia which has a society believed by some of its members there to be an utopia but majority is disappointed of their lifestyle as they expected to get more satisfaction of it when it was still on paper. 1984 is a dystopia which is set in a grim macabre place that makes you ask “how did we end up like this, how to prevent this?”, it is a grandiose plan gone wrong, revolution ideas betrayed and with tyranny of bloodthirsty, greedy criminals collaborated in “a party” with an absolute power.
I can definitely see why you would say that it was awful. But the thought-provoking aspect of it was what bought me over. The idea that language can change how we think because it is the medium that our thoughts can exist in was an eye-opener for me. Also, it breaks from the convention that aliens are hostile because we operate on the assumption we have of our fellow humans. Of course, if one is to watch it with the same set of expectation as when one goes to watch a Marvel movie, he or she is bound to catch some Zs
If previous videos in this series are to be believed, English-speakers are predisposed to think in terms of absolutes and paired opposites. It's made it really easy to divide us because it makes it really easy to convince people that anyone who is not exactly like them is automatically a bad person. Take the classic threat "you're either with us or against us" for example. You are not me and you can only be my ally or my enemy. If you are not "us", then you are automatically "them." Having no opinion, wanting to delay making a decision, seeking a compromise or having a separate agenda entirely are all lumped in with hostile action. Or if you prefer Star Wars - "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." This is itself an absolute statement. The very act of anyone _but_ a Sith saying it makes them an automatic hypocrite. Something more along the line of "insisting on framing things in absolute terms is usually more of a Sith thing than a Jedi thing" would be more appropriate, but notice how much longer and clumsier that sounds than "only the Sith deal in absolutes."
Such an interesting read, so happy I found this video to further take in the book. I always had the feeling that the book was little more than what it represents or reputation, but it is genuinely a beautifully written work with an enticing story, rather than just being a thought experiment gone wild or a several hundred page long preach or something. Love ittttt
Your lucid analyses of these absolutely mesmerizing books has led me to make them required viewing for my students of design. They love it, having discovered that literature plays such an important part in 'design thinking', widening their understanding, and encouraging curiosity. I know they may not take the time to read through each book, but at least they now have talking points! Thanks to you.
The idea of people leaving without of trace is a very real thing for the persecuted and forgotten indigenous women in Canada, many missing and murdered with little investigation.
RaitoYagami88 unfortunately in a lot of cases it's closer to the former than the latter. When it's known by the state, and ignored - or not recorded - or misrecorded on purpose, then it's closer to the insidiousness of govt enforced political erasure, and not merely poorly investigated disappearances.
It’s more complicated than that troughs, the police investigation are pretty unwelcome on reserve, and a lot of the crimes targeting the indigenous women are committed by family members, and government are scared to reveal that out in the the public
It has been a while since I last watched a crash course video, and I am reminded once again that this is a wonderful source of useful information and also quite entertaining and engaging. Thank you, John and Hank and everyone behind the scenes.
Actually, the reason the left or right can't claim Orwell is because there's more to a political spectrum than just left and right. Political compass is correct in putting four sectors: Authoritarian left, Authoritarian right, Libertarian right, and libertarian left. Orwell was a Libertarian left individual. That's why he opposes capitalism(he is on the left) but also opposed the traditional communism(authoritarian left). He is on record as praising Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Civil war, which was an anarcho-syndicalist society(libertarian left). So, actually, the left can claim Orwell. At least, the libertarian left can. He is never found criticizing the libertarian left, but you can find him criticizing all of the other sectors. It's not unusual for a libertarian left individual to criticize the authoritarian left.
Orwell was a true artist, so his work transcends himself and his politics. I can't claim Orwell but I can learn from him everything that is wrong with the left. As I am sure you can learn most things from him that are wrong wih the right. Art isn't mere political propaganda. That would be quite laughable given the subjectmatter, anyway.
I can't believe this even needs explaining but I'm so glad other people already commented this. Its so infuriating when people can't see how he was a libertarian leftist
@@mcw8900 what "authoritarian left" is there in Britain? Wtf? I see some right-wing nationalists popping up, but there are no prominent anti-capitalist political figures
What I find interesting that if George Orwell saw how much his work has become celebritised and sensationalised today, he would actually hate it. He was primarily a journalist and as a journalist his aim was to incite change and not become a pop-culture symbol.
It was great that you were able to note that Animal Farm and 1984 were also anti-capitalist books, but Orwell wasn't a Social Democrat. He believed Democratic Socialism was that of the kind that was put to practice in Catalonia- workers and peasants seizing their land and workplaces by force and democratically running them in collectives, communes, and cooperatives, the elimination of class, and so on.
Clocks ringing 13 is a symbolic metaphor for *something* you take for granted, and assume will never, ever change. . . changing. Something like no Habeus Corpus or all clocks to military time.
I think of newspeak every time I hear someone talking as though "capitalism is free markets" or "socialism is government control". There are such things as state capitalism or libertarian socialism, but the way the words "capitalism" and "socialism" have been redefined over the years makes it virtually impossible to even express such ideas to today's audiences, to whom "state capitalism" or "libertarian socialism" sound like bald-faced contradictions.
And it strikes me now that from a libertarian socialist perspective, the comparison to newspeak is even stronger, because one would hold a capitalist market to be inherently unfree and a totalitarian state to be inherently unsocialist, so saying "capitalism is free markets" or "socialism is government control" read almost (but not quite) literally as "slavery is freedom" and "freedom is slavery", respectively.
It occurs to me that "tabooing" words like these could be a way around this kind of problem. Instead of talking about things like "capitalism" or "socialism", just say what those words mean to you, e.g.: I am in favor of voluntary non-coerced trade of private property, ("free markets") but against property income like rent and interest and the concentration of ownership that comes with it, ("capitalism") and for widespread distribution of ownership especially of the means of production and housing, ("socialism") but against centralized state control of trade. ("command economy")
I was nervous about this video at first because I remember your brother Hank did video for Crash Course Philosophy called "how words can harm" which I thought got very Orwellian with its messages. But I'm relived to see that this video was research very well, was nicely balanced, and overall a good introduction to what Orwellianism is. You've done a doubleplusgood job so far!
5:08 What you describe here is Social Democracy, as in capitalism with a strong welfare state funded by various forms of progressive taxation. Democratic Socialism entails nationalizing or promoting collective ownership of production, and moving away from capitalism in general.
It's interesting that you bring up the age difference between Julia and Winston because it plays into a theme of infantilisation I've always seen running through the novel. Much like young teenagers their relationship is shallow and based on shared experiences of minor rebellion. Their ultimate transgression is sneaking away from what is essentially a school trip to have sex in a field. Early on in the book, we learn that Winston deeply distrusts women and then go on to see a female background character described in ways that are kind of gross and ridiculous, almost as if she has cooties. In the same chapter, we hear about his neighbour's efforts to stay on in organisations he is too old for. Even Winston's writing is juvenile. Once he meets Julia they basically go through an accelerated adolescence together. The vision of them holding hands in front og O'Brian is as enderaring as it is tragic. Age really has no meaning in the world of 1984 because everyone is a child.
Albert Einstein made a nice observation on the relationship between Thought and Language. He argued that Language cannot be the basis of Thought, because we often have difficulty finding the proper words to describe our ideas. So, in Einsten's view, an idea enters our brain first, and then our brain searches for the best words to express that idea to other people.
Travel to China, and post a picture of the Pooh. See what happens. Be gay in Saudi Arabia, see what happens. "B-but America is the most authoritarian!"
I absolutely believe that language and vocabulary are essential to the way we think and react to the world. A common trait amongst murderers is that they have a very basic vocabulary and are very limited in their way of expressing themselves (and therefore, likely their own thoughts are impaired by language). There's also very good TedTalk that addresses the way language affects our perception of the world and thought process. This conclusion is drawn after comparing the answers, memories retained, etc. from people who are native in different languages.
The novel describes modern Russia today. Absolute match. “We fight with NATO”, they say on tv. But nobody sees those mysterious nato warriors… They are afraid of government. 1984 perfectly shows USSR system of rude punishment if you’re against the dictator’s views.
There's a mile of difference from the information about ourselves that we voluntarily share, and that which is just forcefully taken from us and put on display to the world.
Given what you said about Orwell's beliefs, it is inaccurate to say that he cannot be ascribed either to the right nor left. He was decidedly leftist because of his anti-capitalist views, just a libertarian leftist, not an authoritarian one.
marcos fonox The original libertarians were socialists, my dude. The term "libertarian" didn't start getting used to describe right-wingers until the 1950s, a couple hundred years after the fact.
This video was very helpful to better understand 1984. The historical context made many concepts easier to connect to the novel. Especially going into the concepts of Newspeak and Doublethink and sharing examples were helpful. Examples like “Freedom is Slavery” , “Ignorance is Strength” , “War is Peace” often appear in the book and in our discussion during english class. Understanding what the governments attempt is made me think about the concept more. Especially explaining the intent of the government in 1984. Before watching this video, I wasn’t fully aware of what the government tried to do with newspeak. Now it makes sense, that they want to limit the words, in order to stop people from having revolutionary thoughts, in order to limit revolts against the government. Thank You!
Glad to see you're doing George Orwell's classic look at the totalitarian state which could be caused by Hank's political beliefs. Whoever the r Hank is, anyway.
Uploads a video about 1984 on the 100 year anniversary of the Bolshevik/October Revolution *LIBERAL DEMOCRACY INTENSIFIES* (edit I probably should've just said capitalism to make the message clear)
"Bolshevik/October Revolution"; "liberal democracy"; Do I need to say ANYTHING to refute your non-argument? Does literally anyone with 2 neurons to rub together look at this and go "them goddamn libruls at it again trying to make muricah communist" ???
If there are no words to express a thought, a new word will be created to express it. This happens every day. They might say that newspeak reduces its vocabulary every year, but there will undoubtedly be new forms of expression made.
I made the mistake of reading 1984 when I had postnatal depression and it really upset me. "How could I prevent my son from growing up in such a nightmare world?" I thought. Then I happened to come across a review of 1984 written by Isaac Asimov, for whom I have great respect. He said it was a bad book because it was so black-and-white with no grey areas and that the Proles would rebel against such a system, so that made me feel better.
John Green: “most of you are probably watching this in a school right now”
Me: bold of you to assume I’m not alone in my house at night binging literary content
But youre not alone...big google is watching you
That's what I do, lol.
@@quietmike4791 I was looking for this comment, me too
Ariana Larson not funny
Meeeeeee
Did you know the hardcover copy of 1984 is $19.84?
I'm not joking.
Right. No adjustment for inflation or exchange rates. And as always. How long can the publisher past if the book is always on constant high demand.
😋😊
sad cus its $49.99 here in NZ
YOU are an idiot.
@@michaeldengg Pirate an electronic copy instead. Orwell is dead so it's not like you'd be supporting the author at all anyway.
I had always thought the clock striking 13 was meant to indicate military time, which ends up being very indicative of the society they live in
Katie Hemingway I agree, 24 hour clocks are normal in many countries.
Like Britain for instance.
It’s really odd that he didn’t pick up on that.
in 1940s, they used 12-hour clocks in Britain. Part of Big Brother is that if the society says something is, it is. Don't gawk at the change or you'll be taken away. Accept it.
It was really just a way for Orwell to tell the reader right away: this world is messed up, yo. It'd be similar to starting a story: The sun shone purple, as it had always done. The reader had to be prepared for the familiar (the sun/the clock) to be made strange (purple/to strike 13) because that's the foundation of the horror of Winston's world. It should invoke an uncanny valley-like discomfort in the reader. Orwell's warning: this clearly isn't your world, but if you're not careful, it could be.
"If thought can corrupt language, then language can also corrupt thought."
I have my English exam on 1984 in 6 days; you've saved my life once again, John Green !
"What thoughts cant I think because of the language ive inherited" ? Blew my mind.
Yes, very profound indeed.🤔
This book blew my mind. Scarily relevant to what's going on in the world today. Great video.
wait how? I mean i’ve never heard of this man but what going on in the world today ?
@@droppedmypistachios You getting it now....?
Definitely! A radical global NWO is being in the works now. The global elites are just working on getting the U.S. out of the way as leader of the free world.
In Norwegian, we only have one word for both dependence and addiction: avhengighet. When I talk about either of them in English, there seems to me to be a clear cut distinction between the two; they are two different concepts with different weight and associations to them. But when I talk about it in Norwegian, the distinction becomes blurry not only in my speech, but in my own mind as well.
I am German and I feel the same way. You can separate the two in German but almost nobody does it. We also talk about it as the same concept. That's how language shapes our thoughts. I love and hate that because I can't think with words that I don't have. I feel like it limits me.
I completely agree. So yes to John Green's question that does the limitation of language limits thought too. Because language is a way to communicate. Without it, we won't be able to understand the data we receiving or sending out
Denise- yes! I'm an English speaker, but a friend who speaks both German and English once described some useful German words that English definitely needs to adopt, because the concepts are so useful. He said that he loved being able to hop between languages because it gave him quicker access to more concepts. Our thoughts are limited by the language that we use to both express and contain our ideas with. Orwell certainly understood this well.
Also, in English, dependence and addiction are related but different ideas. They both describe states where a person crucially needs something in order to function, but the use of the words will differ, and the causes behind both may differ. Addiction often has a more negative meaning. Dependence can be quite natural, for example the dependence of a child upon their parents. Addiction is often used more clinically- eg- a physical addiction to a chemical substance. Both have nuances.
In Russian language we too have only one word for both addiction and dependence - зависимость.
So in Norwegian and Russian would you effectively be saying a child is addicted to their parents? 😄
This video is double-plus good!
I give it only a good. Maybe a plus good with the second installment. It is better than ungood.
Gulgathydra or doubleplusungood
The guy thinks that Orwell was a Socialdemocrat while he in fact was an anarchist or the very least a liberterian socialist. Green also has no clue as to the foreign politics of the soviet union during the 30's, Orwell was obviously critiquing the counterrevolutionary popular front tactics that moscow demanded of foreign comintern parties.
+Titan Uranus Orwell, while not a fan of Russia before the International Brigades, came to hate them because of the actions of the commissariat rather than the secretariat. While fairly libertarian I doubt he was an Anarcho-communist/socialist. He believed more in the responsibilities of state rather than being anti-statist, and actively hated Stalin for his betrayal of the proletarian dream that communists and socialists share rather than being driven by dislike of a bureaucratic system.
Lol
13 is a reference to the "11th hour" its the opposite of one hour before as its an hour after the clock strikes 12 meaning its too late...
It seems to be foreshadowing
Shawn Hughes:
You're overthinking this. On a 24 hour clock (military time), 13 is 1pm.
@@onepunch9203 George Orwell while alive talked about the future consisting of complete control and inescapable slavery. He called this a "fait du compli" which is Latin for "it's already over" . For example if a basketball team is winning by 65 points with 2 minutes left in the game "it's already over, even though it's technically not over yet" this is why the 13th hour reference. It's too late already so revolution or rebellion is literally useless and has been for some time
@@shawnhughes4192
.....Which certainly could be too late.
@@shawnhughes4192
We're nearly there.
Allowing money to control government is driving us inevitability towards no "middle class".
Your people will either be proles or party members.
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language I've inherited?" One of the most mind blowing thing I've heard ...
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Corporations are people.
Grant Owens But corporations are *made up* of people, no?
We live in a society
@@English_Thespian Nope. Only dogs, robots, and aliens :P
Corperations are _legal persons_ . So they can sue and be sued. Would you buy from somebody you can't sue? On the Black Market in a soviet state maybe.
Corporations are called ''moral people". Individuals are physical people. Making a corporation a kind of people allow you to sue them.
George Carlin once said: "We think in terms of language. Therefore the quality of our thoughts is only as good as the quality of our language." In my opinion, one cannot be a free thinker except by rejecting definitions of words provided by advertisements in the form of "news" and so on.
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language that I've inherited?"
This is a really interesting point. I've lived in Japan for the better part of a decade, and while here I've come across quite a few expressions in Japanese which simply don't have equivalences in English. One example is: "お疲れ様でした。(Otsukaresamadeshita)" It's said in a number of different situations, but the most common are after finishing work or after doing something strenuous. The closest phrase in English I can think of would be: "Good job," but it doesn't convey the same meaning, which is something more along the lines of: "You worked hard and I appreciate your dedication, so try to take a good rest from now."
Rob K in English I feel that would be “ahhhh I’m spent, honest days work”
@@uninformedopinion1668 I guess, if you're saying it to yourself...? That isn't how it's used in Japan.
@@clanpsi Alright guys, great work today. Go home catch some rest I'll see you all come Monday
You’re clearly tired because you’ve worked so hard. Thank you.
That’s how I interpreted it. But having said that, I’m far from fluent and shouldn’t really split hairs.
Very interesting example, thanks for sharing it.
'' War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength ''
I like Diversity is Strength. So much better than United we Stand, Divided we Fall.
You don't say...
Sacrilege83 Diversity is strength. Uniformity is weakness. Antifa is antifascist. Abortions save lives. Silence is violence. Aaaand saying it’s intolerant to only say there are 2 genders while giving BISEXUALS a free pass in the lgBt movement.
I saw 1984 as a child and then read it in high school decades ago. I have seen a big change in personal rights and language and how they have been abbreviated and diced up. Cursive is no longer taught in schools. Magazines and newspapers are disappearing. Though I appreciate the lighter footprint it leaves behind. Libraries have been closing all over the nation for years. Big Brother has always had his eye on you.
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language that I've inherited?"
This really blew my mind
*_"If you look back at the forecasts of surveillance by George Orwell. Well... it turns out that George Orwell was an optimist."_* ~ Mikko Hypponen
Except it's a private company - Google - that's doing the surveying, not the government. Although the government does a fair bit too.
Google is surveilling on behalf of the government.
What I find really funny is how much of it has to do with Capitalism, the way corporations track our purchasing histories and habits, the way stores use research to manipulate people into buying more stuff... And of course, the government is in the pocket of corporations, so it's all related.
Try picking your nose in London without 3 cameras watching you. It's not just google.
FirstRisingSouI The NSA has been doing it for years. They have an enormous data storage installation in Utah for that purpose. James Clapper, its director, was caught lying to congress about the extent of their surveilling a number of years ago, which makes me wonder why he's still quoted by the press, as if he has any credibility.
The big difference between 1984 and Brave New World is the message they convey.
1984: the things we fear will destroy us.
Brave New World: the things we love will destroy us.
At least that’s my take! DFTBA!
I thought the point of BNW was that there was no genuine love anymore, just pacification. That the free casua sex could not replace genuine human intimacy, the movie things could not replace real art, and the false allure of power could not replace real meaning, hence why the (spoilers) guy kills himself in the end.
Charles Morton totally! All the effort and excitement is gone in the world because humans naturally look to obtain their needs and wants in the easiest way possible. Without the pretense of failure and strife, life essentially becomes pointless as society becomes a sort of biological machine. I agree completely. 👍🏻
hedins
So we're pretty much destroyed either way.
HigherPlanes Eh, gotta go out some way! 🤷🏻♂️
Learning another language often gives a window into limitations in your own language
(Or the new one)
3:16 lack of perspective via lack of language
6:13 stereotypical tactics of communism [and capitalism]
10:46 ideological goal of newspeak
11:46 newspeak vocabulary categories [compare B-group: 'United Nations', 'sustainable development', 'World bank': in what way do these word combinations limit and smuggle meaning? reconsult 10:46]
13:09 what thoughts can't I think due to the language I've inherited? reconsult above.
AniishAu United = adjective
Sustainable = adjective
The last one is made up of two nouns. Nice try, but no cigar.
"Social Justice" I hate this devious construct.
It’s peculiar that Winston is only truly free when his spirit has been broken. He’s able to do what he wants, at anytime, and say whatever he wants to anyone.
I red "1984" and "brave new world" which are both about similar things but from different political view and I must say "1984" was terrifying.
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And being conditioned at from birth and placed in your designated caste system, and then fed drugs on a daily basis to keep up the appearance of happiness wasn't? Oh wait.....that's a whole lot of us... Now!
Big Brother is watching You
Tube
CarbOnl y +
Gorillaz did it first
lol
Bernie is watching you...
Yes I am
(6:50) No, Oceania has always been at peace with Eurasia and at war with, excuse me **quiet mumbling** Eurasia
Sorry i think you mean Eurasia
@xXlegit_ opsXx its a joke r/woosh
@xXlegit_ opsXx *[Insert "The Heavy Song" here]*
@xXlegit_ opsXx because in the book the government policy towards the enemy nations always flips after a few years to keep people scared! that was the reference that James was making. the 'What is the truth, who is the real enemy?' You missed it completely.
Please never stopping making these. This creative team is ridiculously good at making me learn and think
Never clicked on a notification so fast. I love crash course, and it’s even better with John and/or Hank.
Vicki Oconnor +
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"What thoughts cant I think because of the language I've inherited" That statement really resonates with me, because its something I think about all the time.
My three favourite dystopian novels are 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Giver. Also Brave New World is really good too
How abou fahrenheit 451?
Brave New World is not dystopian.
Coby it is tho...
Kasian No it’s not tho
Coby every website states that it’s a dystopian novel...
One of the first things I picked up on when I first read this book was the feeling of hopelessness Winston knew he was going to die from the moment he committed a thought crime his death was set in motion and just like his death once the ball starts rolling for a dystopian timeline in any world there is no stopping it
This is my favorite UA-cam channel I swear this guy needs his own collage and teach people cause he makes it so understandable. If only more teachers acted like him more kids would probably stay in school 🧐
I loooooove this book, but Brave New World is my personal favorite dystopian novel. I highly recommend it if you like 1984, but it starts off confusingly (you have been warned).
No kidding. I remember one chapter has like three different discussions that flip from one to another with no warning and I'm like "who the hell is talking."
Same for me. Brave New World is phenomenal.
Yes, Brave New World is definitely an amazing read!
You know, if you like the "drowningly peaceful" dystopia of Brave New World you should try the networked culture war focused dystopia of The Diamond Age as well.
Never read Brave New World, but always wanted to. I love 1984, it's one of my favorite books. Thanks for reminding me to read Brave New World.
John Green I love your presenting, I love these series and all of CrashCourse. Especially your History and Mike's Mythology. Your videos educate me, entertain me and ease any anxiety I may have, and I think I speak for a lot of viewers on that one. Incredible content as always, always excited when I get a bell notification.
Mr Hamilton definitely agree with the anxiety easing! I binge watched the first two series of literature and American History when I was having a really tough time with my anxiety. It’s excellent self care to be nourishing the brain
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George Orwell is by one my favorite authors, sorry John. I find there is a sort of anarchist vibe to his books, without being overtly anarchist, i think this is because of his political stance that was against totalitarianism. I find 1984 to be especially thought provoking in this era of NSA.
FirstRisingSouI thank you had a hard time finding the word.
FirstRisingSouI contemporary usage of that term makes it inappropriate to describe Orwell.
FirstRisingSouI
He supported a socialist system but he was against soviet totaltatianism. Its even mentioned in the video. Anarchists have hijacked orwell for their own agendas
YC What are you talking about? He makes his support for Catalonia's anarchist contingent unambiguous in HTC.
And while there's plenty of accusations one can level at anarchism, being "totalitarian" is not one of them.
He was by all means an anarchist
I live in the UK and just after Brexit I was driving down the motorway with my farther and written in the dirt on the lorry in front of us was 'ignorance is strength'. Set a odd tone for the day
Orwell was off by about 36 years but otherwise spot on
"What thoughts can't I think because of the language I've inherited" -- anyone looking for more on that, check out the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and linguistic relativity. Whether you agree or disagree, it's a place to look for more information on that line of thinking.
We just talked about those in my anthropology class yesterday! My professor didn't seem entirely convinced but I think they are interesting ideas
Is that the theory that states people with different mother tongues literally think differently? If so, I totally agree. I was raised with two active languages, but when I was younger I favoured Welsh, and I really do think differently about things depending which language happens to be in my head that day.
I recently read 1984, and I loved it so much. I didnt think about how changing the language the way they were was affecting how people literally think! But it reminds me of interesting ideas like how people with different languages think differently. Cultures with greater foci on color, or food, or family than mine create people that think dramatically different than how i do.
"War is peace" is pretty much the slogan of America today. And the victims change and we act if they have always been the same. I don't see much difference to the book.
This man makes me fall in love with literature, and languages, story-telling, history, sociology, and the whole experience of being a thinking human being.
Thank you, John.
@John Green, I love your old videos where you are extremely energetic, but I also love that you are slowing down and giving some more focus and calm to your speech. To me, the method in which Crash Course is made is just as important as the content in it, and you and your crew continue to get better and better.
“Most of you are probably watching this in a school right now”
Haha about that..
"You're a rebel from the waist down, my dear."
I had to pause every other paragraph to debate things in my head.
1984 was a novel, not an instruction manual... here's lookin at you BBC.
It was also an Apple Ad LOL
Why BBC? You are misquoting George Orwell there mate
Nice job totally misinterpreting George Orwell 😂
Dan Traverse you are an ignorant twat.
If I see one more person in the comments calling “1984” their favorite antiutopian novel or “Brave New World” their favourite dystopian novel, I’m gonna snap.
Brave New World is an anti-utopia which has a society believed by some of its members there to be an utopia but majority is disappointed of their lifestyle as they expected to get more satisfaction of it when it was still on paper.
1984 is a dystopia which is set in a grim macabre place that makes you ask “how did we end up like this, how to prevent this?”, it is a grandiose plan gone wrong, revolution ideas betrayed and with tyranny of bloodthirsty, greedy criminals collaborated in “a party” with an absolute power.
People that call Brave New World dystopian just haven’t read the book. The entire premise of the book is the falsity of the utopia they have created.
13:18 Its a little relieving to know I'm not the only person who thinks of such things.
ua-cam.com/video/Qd8zT1YAUck/v-deo.html
I also wonder how my dog ´ thinks´
Jackson Lian, that particular aspect of that movie was interesting, but in general I thought Arrival was a rather awful movie.
I can definitely see why you would say that it was awful. But the thought-provoking aspect of it was what bought me over. The idea that language can change how we think because it is the medium that our thoughts can exist in was an eye-opener for me. Also, it breaks from the convention that aliens are hostile because we operate on the assumption we have of our fellow humans. Of course, if one is to watch it with the same set of expectation as when one goes to watch a Marvel movie, he or she is bound to catch some Zs
If previous videos in this series are to be believed, English-speakers are predisposed to think in terms of absolutes and paired opposites. It's made it really easy to divide us because it makes it really easy to convince people that anyone who is not exactly like them is automatically a bad person.
Take the classic threat "you're either with us or against us" for example. You are not me and you can only be my ally or my enemy. If you are not "us", then you are automatically "them." Having no opinion, wanting to delay making a decision, seeking a compromise or having a separate agenda entirely are all lumped in with hostile action.
Or if you prefer Star Wars - "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." This is itself an absolute statement. The very act of anyone _but_ a Sith saying it makes them an automatic hypocrite. Something more along the line of "insisting on framing things in absolute terms is usually more of a Sith thing than a Jedi thing" would be more appropriate, but notice how much longer and clumsier that sounds than "only the Sith deal in absolutes."
Such an interesting read, so happy I found this video to further take in the book. I always had the feeling that the book was little more than what it represents or reputation, but it is genuinely a beautifully written work with an enticing story, rather than just being a thought experiment gone wild or a several hundred page long preach or something. Love ittttt
North Korea is a very literal version of a current 1984 dystopia.
A man who can be happy for scratching an itch is someone to be respected
Your lucid analyses of these absolutely mesmerizing books has led me to make them required viewing for my students of design. They love it, having discovered that literature plays such an important part in 'design thinking', widening their understanding, and encouraging curiosity. I know they may not take the time to read through each book, but at least they now have talking points! Thanks to you.
The idea of people leaving without of trace is a very real thing for the persecuted and forgotten indigenous women in Canada, many missing and murdered with little investigation.
Jordan wow... I didn't know that was happening! Thank you very much for informing me about that!
Jordan Not the same thing. It's not government enforced political assassinations and more like crimes that are not properly investigated.
RaitoYagami88 unfortunately in a lot of cases it's closer to the former than the latter. When it's known by the state, and ignored - or not recorded - or misrecorded on purpose, then it's closer to the insidiousness of govt enforced political erasure, and not merely poorly investigated disappearances.
It’s more complicated than that troughs, the police investigation are pretty unwelcome on reserve, and a lot of the crimes targeting the indigenous women are committed by family members, and government are scared to reveal that out in the the public
Olivia Williams how do you know that as facts, if the cases are so poorly investigated?
It has been a while since I last watched a crash course video, and I am reminded once again that this is a wonderful source of useful information and also quite entertaining and engaging. Thank you, John and Hank and everyone behind the scenes.
Actually, the reason the left or right can't claim Orwell is because there's more to a political spectrum than just left and right. Political compass is correct in putting four sectors: Authoritarian left, Authoritarian right, Libertarian right, and libertarian left.
Orwell was a Libertarian left individual. That's why he opposes capitalism(he is on the left) but also opposed the traditional communism(authoritarian left). He is on record as praising Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Civil war, which was an anarcho-syndicalist society(libertarian left).
So, actually, the left can claim Orwell. At least, the libertarian left can. He is never found criticizing the libertarian left, but you can find him criticizing all of the other sectors. It's not unusual for a libertarian left individual to criticize the authoritarian left.
Orwell was a true artist, so his work transcends himself and his politics.
I can't claim Orwell but I can learn from him everything that is wrong with the left. As I am sure you can learn most things from him that are wrong wih the right. Art isn't mere political propaganda. That would be quite laughable given the subjectmatter, anyway.
In modern day politics, especially in Britain, the libertarian left and being herded like sheep by the authoritarian left
I can't believe this even needs explaining but I'm so glad other people already commented this. Its so infuriating when people can't see how he was a libertarian leftist
@@mcw8900 what "authoritarian left" is there in Britain? Wtf? I see some right-wing nationalists popping up, but there are no prominent anti-capitalist political figures
Not gonna lie you guys constantly help me not read but still pass English
What I find interesting that if George Orwell saw how much his work has become celebritised and sensationalised today, he would actually hate it. He was primarily a journalist and as a journalist his aim was to incite change and not become a pop-culture symbol.
So happy that the literature series is back!!!!!! ❤
It was great that you were able to note that Animal Farm and 1984 were also anti-capitalist books, but Orwell wasn't a Social Democrat. He believed Democratic Socialism was that of the kind that was put to practice in Catalonia- workers and peasants seizing their land and workplaces by force and democratically running them in collectives, communes, and cooperatives, the elimination of class, and so on.
Literally was reading this book right as the video was published. Love those little coincidences.
me too!!!
Big brother was watching.
blue tiger lmaoo😂
same !! I'm reading it for a book report :))
Are you sure it's a coincidence?
Clocks ringing 13 is a symbolic metaphor for *something* you take for granted, and assume will never, ever change. . . changing. Something like no Habeus Corpus or all clocks to military time.
My favourite book. I'll always go back to it. Incredible.
Who’s here after Covid-19?
You mean how we are being kept indoors
@@Sacrilege83 you mean safe social distancing?
You mean who has woken in the midst of covid 19?
@@someonedraws4208 He means YOU comrade!
I'm on chapter 2
I think of newspeak every time I hear someone talking as though "capitalism is free markets" or "socialism is government control". There are such things as state capitalism or libertarian socialism, but the way the words "capitalism" and "socialism" have been redefined over the years makes it virtually impossible to even express such ideas to today's audiences, to whom "state capitalism" or "libertarian socialism" sound like bald-faced contradictions.
And it strikes me now that from a libertarian socialist perspective, the comparison to newspeak is even stronger, because one would hold a capitalist market to be inherently unfree and a totalitarian state to be inherently unsocialist, so saying "capitalism is free markets" or "socialism is government control" read almost (but not quite) literally as "slavery is freedom" and "freedom is slavery", respectively.
Or, you know, the Spanish government that existed before Franco crushed it, the people like Orwell's friends.
Walter Johnson Or Catalonia that Orwell fought. Or Rojava, which exists RIGHT NOW.
It occurs to me that "tabooing" words like these could be a way around this kind of problem. Instead of talking about things like "capitalism" or "socialism", just say what those words mean to you, e.g.:
I am in favor of voluntary non-coerced trade of private property,
("free markets")
but against property income like rent and interest and the concentration of ownership that comes with it,
("capitalism")
and for widespread distribution of ownership especially of the means of production and housing,
("socialism")
but against centralized state control of trade.
("command economy")
False, closest thing we have is the kibbutz
And "Fascism is anti-fascism"
love is hate
I am thou...
Thou art I...
I was nervous about this video at first because I remember your brother Hank did video for Crash Course Philosophy called "how words can harm" which I thought got very Orwellian with its messages.
But I'm relived to see that this video was research very well, was nicely balanced, and overall a good introduction to what Orwellianism is.
You've done a doubleplusgood job so far!
So happy to see John Green on my UA-cam feed again. It's like sinking into a warm bath.
5:08 What you describe here is Social Democracy, as in capitalism with a strong welfare state funded by various forms of progressive taxation. Democratic Socialism entails nationalizing or promoting collective ownership of production, and moving away from capitalism in general.
The two are not mutually exclusive, and are constantly under revision and discussion.
It's interesting that you bring up the age difference between Julia and Winston because it plays into a theme of infantilisation I've always seen running through the novel. Much like young teenagers their relationship is shallow and based on shared experiences of minor rebellion. Their ultimate transgression is sneaking away from what is essentially a school trip to have sex in a field.
Early on in the book, we learn that Winston deeply distrusts women and then go on to see a female background character described in ways that are kind of gross and ridiculous, almost as if she has cooties. In the same chapter, we hear about his neighbour's efforts to stay on in organisations he is too old for. Even Winston's writing is juvenile. Once he meets Julia they basically go through an accelerated adolescence together. The vision of them holding hands in front og O'Brian is as enderaring as it is tragic.
Age really has no meaning in the world of 1984 because everyone is a child.
It's like China's social credit system.
"the" "the" "the" please.
no you are gay china number one
Katsuhira Agata you are homophobic
1984 is one of the most selling book in China pepelaugh
Like psycho pass
Albert Einstein made a nice observation on the relationship between Thought and Language. He argued that Language cannot be the basis of Thought, because we often have difficulty finding the proper words to describe our ideas. So, in Einsten's view, an idea enters our brain first, and then our brain searches for the best words to express that idea to other people.
Writing a final exam on this tomorrow, couldn’t be more grateful!
this is literally what my junior year essay was about, wish I had seen this sooner.
I’m too happy for the literature course being back! I can’t wait for you to do pride & predjudice ❤️
Excellent first choice to help reflect on contemporary America.
Lel
Travel to China, and post a picture of the Pooh. See what happens.
Be gay in Saudi Arabia, see what happens.
"B-but America is the most authoritarian!"
THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU!
I absolutely believe that language and vocabulary are essential to the way we think and react to the world. A common trait amongst murderers is that they have a very basic vocabulary and are very limited in their way of expressing themselves (and therefore, likely their own thoughts are impaired by language). There's also very good TedTalk that addresses the way language affects our perception of the world and thought process. This conclusion is drawn after comparing the answers, memories retained, etc. from people who are native in different languages.
Who’s here after the riots started?
I'm here after they cancelled paw patrol and cops.
They're here
' with the Bad guys/Pigs winning' I see what you did there.
“The goal of socialism is communism’s” -Literally Stalin
Actually that was Lenin
@@victoriah4278 Are we supposed to hold anything Stalin said with weight in the modern day?
Literally it was Lenin.
Socialism is an umbrella term that communism is under. You can be a socialist and reject Stalin, Lenin and communism.
Unfortunately, Liberals don’t see that...
The novel describes modern Russia today. Absolute match. “We fight with NATO”, they say on tv. But nobody sees those mysterious nato warriors…
They are afraid of government.
1984 perfectly shows USSR system of rude punishment if you’re against the dictator’s views.
There's a mile of difference from the information about ourselves that we voluntarily share, and that which is just forcefully taken from us and put on display to the world.
"You're the kind of person that sees a bird outside and says, 'bird.'" - Patrice O'neal
It’s more relevant today definitely
What a coincidence that this comes out now right when I'm failing English and this is the book we're reading 😂
I read this book and every single word pictures the life of Venezuela for many years now. I don’t think is going to change. Ever.
Guayoyo Azucarado God.
I had never thought about the impact of language like that before, very enlightening.
"George Orwell did not predict the future, pur clocks still stop at twelve."
*Laughs in French*
Jcomprends pas
Make 1984 Fiction Again!
Given what you said about Orwell's beliefs, it is inaccurate to say that he cannot be ascribed either to the right nor left. He was decidedly leftist because of his anti-capitalist views, just a libertarian leftist, not an authoritarian one.
I actually find it frustrating that Americans seem to forget that libertarian left is even a thing.
YAAAS Libertarian Socialism FTW!
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corhydron111 The corporate PR-job known as "right-wing libertarianism" has done horrible things to western political discourse, for sure.
marcos fonox The original libertarians were socialists, my dude. The term "libertarian" didn't start getting used to describe right-wingers until the 1950s, a couple hundred years after the fact.
This video was very helpful to better understand 1984. The historical context made many concepts easier to connect to the novel. Especially going into the concepts of Newspeak and Doublethink and sharing examples were helpful. Examples like “Freedom is Slavery” , “Ignorance is Strength” , “War is Peace” often appear in the book and in our discussion during english class. Understanding what the governments attempt is made me think about the concept more. Especially explaining the intent of the government in 1984. Before watching this video, I wasn’t fully aware of what the government tried to do with newspeak. Now it makes sense, that they want to limit the words, in order to stop people from having revolutionary thoughts, in order to limit revolts against the government.
Thank You!
I have to study this book for my Literature and I haven't read it so now I'm watching as much videos about it as possible.
Wing-it Productions 😁
The clocks were in 24-hour military time. Many places in the world use 24-hour time, so their clocks strike 13...
Glad to see you're doing George Orwell's classic look at the totalitarian state which could be caused by Hank's political beliefs. Whoever the r Hank is, anyway.
I was thinking the exact same lol i just wasnt sure if this was hank or the other guy
Uploads a video about 1984 on the 100 year anniversary of the Bolshevik/October Revolution
*LIBERAL DEMOCRACY INTENSIFIES*
(edit I probably should've just said capitalism to make the message clear)
@only that's why I said liberal democracy and not just capitalism
I'm not referencing the Kerensky government I'm talking about Orwell
@the latest meme liberalism assumes capitalism. Democratic socialism seeks to either reform or oppose capitalism altogether.
Anyway, It's good that we can now talk about the Soviet Union in the past tense.
"Bolshevik/October Revolution"; "liberal democracy"; Do I need to say ANYTHING to refute your non-argument? Does literally anyone with 2 neurons to rub together look at this and go "them goddamn libruls at it again trying to make muricah communist" ???
If there are no words to express a thought, a new word will be created to express it. This happens every day. They might say that newspeak reduces its vocabulary every year, but there will undoubtedly be new forms of expression made.
Thank you John Green. Thank you so, so much!
John greene: you might be watching in a school
but im just intrested
Writing an end year exam on this in 2 hours!!
This was doubleplusgood
I made the mistake of reading 1984 when I had postnatal depression and it really upset me. "How could I prevent my son from growing up in such a nightmare world?" I thought. Then I happened to come across a review of 1984 written by Isaac Asimov, for whom I have great respect. He said it was a bad book because it was so black-and-white with no grey areas and that the Proles would rebel against such a system, so that made me feel better.
I was given 1984 for Christmas. Now, I’m obsessed!