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Beginning excerpt from the video:
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.”
George Orwell, 1984
George Orwell’s writings have experienced a spike in popularity over the past several
decades and for a good reason – modern societies are becoming ever more like the dystopia Orwell depicted in his novel 1984.
Whether it be mass surveillance, the incessant use of propaganda, perpetual war, the manipulation of language, or the cult of personality surrounding political leaders, many consider Orwell’s novel to be prescient.
While the West remains freer than the dystopian society of 1984, the trend of more and more power being concentrated in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats does not bode well for those who favour a free society. Orwell believed that the totalitarianism he portrayed in his novel was a distinct possibility for the West and at times he went as far as to suggest that it may in fact be inevitable. Or as he wrote:
“Almost certainly we are moving into an age of totalitarian dictatorships.”
George Orwell, Complete Works – Volume XII
In this video we will look at the cause of Orwell’s pessimism, focusing on two trends that increase the risk of a totalitarian future – the movement toward collectivism and the rise of hedonism. We then contrast Orwell’s views with those of another author of dystopian fiction – Aldous Huxley.
Collectivism is a doctrine, central to several ideologies, in which the goals of a certain collective, such as a state, a nation, a socio-economic class, an ethnic group, or a society, are given precedence over the goals of individuals. Socialism, communism, nationalism, and fascism are all collectivist ideologies.
Orwell believed that a pre-condition for the rise of totalitarianism was the widespread adoption of a collectivist mentality, and all the totalitarian nations of the 20th century were organized based on some form of collectivist ideology – in the Soviet Union and China it was communism, in Germany and in Italy, fascism.
Orwell’s view of the connection between totalitarianism and collectivism has proved
puzzling as Orwell was a staunch leftist, a critic of capitalism, and a socialist. How could someone who favoured socialism, a collectivist ideology, at the same time
write a dystopian novel which portrays a collectivist society in such a horrific manner?
To understand his position, it must first be realized that Orwell did not consider capitalism to be a viable system, or as he explains:
“It is not certain that Socialism is in all ways superior to capitalism but it is certain that, unlike capitalism, it can solve the problems of production and consumption.”
George Orwell, Complete Works – Volume XII
Capitalism was such an inadequate system in Orwell’s mind, that like many other leftists of his day, he believed it was on its deathbed and would soon be replaced by some form of collectivism.
He saw this as inevitable…
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I think the comparison with Huxley is important as well.
Collectivism essentially consists of convincing others stealing is okay. Taking another individual’s wages and property and forcing them to share instead of utilizing charity is theft. It removes the stigma of receiving charity and redefines it as a right to a government benefit while eliminating any sense of a voluntary contribution.
Then the question is how much theft is enough?
Is thirty seven trillion dollars enough to pay everyone off to support “the system”?
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… Nope, at least 1 short.