Orwell and Prose

Orwell and prose.

There is a discussion on BBC Radio 4 of Orwell and his views on prose and his "rules" about prose as discussed in his essay "Politics and the English Language."

I think Orwell is trying to get people to think clearly and independently.
This will be reflected in the language they use.

Clear language will encourage clear thought.
The use of difficult or unclear language is creating a political culture that restricts freedom.

The "rules" he made in the essay are very general.
They were perhaps intended as a corrective; and intended to create a tendency towards clear thought.
And a tendency towards the prevention of deceit by means of language.

It is a kind of recapitulation of Milton's exhortation that prose should be "SIMPLE, SENSUOUS and PASSIONATE."

These rules are perhaps intended to be applied in political language more than any other kind of language.

This essay is still very relevant today. It is obviously not infallible. Nothing is. But it is still very good.

One of it's contemporary inheritors and a sustainer of its spirit is the book "Unspeak" by Steven Poole.

The Noughties

The naughties in some ways weren't naughty enough! Quite a lot of conformism.....

In other ways they were very nothing-y - very nought-y - appropriately named decade really.

Amazing film

Just seen "Age of Stupid". Absolutely amazing film.

One of the most futile "wars" in history

England and USAmerica's so called "war" in Afghanistan between 2001 and now is one of the most futile so-called "wars" in history.

Parla patois que babilona entendra pas

Parla patois ragga , òc parla patois
Parla patois que babilona entendrà pas
Parla patois , comença e t'arresta pas

Sontag Quote

"The truth is that Mozart, Pascal, Boolean algebra, Shakespeare, parliamentary government, baroque churches, Newton, the emancipation of women, Kant, Marx, Balanchine ballet et al., don't redeem what this particular civilization has wrought upon the world. 

The white race is the cancer of human history. It is the white race and it alone - its ideologies and inventions - which eradicates autonomous civilizations wherever it spreads, which has upset the ecological balance of the planet, which now threatens the very existence of life itself."

Susan Sontag.

As I re-read this blog

I look back on this blog and I think about all of what I have written in it and on consideration I feel two things:

1) I think my views are essentially correct.

2) I am shocked that other people don't say the same thing as me.

Abolition can't come soon enough

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/09/day-mental-health-professionals

"Sectioning" under the UK "Mental Health" Act is:-

- the effective temporary destruction of a human being;
- a crime and;
- a crime against humanity.

The people involved in it are criminals.

It must be abolished as soon as possible.

There is simply no such thing as mental illness.

http://www.szasz.com/manifesto.html

Don't think it couldn't happen to you.
It could happen to ANYONE including YOU and it is a CRIME.

Happy Buddhmas Season!

RISE ABOVE IT!

Eden

I once went to visit The Eden Project in Cornwall.
I asked the poor unfortunate entrance attendant if he knew where Eden really was.
He said, "I'm not sure. But I know there's a town called Eden in the USA....."
I interrupted him and said "Eden is in Iraq. And we've been bombing it for 15 years."
Poor man.

This reminds me of the time when I went to the United Nations building in New York and at the end the guide asked us if we had any questions. I put my hand up and said "Yeah. I have a question. Which country has vetoed the most United Nations resolutions?" He said, "I don't know..." I said "Well. It's the USA. By far."