NewSpeak

[jarandhel]

I had a troubling thought today. We are walking down the road to NewSpeak. We have seen this for some time, but have probably not realized it for what it is. We call them Bushisms. We look at how he speaks and wonder how a man so ignorant could ever have risen to power. We miss the subtlety. His language is closely based on english, but has a greatly reduced and simplified vocabulary and grammar. It makes heavy use of tired metaphors, pretentious rhetoric, and meaningless words and phrases. It is a language of black and white, removing all shades of gray. You are with us, or you are against us. These are the characteristics of NewSpeak. It exists, and it is in use, and there is a significant subset of the population it appeals to.

Invasion is Liberation.
Dissent is UnAmerican.
Ignorance is Strength.

Welcome to Oceania.

Comments

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

1984 is one of those books I hate but believe everyone needs to read anyway. Relevant 1984 quote here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/hummingwolf/279351.html#cutid1).

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

Heh, I read that when you first posted it actually. :)

[helen99.livejournal.com]

When I went to school, 1984 was required reading in 8th grade. How quickly the amnesia set in, once the "cold war" was declared "over".

No longer at war with Eurasia, Oceania, now friends with Eurasia, began preliminary skirmishes with Eastasia.

I immediately recognized 1984 all over the Bush administration and the neocon conglomerate ever since their first ugly manifestation in the public eye. I wonder if schools still require the book 1984. Probably not.

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

They still did when I was in school, though it was only on the list of required summer reading, and none of the teachers ever knew anything about that list, so not doing it didn't mean much. I did it anyway, and I think I recall enjoying the book, but it was probably a good 9 or 10 years ago at this point.