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2021/2/23 Orwellian - Wikipedia

Orwellian
"Orwellian" is an adjective describing a situation, idea, or societal External video
condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the
welfare of a free and open society. It denotes an attitude and a
brutal policy of draconian control by propaganda, surveillance,
disinformation, denial of truth (doublethink), and manipulation of
the past, including the "unperson"—a person whose past existence
is expunged from the public record and memory, practiced by
modern repressive governments. Often, this includes the
What "Orwellian" really means
circumstances depicted in his novels, particularly Nineteen Eighty-
Four[2] but political doublespeak is criticized throughout his work, – Noah Tavlin (https://www.youtu
such as in Politics and the English Language.[3] be.com/watch?v=oe64p-
QzhNE), 5:31, TED Ed[1]
The New York Times has said the term is "the most widely used
adjective derived from the name of a modern writer".[4][5]

See also
Bibliography of George Orwell Doublespeak
Mass surveillance Doublespeak Award
Totalitarianism Ritual abuse
National security Extrajudicial punishment
One Partyism Permanent war economy

References
1. Noah Tavlin. "What "Orwellian" really means" (http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-orwellian-reall
y-means-noah-tavlin). TED Ed. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
2. Drabble, Margaret (2000). The Oxford Companion to English Literature (Sixth ed.). Oxford and
New York: Oxford University Press. p. 726. ISBN 0-19-861453-5.
3. Traub, James (5 January 2016). "The Empty Threat of 'Boots on the Ground' " (https://www.nyti
mes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-empty-threat-of-boots-on-the-ground.html). The New
York Times.
4. Nunberg, Geoffrey (22 June 2003). "Simpler Terms; If It's 'Orwellian,' It's Probably Not" (https://w
ww.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/weekinreview/simpler-terms-if-it-s-orwellian-it-s-probably-not.ht
ml). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved
27 February 2018.
5. Jordison, Sam (11 November 2014). "Do you really know what 'Orwellian' means?" (https://ww
w.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/nov/11/reading-group-orwellian-1984). the
Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2018.

External links
Finding Orwell in Burma (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4761169)

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