Have You Come to Love Big Brother?
One of the most terrifying scenes in 1984, one of the most terrifying books ever written is the scene where Winston breaks down and weeps as he realises that he has learned to love Big Brother. The psychological abuse that led to Winston succumbing was intense, constant and horrific. Orwell …
The latest dose of language destruction (speciesism)
At first I thought this speciesism thing was a joke. There is an article in The Independent quoting academic Shareena Hamzah from Swansea University. Ms Hamzah foresees a time when the use of traditional idioms like “bring home the bacon” will be taboo. I laughed, and shared the article on …
Polarisation is Death
“Don’t just stand there polarise.” This was the catch phrase on a political cartoon that I saw when I was in Year 10. That simple cartoon has swum back in to my consciousness, as I’ve watched all political discourse dissipate under the influence of sharp polarisation across the world. It’s …