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George Orwell Blogs From the Grave
flaming error writes to tell us the Orwell Prize organization will, starting today, post George Orwell's diary entries online exactly 70 years after they were written. NPR discussed the blog and shared excerpts from the diary. We talked about a similar undertaking several years ago, when a diary from 1660 was put online. According to the blog's creators, it will allow you to "follow Orwell's recuperation in Morocco, his return to the UK, and his opinions on the descent of Europe into war in real time. The diaries end in 1942, three years into the conflict."
This is something a lot of slashdotters really need to read
Why?
I thought that was perfectly clear when he quoted:
...Pacifist propaganda usually boils down to saying that one side is as bad as the other, but if one looks closely at the writings of younger intellectual pacifists, one finds that they do not by any means express impartial disapproval but are directed almost entirely against Britain and the United States...
How many times a day to read on /. someone saying something like, "Iran has a right to the bomb" or "US invades countries. Hitler invaded countries. Coincidence?" or my favorite, "Terrorists kill civilians. So does the US!". That moral equivalency bullshit is exactly what Orwell is calling out here.
Any time the US gov't does things that /.'ers don't like, they start screaming Big Brother. Orwell wrote 1984 (where the Big Brother references come from). I think the GP used this quote to explain how Orwell feels about pacifists or the blame America first crowd.
What's not to understand?
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
fail.
"If for any reason you're not satisfied with our service, I hate you."
How can you not see the actions of the "terrorists" and the USA as morally equivalent?
The US, on the other hand, targets military targets exclusively. The US military actually goes out of its way to avoid civilians and even misses some targets because of it. When civilians die as a result of a US action, the US is quick to apologize.
Just like in the My Lai massacre? And gee, it is really big of them to apologise, as if that lets them off any moral hooks. I'm sure the wrongly killed people are up in heaven saying "gee America, that's OK that you blew me and my family to kingdom come, because you're sorry about it". I mean, as an analogy Microsoft will break the law if they gain more than they lose, likewise the US military doesn't give a shit who they target so long as all they have to do is *appear* remorseful afterwards
Now before you go getting your panties in a wad, I am not a pacifist and believe that violence can be a means to an end, but in the words of General Smedley Butler, "the only 2 things worth fighting for are our homes and the Bill of Rights". The USA military's current endeavours are nothing more than acting as enforcers for powerful financial interests. To quote the most retarded president of the USA ever "either you are with us or you are with the terrorists", well GW, I think you're BOTH insane and will fight to the death to protect myself and my family from both groups.
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning!"