Thursday, November 07, 2024

No, George Orwell didn't say "A people that elect corrupt politicians, aren't victims, but accomplices"

There's a quotation that's been going the rounds of social media today, perhaps because it expresses some left-wingers' contempt for the common people:

"A people that elect corrupt politicians, aren't victims, but accomplices." - George Orwell

It didn't ring true to me, and when I searched I couldn't find any trace of Orwell having said it.

So I tweeted about my doubts, and someone kindly replied with a link to the Reuters site:
A quote falsely attributed to George Orwell saying that people who elect corrupt politicians are not victims but accomplices is circulating online. The Orwell Society and The Orwell Foundation confirmed to Reuters that this quote does not belong to the English writer.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous08 November, 2024 11:52

    So where does this comment come from?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jonathan Calder08 November, 2024 12:19

    Some online idiot who lacks Orwell's sympathy with working people but likes to present himself as left wing?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Neil Hickman08 November, 2024 13:34

    If you replace “elect” with “knowingly elects”, I suggest that the line is far from idiotic. Granted, seeking to attribute it to Orwell is dishonest; but bearing in mind some of the things Orwell wrote about Liberals, I’m quite happy not to.

    ReplyDelete