Reading the Contempt of Socialists

American Thinker ^ | May 5, 2012 | Bruce Deitrick Price

[BruceDeitrickPrice]

[Author's title: "In Reading We Can Read The Contempt of Socialists"]

What, if any, is the connection between illiteracy and ideology?

George Orwell, our greatest political sociologist, has some ideas. He is the master explainer of governance, power, totalitarianism, education, and the dynamics of class warfare. It's an ugly picture.

In his seminal essay, "Ignorance Is Strength," Orwell lays down the iron rule of history: "Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world[:] High, Middle, and Low."

Orwell cynically notes that the Middle always campaign for power by promising the Low that they will be moved toward the top. In fact, if the Middle are able to seize power, they establish themselves as the High, the Low are crushed, and that's the end of the story until the next Middle become powerful enough to start another cycle.

Orwell concludes: "As soon as they have reached their objective, the Middle thrust the Low back into their old position of servitude, and themselves become the High."

Many observers would say, especially with Obama in the White House, that we are witnessing an attempted coup by the current Middle -- intellectuals, academics, ideologues, journalists, thinkers, and talkers (i.e., people who feel entitled to run the world because they are so smart). This hungry Middle wants to take power from the bankers, tycoons, entrepreneurs, and industrialists -- the movers and organizers who have run the world for several centuries.

But let's focus on the Low -- can they improve their lives by siding with the Middle in this ongoing coup attempt? Will the Middle, this time, actually try to lift up the Low?

Orwell's essay is depressing because he sees no hope that the Low can improve their condition... .

[Nateman]

Free trade raises all boats. Too bad they can’t just focus on maintaining the rule of law rather than trying to create utopia.

[BfloGuy]

Very interesting theory and one that plausibly attempts to explain the incomprehensible dumbing-down of our educational system. It also accounts for why high-powered liberal backers of public education always send their own kids to private schools.