George Orwell

The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs' Biting and timeless reflections on patriotism, prejudice and power, from the man who wrote about his nation better than anyone.

Notes on Nationalism

Sophie Shrimpton

An insightful view on 'nationalism' aka factionalism. Though Orwell frustrates me as he is a great critic without any conviction. 

"Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception."

"Nomenclature plays a very important role in nationalist thought... Anglophobe Americans will refuse to use a slang phrase if they know if it to be of British origin..."

"But for an intellectual, transference has an important function... it makes it possible for him to be much more nationalistic... than he could ever be on behalf of his native country, or of any unit of which he had real knowledge."

"In societies such as ours, it is unusual for anyone describable as an intellectual to feel a very deep attachment to his own country. Public opinion - that is, the section of public opinion of which he as an intellectual is aware - will not allow him to do so. Most of the people surrounding him are sceptical and disaffected, and he may adopt the same attitude from imitativeness or sheer cowardice..."

"...nationalism can be intermittent and limited. An intelligent man may half-succumb to a belief which attracts him but which he knows to be absurd, and he may keep it out of his mind for long periods, only reverting to it in moments of anger or sentimentality, or when he is certain that no important issue is involved."

He lists types of nationalist and a fact which it is impossible for that nationality to accept: "Pacifist. Those who 'abjure' violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf."

"...it can be argued that no unbiased outlook is possible, that all creeds and causes involve the same lies, follies and barbarities; and this is often advanced as a reason for keeping out of politics altogether."

"Plenty of people who are quite capable of being objective about sea urchins, say, or the square root of 2, become schizophrenic if they have to think about the sources of their own income."

"He thus fails to start his investigation in the one place where he could get hold of some reliable evidence - that is, in his own mind."

"The point is that something, some psychological vitamin, is lacking in modern civilization..."

"At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare."

"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting."

Notes on Nationalism

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