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[[Image:Hgdctuy6.jpg|right|thumb|George Orwell (Eric Blair)]]

[[Image:Hgdctuy6.jpg|right|thumb|George Orwell (Eric Blair)]]

'''George Orwell''' was the pen name for '''Eric Arthur Blair''' (June 25, 1903  - January 21, 1950), a leading English [[democratic socialist]] writer, essayist and journalist who exposed the evils of [[communist]] [[totalitarianism]] in two novels published near the end of his life: [[Animal Farm]]  and [[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]. His first novel, based on his experiences on the Imperial Police Force in Burma, [[Burmese Days]], explored the evils of [[colonialism]].

'''George Orwell''' was the pen name for '''Eric Arthur Blair''' (June 25, 1903  - January 21, 1950), a leading English [[democratic socialist]] writer, essayist and journalist who exposed the evils of [[communist]] [[totalitarianism]] in two novels published near the end of his life: [[Animal Farm]]  and [[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]. His first novel, based on his experiences on the Imperial Police Force in Burma, [[Burmese Days]], explored the evils of [[colonialism]].

The formative experience of Orwell's creative life was volunteering to fight the Spanish [[Fascist]] forces to keep them from overturning the [[democratically elected]] socialist government of Spain in the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939). He enlisted in the POUM (In English, Workers Party for Marxist Unity) Militia, and saw action on the Aragon front, where he fought side by side with [[Anarchist]]s and [[Communist]]s, as well as Republican regulars.  

The formative experience of Orwell's creative life was volunteering to fight the Spanish [[Fascist]] forces to keep them from overturning the [[democratically elected]] socialist government of Spain in the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939). He enlisted in the POUM (In English, Workers Party for Marxist Unity) Militia, and saw action on the Aragon front, where he fought side by side with [[Anarchist]]s and [[Communist]]s, as well as Republican regulars.  

He became disillusioned with the Spanish government's policy of witholding arms from the POUM and the Anarchists, which he saw as an attempt by the Communists to water down the revolutionary nature of the Anti-Fascist resistance, and centralize power in the hands of the Moscow-backed Communist Party. Taking a bullet through his neck but surviving, Orwell was invalided to Barcelona, where he witnessed the Stalinist repression of Trotskyist and Anarchist parties. Orwell and his wife were forced to escape from Spain as fugitives, after the POUM was banned by the increasingly repressive regime.  

He became disillusioned with the Spanish government's policy of withholding arms from the POUM and the Anarchists, which he saw as an attempt by the Communists to water down the revolutionary nature of the Anti-Fascist resistance, and centralize power in the hands of the Moscow-backed Communist Party. Taking a bullet through his neck but surviving, Orwell was invalided to Barcelona, where he witnessed the Stalinist repression of Trotskyist and Anarchist parties. Orwell and his wife were forced to escape from Spain as fugitives, after the POUM was banned by the increasingly repressive regime.  

Despite his persecution, Orwell continued to support the Republic upon his return to England, viewing a Communist dominated Spain as better than a Fascist Spain.{{fact-political}} He recounted his experiences in Spain in the book [[Homage to Catalonia]]. <ref>[http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/index.html]</ref>

Despite his persecution, Orwell continued to support the Republic upon his return to England, viewing a Communist dominated Spain as better than a Fascist Spain.{{fact-political}} He recounted his experiences in Spain in the book [[Homage to Catalonia]]. <ref>[http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/index.html]</ref>

==Quotes==

==Quotes==

*In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

*"In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

*It cannot be said too often - at any rate, it is not being said nearly often enough - that collectivism is not inherently democratic, but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamt of.

*"It cannot be said too often - at any rate, it is not being said nearly often enough - that collectivism is not inherently democratic, but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamt of."

*One sometimes gets the impression that the mere words 'Socialism' and 'Communism' draw towards them with magnetic force every fruit-juice drinker, nudist, sandal-wearer, sex-maniac, Quaker, 'Nature Cure' quack, pacifist and feminist in England.

*"One sometimes gets the impression that the mere words 'Socialism' and 'Communism' draw towards them with magnetic force every fruit-juice drinker, nudist, sandal-wearer, sex-maniac, Quaker, 'Nature Cure' quack, pacifist and feminist in England."

*If only the sandals and pistachio-colored shirts could be put in a pile and burnt, and every vegetarian, teetotaler and creeping Jesus sent home to Welwyn Garden City to do his yoga exercises quietly. As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.

*"If only the sandals and pistachio-colored shirts could be put in a pile and burnt, and every vegetarian, teetotaler and creeping Jesus sent home to Welwyn Garden City to do his yoga exercises quietly. As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents."

*The truth is that to many people calling themselves Socialists, revolution does not mean a movement of the masses with which they hope to associate themselves; it means a set of reforms which 'we,' the clever ones, are going to impose upon 'them,' the Lower Orders.

*"The truth is that to many people calling themselves Socialists, revolution does not mean a movement of the masses with which they hope to associate themselves; it means a set of reforms which 'we,' the clever ones, are going to impose upon 'them,' the Lower Orders."

*War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it.

*"War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."

*The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.

*"The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."

*Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against [[totalitarianism]] and for [[democratic socialism]], as I know it.

*"Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against [[totalitarianism]] and for [[democratic socialism]], as I know it."

*I have no particular love for the idealised 'worker' as he appears in the bourgeois Communist's mind, but when I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on.

*"I have no particular love for the idealized 'worker' as he appears in the bourgeois Communist's mind, but when I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on."

*If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

*"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

==References==

==References==

<references/>

<references/>

[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926380-6,00.html That Year Is Almost Here] by Paul Gray, Time Online.

*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926380-6,00.html That Year Is Almost Here] by Paul Gray, Time Online.