Orwell wrote about Newspeak in his novel 1984. The actual number of words would shrink over time and in the process, complexity of thought, nuance, and even dissent would be un-expressable and would disappear.
Newspeak was a way for power to stay in power. To stop people from thinking and to hide truth.
Just now I came upon a headline on forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/12/payroll-losses-jobless-recession-consumer-opinions-columnists-nouriel-roubini.html
"A 'Jobless' And 'Wageless' Recovery"
Will someone explain to me in English, not Newspeak, how it can be a recovery if people don't have jobs and if those who do don't make high enough wages to eat.
I think the headline might have been more accurately written thus:
"Wall St. Recovers. Main St. Fucked."
George, it means everyone but you, and me, have jobs.
ReplyDeleteOh, sunny anonymous. My heart skips a beat.
ReplyDeletewell, what it means, dear anonymous – as I know for a fact George is working and making money doing so – is that corporations are not hiring or raising wages but wall street is betting on better times ahead. so share prices are designed to go up. Whether that means the smartest among the wall street guys are just yet again pumping air into the balloon in order to withdraw when the rest of us are in, is another question?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's like Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride: "This word, 'recovery,' I do not think it means what you think it means."
ReplyDeleteTore, you may be in a creative field, but that's some pretty accurate economic analysis. The only thing that you forgot to add is "aided and abetted by the Fed..." as a modifier for Wall St. Guys.