Opinions

Three cheers for Mr Blair

April 30, 2011   ·   220462 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2Fthree-cheers-for-mr-blair-22046Three+cheers+for+Mr+Blair2011-04-30+09%3A22%3A49Qalinle+Husseinhttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D22046

I speak not of the one-time occupant of Number 10 Downing, but of Eric Arthur Blair (1903 – 1950), a man better known by his pseudonym, George Orwell. In this age of uncertainty this author has never been more relevant, we all would all benefit from drinking in a little of his wit and wisdom.

Although George Orwell was born into a Middle Class family and was privately educated, after school and a formative time working in Burma he chose not just to empathise with the poor and downtrodden, but for a time to live with them. After returning from Burma he travelled to France where he worked as a plongeur (dishwasher) in a Paris hotel and then returned to England where he lived as a vagrant in and around London. He endured hardship and privations as well as experiencing firsthand the contempt and exploitation from those who were economically better off. Down and Out in Paris and London (1933 )his amusing and poignant account of his experiences reminds us just how perilous a position we are in materially.

Orwell loathed hypocrisy and oppression in all its manifestations. If he were alive today he would readily recognize the crypto-imperialism that sees poorer nations bribed with aid or military hardware or threatened with economic ostracism. His debut novel Burmese Days (1934) is a powerful introduction to and damning indictment of imperialism. Whilst the British Empire may now be history its brash American successor is sadly ever more voracious and culturally corrosive. He loathed injustice and as a man if principle he felt called to serve in the International Brigade in Spain where he experienced something of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, something he described in Homage to Catalonia (1938).

His penultimate novel Animal Farm (1945) deserves to be part of the English syllabus in secondary schools throughout Somaliland and beyond. This book, considered by many as one of the finest works of 20th century English Literature has much to teach us about authority and the search for truth. It is an interesting if not altogether surprising choice for an Islamic state. Both pigs and dogs are largely demonized as the corrupting forces in the story. Nineteen Eighty Four (1949), his final novel paints a terrifying picture of a nightmare future world where people are manipulated and monitored at every turn. The Ministry of Truth featured in this seminal work perverts all in order to control:

War is peace

Freedom is slavery

Ignorance is strength

Here in 2011 the capacity already exists to intercept telephone calls and texts, and monitor emails and position and track individuals in possession of mobile phones. Those sending money via the likes of Western Union have little idea of the fact that there is a strong likelihood that their data will end up in the possession of the Pentagon. Amnesty International and the French human rights organisation Reports Sans Frontiers regularly highlight the plight of cyber dissidents who frequently endure torture as well as lengthy prison sentences – China, Iran, Syria and Vietnam have a particularly notorious record in this regard. In America under the guise of homeland security and counter terrorism TIA (Total Information Awareness) has been established in order to build up profiles of all email and Internet users.

Orwell’s writing warns us of the dangers of soulless uniformity and unquestioning compliance with draconian laws. He also shines a spotlight on governments and leaders who seek to use the cult of personality or hollow nationalism to suppress the very people they are meant to protect and serve. His writing holds up a mirror to each one of us. His use of piquant humour and everyday experience encourages us to question and laugh at the absurdities of life. Writing on a surprising range of topics from Marrakech to The art of tea drinking Orwell always provokes thought. Great authors and thinkers help us ponder anew.

In London in 2003 I vividly recall wondering what Orwell would have thought of The stop the war march, I came to the conclusion that whilst he would have despised Saddam Hussein, he would certainly have approved of the placard that exhorted the other Mr Blair to “Make tea not war”.

Mark T Jones | OPINION | 30 April, 2011

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By Qalinle Hussein

Tags: amnesty, CIA, George Orwell, Homeland security, Terrorism, Western Union