Tuesday 3 April 2018

“Power is not a means, it is an end… The object of power is power.”

From PJ O'Rourke's recent re-reading, reflecting and writing on what Orwell's 1984 says about the left-right red-blue parties who oppress and overpower us:
But what is the goal, what is the objective of the Leftright Party? Why do they oppress and overpower us? (Or, rather, why do they trick us into oppressing and overpowering ourselves?)

Orwell goes straight to the point.

O’Brien tells Winston, “Power is not a means, it is an end… The object of power is power.”

What the Leftright Party wants is power. And what will the Leftright Party do to us with its power?
Again, Orwell is clear. O’Brien asks…

“How does one man assert his power over another, Winston?”

Winston thought. “By making him suffer,” he said.

“Exactly. By making him suffer. Unless he is suffering, how can you know that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is inflicting pain and humiliation.”
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like PJ O'Rourke and agree with this. The statement raises the question, "If you can, why wouldn't you?" Its the point of the power game surely and reasons to not inflict your will, assuming its, say, evil for want of a better word, rest in morality which we know is a personal measure that we ignore as we can because its all about the individual.

So, what's the answer?

3:16