Monday, March 9, 2026

Casually Completing Classics: 1984 Part 14 (2.9.2)

 Continuing with Orwell's essay Goldstein's book.

In principle it would be quite simple to waste the surplus labour of the world by building temples and pyramids, [...] But this would provide only the economic and not the emotional basis for a hierarchical society.

I feel like if you can get people to build temples and pyramids, you could make up a religion that manipulates people the way you want without (or at least with a lot less) endless war. Also, not sure about his claim that:

In past ages, a war, almost by definition, was something that sooner or later came to an end, usually in unmistakable victory or defeat

There were wars that lasted for literal hundreds of years. The current war has been going on for a few dozen years. That's peanuts.

  

 

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Don Quixote Chapter 16

  Bonus:  I think I may have missed a song or two. Summary:  How many times does this guy mistake inns for castles? Slap Stick! Commentary: ...