How Politicians Lie | George Orwell

An analysis of George Orwell's essay, "Politics and the English Language." This analysis is not meant to favor any political viewpoint -- it's about imprecision in language and the relationship of imprecise language to tyranny.

George Orwell (1903-1950), born Eric Arthur Blair, was one of the foremost political writers of the 20th century. Most famous for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm, Orwell was also a noted essayist.

His "Politics and the English Language," first published in 1946, has become a classic work on the subject. This video attempts to discuss Orwell's piece in the context of contemporary American political speech. I look at soundbites from Sarah Palin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Orwell's analysis goes far beyond "newspeak," though ambiguous and euphemistic language is mercilessly criticized here.