"That’s the thing about Orwell’s Imperialism: it’s perfectly ordinary stuff, distinguished only by the socialist persona he invented to speak it. As an example of literary dissembling, Orwell belongs with the great forgers. But as a man of ideas, he is truly beneath contempt. His ideas are simply the hatreds of his nursery, hidden by an elaborate self-glorifying backstory."
Actually, it’s simple. Orwell went to Spain to fight for his most deeply held belief, yes. Unfortunately, that belief wasn’t socialism but the nastiest, most puerile of the tribal hatreds English babies learn in the cradle: anti-Catholicism."
I just couldn't keep reading after that. I like John Dolan's analyses in the War Nerd podcast but this essay seems unhinged. Did he write this at the time the Exiled staff were smashing each other in the face with horse semen pies? Seems like a lot of edginess and projection.
Chronologically I think this comes after the horse semen pies.
It's not a stretch to think a middle class Englishmen from the early 20th century hates catholics, and that this bigotry (along with his other pet hates) pop up in his writing.
As far as Orwell being a socialist....don't forget he ratted out British socialist to British intelligence.
His writing is partly journalistic, partly literary.He's never really trying to assemble a coherent ideological or philosophical argument.
He's reporting what he sees and reflecting on the world he lives in and his place in it. He can see profound problems and injustices, but is deeply skeptical that any of the ideologies of his time provide solutions. But he is also acutely aware, I think, that he doesn't really have any better ideas. There's a profound anxiety and uncertainty than runs throughout Orwell's writing.
For me, this is what makes him a good writer. Judging him on not being "properly" socialist or anti-imperialist or whatever is completely missing the point.
But there are people who put him on the pedestal. His claimed by the left, and western leftists love to argue over who is "more socialist" than the other. His time in Spain, books like Animal Farm and 1984...they're held up as examples of Orwell being a better leftist than others.
Your article's main thesis is "how dare he do that!" (before rejecting imperialism).