Just Finished "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

I honestly see more doublespeak in the current administration

This is true, but it's not out of any kind of Orwellian manipulation. Obama's support comes from the people who called out Bush's actions. However, once you enter office, you are forced to make tough decisions about what to do based on very particular realpolitik concerns (and other considerations). This information is simply not available to the populace for security reasons, so Obama is forced to use drone bombs to fight ISIS (which has been effective) even while his voting base disavows them.

I'm not saying I support drone bombings (I don't, as a matter of principle), but I don't see Obama's doublespeak as an Orwellian thing. It reminds me more of necessary moral sacrifices you make as ruler (again in a realpolitik sense). On the topic of dystopias, I recommend the anime 'From the New World' (or if you can read Japanese, the award-winning novel it was adapted from) as an example of how hypocritical, morally contemptible actions can be necessary.

/r/books Thread Parent