The Complete Idiot's Guide To Communism - I'm reading it!

[Stray]

Has anyone else read it? I'm in the part about the chinese communist movement.

Off Topic: Why does Orwell give a negative impression of communism in 1984?

(Edited by Stray at 1:30 am on Sep. 25, 2002)

[Mazdak]

Orwell is an anti Stalinist. He is anti authoritarian. This is why he demonizes the Soviet Union numerous times in his books.

[Xvall]

Orwell was a Saint compared to Stalin. The book wasn't anti-communist. You can tell this, because the book did not talk much about communism. It wasn't demonizing the society because it was communal; it was demonized because of it's authoritarian rule. Read 1984; it's a good book. And it's surprising how much it can be related to modern USA.

[PunkRawker677]

Stray, glad to see you made it! And Orwell makes an anti-totalitarian statement in 1984, not anti-communist.

[Felicia]

I haven't heard of this 'guide'........hmmm

[suffianr]

Yes, I concur with the above statements; Orwell's condemnation of Big Brother wasn't that it was socialist or communist, but totalitarian. It's just capitalist propaganda that puts Orwell into that perspective...I recommend you read his other works too, for a better picture of the man...try "Down and Out in Paris and London" next... :)

[Maaja]

I have heard that Orwell's book was about capitalism... But his book 'the animal farm' was about the USSR. Characters are simple - pig Napoleon (Lenin, later Stalin), pig Snowball (Trotsky), dogs (KGB) etc.

[Xvall]

Orwells book CAN be fit into capitalism and modern America very well. Big Brother representing the boss/ceo type figure; and all the propoganda being the 'false hopes' put into the workers minds that they will actually benefit out of their endless labour.

[Stray]

I have not read 1984, I have just heard about it. We did read Animal Farm in my English class last year but it was really boring so I didnt pay much attention. What was Orwell's opinion of Comrade Trotsky portrayed through Comrade Snowball?

[truthaddict11]

i've read that orwell didnt like communism and said the democratic socialism was the best solution

[Stray]

Democratic Socialists are just a bunch of pinkos.

[boadicea88]

About the Idiots Guide- it's shit, don't read it...

[Stray]

Reasons would be nice.

[themanwill]

Is this idiots guide a bit like Marx for beginners because I have just started reading that.

[Stray]

Hmm, I've never heard of that one, I'll have to check it out.

[mentalbunny]

Quote: from Stray on 3:49 am on Sep. 26, 2002
Democratic Socialists are just a bunch of pinkos.


Thanks (sarcasm).

By the way where can you get a hold of this "Idiot's guide" (I'm an idiot you see) and what about this "Marx for begginers". I've heard of the "Introducing..." series with Freud and Descartes and a tonne of other stuff, has anyone read those? Are they worth it? The Marquis de Sade one looks quite interesting...

[Stray]

You can get the Idiot's guide from either Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com

[ArgueEverything]

Goldstein in 1984 = Trotsky. He's presented in quite a positive light, so the novel can't really be seen as a total all-out assault on communism (as opposed to Stalinism).

However, Orwell wasn't uncritical of Trotsky. In Animal Farm, if i recall correctly, Snowball (Trotsky) participates in the hoarding of milk.