To be fair, the book came out on the heels of WW2 wrapping up, and the Nazis literally called themselves “National Socialists,” so I’m not sure we’re meant to take “IngSoc” at face value.
It’s been literal decades so I may be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure he even addresses this?
No, you can take IngSoc at face value, Orwell was strongly in favor of democratic socialism but as much opposed to Stalinism and authoritarianism in general. He should absolutely be viewed as an anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian socialist with strong bonds to anarchy. He claimed that since his time in spain he had become a socialist, but the USSR had abandoned socialism and turned to totalitarianism.
To be fair, the book came out on the heels of WW2 wrapping up, and the Nazis literally called themselves “National Socialists,” so I’m not sure we’re meant to take “IngSoc” at face value.
It’s been literal decades so I may be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure he even addresses this?
No, you can take IngSoc at face value, Orwell was strongly in favor of democratic socialism but as much opposed to Stalinism and authoritarianism in general. He should absolutely be viewed as an anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian socialist with strong bonds to anarchy. He claimed that since his time in spain he had become a socialist, but the USSR had abandoned socialism and turned to totalitarianism.