Axios Suggests Orwell Would Criticize Trump, Not War Profiteering
The Axios piece champions the documentary "ORWELL: 2+2=5" for casting Orwell as a prophet against 'Trump-era' free speech issues and authoritarianism. The article notes concerns about masked ICE agents and vague 'tech companies gathering data' but avoids any uncomfortable questions about bipartisan consensus on massive surveillance, endless wars, or the erosion of civil liberties that predate and
will likely outlast any single presidential administration. It’s almost as if the 'degradation of language' director Raoul Peck warns about is precisely what allows mainstream outlets to focus on one party's supposed authoritarianism while ignoring the other's. Orwell, famously a democratic socialist, critiqued all forms of authoritarianism, not just the flavor of the month. One might wonder if
his warnings about permanent war and manufactured consent resonate slightly more with the ongoing, decade-spanning conflicts funded by Congress (often with bipartisan support) than with a single presidency's perceived transgressions. The article's framing feels less like an urgent warning about truth and control, and more like a carefully curated outrage designed to keep the uncomfortable silences
silent, especially when it comes to the deep state apparatus or the military-industrial complex that truly embody Orwell's 'permanent war' state.