[nortonham]

> 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.