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by jamiejquinn 58 days ago
An important collection of essays but I struggled to get over his racist claim that the English, Irish, Welsh and Scots are essentially all the same. Probably a good thing since I'm now much more inclined to be questioning of other parts of his writing.
1 comments
rixed 57 days ago
Why makes this statement racist?
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jamiejquinn 57 days ago
Disregarding genuine differences between cultures and intentially treating those cultures as identical is racist. Turns out he did come around later in life - https://www.thenational.scot/news/23716840.george-orwells-an...
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rixed 56 days ago
> Disregarding genuine differences between cultures and intentially treating those cultures as identical is racist.

Just for the record, I don't think that's a widely used definition for "racism". Also, the linked article does not really support the view that he was "disregarding genuine differences"; if anything, his prejudice made him see differences where there were none (or misattribute traits that he notice on some individual to a whole population). The article speak about his contempt for the gaelic language though, which I guess is what annoys you the most? But then the article also states that he changed his mind on that.

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nvlled 57 days ago
The article you linked goes to great lengths about Orwell's alleged scotophobia. I don't see how particularly hating scotts supports "intentially treating those cultures as identical". If that was true, then Orwell would equally hate all scots and englishmen.

Also, what's the downside of treating different cultures identical, aside from potentially offending people? As opposed to other kind of racism, where other people are treated as lesser subhumans that ultimately led to slavery. Why are both casually referred to racism when the other has more far-reaching consequences.

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jamiejquinn 57 days ago
If he was an entirely rational being I would agree, but he clearly wasn't and he did hold both views that Scottish identity isn't worth anything and Scots are essentially identical to the English.

Let's be serious, I'm not saying Orwell would be out enslaving Scots given the chance, but saying Scottish culture IS English culture is intentionally erasing a culture and is a racist statement, not unlike the common view that all of Africa is culturally homogenous.

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