Has Orwell Got Something to Tell Us about Spain?

George Orwell lived just 46 years, always ill, always poor. Always it appeared, under criticism and suspicion. Yet in his brief lifetime he managed - almost uniquely amongst those of his time - to deconstruct the newspeak of imperialism. Stalinism. And fascism. But more than this, orwell’s criticisms of the role of the intellectual left, the forces of Fascism in Spain and the blind adherence to party policy amongst Stalinist supporters, has a relevance and bearing for us even today, over 65 years later as Spain reels from pillar to post - from EU policy cuts, to self-imposed austerity measures - like a headless corpse on the battlefield of the Ebro. No one today seems clear why we travel the roads we do any more, no-one seems any longer clear if the journey is worth the effort. For many look and see a failed and bankrupt system before their eyes. What steps should we take to initiate real change and is it even possible, Orwell asked back in 1937 and his croaking and bullet damaged voice echoes still unanswered from the past - is it even possible, he said - to ever create fundamental changes by democratic methods alone?”

You can listen to Has Orwell Got Something to Tell Us about Spain? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Has Orwell Got Something to Tell Us about Spain? is an episode from Speaking of Spain with the Gazpachomonk.

This episode is 17:17 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2013.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Speaking of Spain with the Gazpachomonk when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.