MI-5 spied on George Orwell
Rene sez, "MI5 monitored socialist writer George Orwell for more than two decades, but did not believe he was a mainstream communist, records have revealed."
The Special Branch report said: "This man has advanced communist views and several of his Indian friends say that they have often seen him at communist meetings.Link (Thanks, Rene!"He dresses in a bohemian fashion both at his office and in his leisure hours."
The MI5 officer rang the inspector in charge of the sergeant who wrote the report, to question what it meant.
From the call it emerged that Orwell - referred to in the documents by his real name Eric Blair - was thought to be an "unorthodox communist" who did not agree fully with Communist Party views.
the latest
latest episodes
Great. My irony meter just exploded.
It's M.I.5 not M.15...
Correction: It's MI5 (as in the article), not M15.
This was featured on NPR today. The most disappointing part was when it was revealed that Orwell has suspicions about other British private citizens whom he believed were dangerous Stalinists. He gave all of his information over to MI6, all while being spied on by MI5. How's about that for ironic?
(oh and Cory, the title of this post has a typo in it. You wrote m15, it's mi5)
MI5, not M15.
Typo in the title. M*I*5, not M15.
The article doesn't say *which* two decades. Anyway, Orwell was anti-Stalinist (which is why he ratted out several Stalinist intellectuals, etc, in the late forties)and anti-fascist. I really wonder if he himself in later years aligned with any "ism" or political movement.
The Security Service is MI5. M15 is an unbuilt motorway :)
http://www.pathetic.org.uk/former/m15/
M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I M>I
George Orwell? George 'Animal Farm' Orwell? George 'The U.S. government used his books as anti-communist propaganda for children' Orwell? Next thing you're going to tell me, President Bush is a liberal.
Indeed he wasn't a mainstream communist. If you read his fiction, particularly Animal Farm, you would realize he hated the mainstream communists because he saw them bowing down to Stalin and the Soviet Union. Mainstream communists were lionizing Stalin in that era. Orwell refused to be blind.
I think it is pretty clear from Orwell's acts and writings that he clearly identified as a socialist until he went to the grave. Just not a very orthodox one that could be pidgeon-holed into a certain strand.
He wrote of his sympathies for the Trotskyists of the POUM and libertarian socialists/anarchists of Spain, but said he could never exactly be one.
He spent the remainder of his years in the democratic socialist wing of the Labour Party, which was actually the Right of the party at the time. He strongly opposed the party's Stalinist wing.
Anyway. We should remember to differentiate between all these left-wing groups. Stalinists executed and hounded Trots, Anarchists, etc. amongst other differences between thousands of other splinter groups.
You can easy be anti-Stalinist (anti-Communist with a Capital-C as I like to call it) and still a communist/socialist. Anarcho-communism is nothing like Marxist-Lenninism.
Damn random rantings. Sorry! Need sleep!
I think that it's amusing that the Special Branch describe his mode of dress as "bohemian", when in the photo accompanying the article, he looks quite natty.
Anyway, Orwell was anti-Stalinist (which is why he ratted out several Stalinist intellectuals, etc, in the late forties)and anti-fascist. I really wonder if he himself in later years aligned with any "ism" or political movement.
Hence, Orwellism.
I too am curious what kind of clothes MI5 considered "Bohemian"
The 'list' which was given to special branch is used by some right-wingers today to justify what they believe to be Orwell's shift to the right, and then they pull up Animal Farm and 1984 to try to attempt to prove this. However, Animal Farm even though it portrays a disillusionment with 'communism', has plenty of belief in the revolutionary process, but also recognizes the degeneration of Stalinism, NOT Socialism. His experiences in Spain taught him the whole rottenness of Stalinism first hand - because he witnessed them round up the Trotskyists and Anarchists after the May Days in 1937 and subsequently imprisoned.
I'm not too surprised about him ratting out Stalinists . From his books, it would seem he was much more opposed to authoritarian governments than aligned towards a traditional left-wing or right-wing, and Stalinists are more authoritarian than fascists.
I guess fear of oppressive governments is associated with left-wing philosophy right now because our oppressive government is right-wing...
Also, has anyone pointed out that it's actually "MI5" not "M15"?
Cory is too cool to correct his posts apparently...
Seyo, Cory is behind the Great Firewall of China this week with intermittent Internet access. Should be fixed now.
M.I.5?
I havent even seen M.I.3!
Here's a link to a little mini-essay I've just posted about the contents of the MI5 file, after having downloaded it from the UK National Archives:
http://stumblng.tumblr.com/post/10727225
Stumblng Tumblr
Some discussion about Orwell at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNEgAuRYy9c&NR=1
if only there was a word for this kind of thing
[stolen from digg]
For an interesting sample of Orwell's experiences and political beliefs, try his Homage to Catalonia.