• Riverside@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 day ago

    The basic meaning is idealist, though, as in non-materialist. 1986 outlines an “authoritarian” society that has essentially no material reason to be authoritarian. The book explains in painstaking detail how the citizens have fake coffee substitutes with no flavor, but doesn’t explain at any given time why this happens. It reduces this idea of “authoritarianism” simply to “state bad”, without any further political analysis. It’s lazy and sloppy.

    • Matty Roses@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      22 hours ago

      It does explain that, in Goldstein’s book. Without destruction of production and privation, you cannot maintain a hierarchical society is the argument it plainly makes.