Quote by George Orwell
It was not desirable that the pitiless should have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working hours or shorter rations. And even when they become discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances.
Summary
This quote suggests that those in power prefer that the lower classes do not possess strong political beliefs. Instead, the ruling class only expects them to possess a basic sense of patriotism, which can be utilized to manipulate them into accepting unfavorable circumstances. Even if the working class becomes unhappy, their discontent is limited and cannot lead to any significant change since they lack overarching ideas and can only focus on minor grievances. This message highlights the power dynamics and control mechanisms employed to maintain the status quo.
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