Published in 1949, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' is a cautionary tale set in a future where the world is divided into three totalitarian super-states: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The novel follows Winston Smith, a minor functionary in the Ministry of Truth in Oceania, who begins to question the all-pervasive authority of the Party and its leader, Big Brother. Winston's rebellion, fueled by his forbidden love affair with Julia and his interest in the mysterious Brotherhood, ultimately leads to his capture and brutal reeducation by the Thought Police. The novel explores themes of mass surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth, serving as a powerful warning about the dangers of unaccountable governments and the erosion of individual freedom and dignity.
President Donald Trump has been in office for 100 days. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza for 570, and Russia and Ukraine have been at war for over 1,000.
Douglas Murray has had a front-row seat to all three of these unfolding stories, bringing us reportage and analysis that have illuminated the most urgent issues of our time.
His reporting and willingness to call out bad actors across the world and the political spectrum has earned him his fair share of adversaries. Earlier this month, Douglas went on The Joe Rogan Experience—the most popular podcast in America—to debate both Rogan and comedian-turned-pundit Dave Smith. They sparred for some three hours, with the debate earning millions of views and becoming its own viral news story.
The interview became popular in large part because Douglas refused to pull a punch. In this case that meant fighting back against antisemitism—the people that spew it and the people who fail to confront it. In this case, the kind of antisemitism rising on the online right.
George Orwell famously wrote that “to see what’s in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” Nobody knows that better than Douglas who, unlike many of his contemporaries, never gets lost in excuse-making and needless ideological abstraction. He sees the world clearly and reports it back to us, which is a big reason why he’s such a unique and valuable voice in our era of dishonesty.
That gift is on full display in his new and best-selling book, On Democracies and Death Cults, where he writes: “The story of the suffering and the heroism of October 7 and its aftermath is one that spells not just the divide between good and evil, peace and war, but between democracies and death cults.”
We get into all that and much on this episode of Honestly, which was originally filmed live for our subscribers. As an aside, if you want to start participating and asking questions in my live interviews with people like Douglas, head over to TheFP.com now to subscribe.
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