11-04-2005 16:02									#1
	Looking for the source of a famous George Orwell(?) quote Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

George Orwell is widely credited as being the author of the famous line that "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm". Does anyone know where he wrote it? - given Orwell's beliefs, I suspect that the quote is routinely used in ways which take it out of context.

I've tried Google, but none of the first few pages on the quote has an actual reference. I am bemused to note that it seems to be a favourite line of conservative American nationalists though* - I wonder if they realise that Orwell was a deeply committed socialist with a great dislike of nationalism?


* A typical example is this (almost totally incoherent) article by Oliver North: www.townhall.com/columnists/ollieno...n20010420.shtml

	11-04-2005 18:39									#2
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I think this is attributed to Orwell, but I can't remember it as being his.


It sounds like it should come from some of his newspaper or radio journalism, discussing pacifism, but it just doesn't ring any bells.

	11-04-2005 18:44									#3
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http://www.quotationspage.com/searc...h=ORWELL&page=1

The quote is mentionned in the following form :

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
George Orwell, (attributed)

Either it was not written or the text was not identified before being lost.

It can be observed that the wording is different enough for being adopted by socialists.

	11-04-2005 18:44									#4
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Certainly Orwell has been used by both left and right often in ways that he would probably detest. But I don't think the left has a monopoly on drawing inspiration from him. He was above all anti-imperialist and anti-totalitarian. He was anti-Stalin at a time when many of his contemporaries were praising him. I think that he will be remembered as a defender of human freedom and dignity.... which means he can be rightfully used for inspiration by both left and right.... as I don't think us lefties have a monopoly on democratic and anti-totalitarian ideals.

Furthermore, given his two most famous novels, you could understand why the right must like him. 1984 and Animal Farm are two of the most scathing polemics against socialism in practice to ever be written.... although they (rightfully) make it quite clear to the reader that they don't depict actual socialism but a blatant perversion thereof.

	11-04-2005 19:02									#5
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It appears to not be an authentic Orwell quote. To quote Wikipedia: "allegedly said by George Orwell although there is no evidence that Orwell ever wrote or uttered either of these versions of this idea. They do bear some similarity to comments made in an essay that Orwell wrote on Rudyard Kipling, when quoting from one of his poems. "Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep" - Rudyard Kipling"

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/List_of_misquotations

http://www.crystalclouds.co.uk/sear...searchbioid=652

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/001904.html

	12-04-2005 00:18									#6
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It's an understandable link. Orwell was certainly no pacifist.

	12-04-2005 00:20									#7
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Naw, Jack Nicholson said it in A Few Good Men.

	12-04-2005 01:29									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Japher Naw, Jack Nicholson said it in A Few Good Men.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

	12-04-2005 01:35									#9
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You want me on that wall! You need me on that wall!

	12-04-2005 15:46									#10
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Thanks for clearing that up.

	12-04-2005 16:16									#11
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"The rights of the individual should never supersede the rights of the State."