Orwell today

Re “Why Orwell matters,” Opinion, Nov. 4

Essays regarding totalitarianism appear biased, implying that political extremism and use of language are a one-way street. Political conservatives are portrayed as masters of political deceit, whereas political liberals are pure. I am neither conservative nor liberal. But I am entertained. Stalin manipulated language as much as did Hitler.

Christopher W.

Williams

Valencia

I was pleased to see these essays, although they did not capture the true spirit of Orwell. As much as Orwell railed against propaganda, he would have been obligated at least to point out our negligence and complacency with today’s state of affairs. Even the Cold War didn’t produce abridgments to the Constitution. To ask if Orwell still matters is somewhat redundant when one should be asking: Does the Constitution really matter? I think Orwell would have been outraged not just at the totalitarian mind-set but at our complacency.

W. Marshall Moseley

Baltimore