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The book publisher Penguin is printing more copies of George Orwell's dystopian classic "1984" in response to a sudden surge of demand.
On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning the book was #1 on Amazon's computer-generated list of best-selling books.
[...] "We put through a 75,000 copy reprint this week. That is a substantial reprint and larger than our typical reprint for '1984,'" a Penguin spokesman told CNNMoney Tuesday evening.
[...] According to Nielsen BookScan, which measures most but not all book sales in the United States, "1984" sold 47,000 copies in print since Election Day in November. That is up from 36,000 copies over the same period the prior year.
When the submitter visited amazon.com, the book was ranked #3.
Additional coverage:
- Los Angeles Times
- The New York Times (may be pay-walled)
- 9News
- The Washington Post (owned by the founder of amazon.com)
- The Guardian
- The Man Who Invented the Science Fiction Paperback
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Traveling to Thailand? Don't Pack George Orwell's "1984"
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Zz9zZ on Thursday January 26 2017, @07:15PM
We really need to do away with the labels, the whole partisan thing is just part of the puppet show. Democrats are no longer "progressive" by a long shot, Republicans from fifty years ago were more progressive than these well dressed snakes. How about we call out all the nasty shit done by either side and stop comparing it to "them" like that is some sort of valid excuse. I doubt you are trying to defend Trump's actions here, but that is one of the subtle effects of such comparisons whether you intend it or not.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday January 26 2017, @07:23PM
Nah, I'm not defending him. More comparing him to something far more on the nose.
And progressive is an accurate term still, though liberal isn't. Progressive just means moving forward, it says nothing about the direction you're facing.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Zz9zZ on Thursday January 26 2017, @08:09PM
From Wikipedia
In America, progressivism began as a social movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and grew into a political movement, in what was known as the Progressive Era. While the term "American progressives" represent a range of diverse political pressure groups (not always united), some American progressives rejected Social Darwinism, believing that the problems society faced (poverty, violence, greed, racism, class warfare) could best be addressed by providing good education, a safe environment, and an efficient workplace. Progressives lived mainly in the cities, were college educated, and believed that government could be a tool for change.[16] American President Theodore Roosevelt of the US Republican Party and later the US Progressive Party declared that he "always believed that wise progressivism and wise conservatism go hand in hand".[17] American President Woodrow Wilson was also a member of the American progressive movement within the Democratic Party.
The term "progressive" has some very clear definitions which today's Democrats do not fit. It is the political party that changes, not the terms themselves. Sure they can try claiming to be progressive and slowly redefine what that means, but I'm sure conservatives don't appreciate the rabid liberal nutjobs who equate conservative with racist. This "post truth" situation we're in feels more like people applying their emotional opinions to whatever current term is in use, thus diluting the actual meanings of words. Dictionaries are now going to have to have a new section "definition as used by: insert various groups here". So progressive as viewed by the politically liberal types, politically conservative types, objective observers as used by Fox news, as used by MSNBC, etc.
Personally I like to have words mean specific things, and this application of definitions based on each little worldview bubble is part of the "fake news post truth" problem. Emotional language used to twist facts around, George Carlin could probably have duplicated his "shellshock" bit about how we used to call it "bullshit" then it changed to "propaganda" but now its being reinvented in a way as "fake news" or "post truth". It is actually a brilliant tactic that makes propaganda even more effective. People will still be emotionally sucked in to stories that confirm their own world view, and will more easily dismiss contrary information as "fake news" without actually doing any checks to find out what is fake and what is real.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday January 26 2017, @11:23PM
I agree. Welcome to the world created by whatever you'd care to call those who religiously vote D. Anything they dislike, they simply redefine [blogspot.com]. Marriage, racism, equality, liberalism, progressive, harassment, peaceful protest, feminism, nationalism, illness, disability... Definitions have been their exclusive bitch for quite some time now.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.