Twitchy:
A few days ago, MSNBC host Krystal Ball claimed that George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is now a political parable warning of the dangers of capitalism.
Today, Ball defended herself against conservatives who “lost their minds over that”:
On Animal Farm, conservatives miss the point… But make some great jokes abt my nameon.msnbc.com/1ioVpNu—
Krystal Ball (@krystalball) May 06, 2014Here’s video of Ball’s explanation followed by a partial transcript:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/fCiitofVIP4[/youtube]
Partial transcript:
“I know that Orwell’s novel was an allegory of Soviet communism. But to fixate on ‘Snowball is Trotsky’ and ‘Napoleon is Stalin’ is to miss the real profundity of the story. At its heart Animal Farm is about tyranny and the likelihood of those in power to abuse that power. It’s quite clear that tendency is not only found in the Soviet communist experience. In fact, if you read Animal Farm today it seems to warn not of some now non-existent communist threat, but of the power concentrated in the hands of the wealthy elites and corporations.”
Ball went on to describe which of Orwell’s characters were like Mitt Romney and Karl Rove, and to say that the pigs sound as if they believe in trickle-down economics.
Many just aren’t buying it:
@BecketAdams It’s like no one told her the book is specifically a critique of communism.—
RB (@RBPundit) May 06, 2014“The pigs cast themselves as Mitt Romney-style makers” — Krystal Ball re: “Animal Farm” is about capitalism.—
T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) May 06, 2014For the love of god stop RT @NoahCRothman: Krystal Ball is doubling down on her claim Animal Farm is also a parable out the free market.—
CJ Ciaramella (@cjciaramella) May 06, 2014@Popehat I loved the @krystalball logic. The commies are gone so Animal Farm is now about those evil 1% plutocrats who are not Democrats.—
Sirfith44™ (D) (@sirfith) May 06, 2014Krystal Ball is doubling down on her claim Animal Farm is also a parable out the free market.—
Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) May 06, 2014@NoahCRothman For f*cks sake, someone please read to her that book. This Krystal Ball seems cloudy.—
Daniel Crawford (@DannyCrawfordJr) May 06, 2014Today in historical illiteracy. MT @AndrewE_Johnson: Krystal Ball defending her claim that “Animal Farm” is about the perils of capitalism—
David Freddoso (@freddoso) May 06, 2014
Ahh yes. Krystal Ball.
It’s doubtful that this particular drone is coming up with this stuff on her own. She’s likely parroting overheard conversations based on the recent revisionist ramblings surrounding George Orwell and the coming Animal Farm film slated to be directed by Andy Serkis, who says some similar things.
Next thing you know they’ll be claiming that The Fountainhead was warning us about the Koch Brothers.
Wait, “Krystal Ball” really is a ‘Stage Name’ …. right?
Either way… and, maybe it is just me…but, that sounds ridiculous especially on a grown wom…she is a grown woman right?
Has anyone asked her if she actually ever ‘read’ the book…or is asking that somehow politically incorrect?
Lastly, are these people in the MSM actually ‘proud’ to be so clueless?
This woman continues to prove the point about liberals.
Another useful idiot exposes herself. She could always be Pelosi’s PR person. Now, that would be a matched team, dumb and dumber.
I read Animal Farm in 6th grade and fully understood the implications based upon current news stories and things they use to put in history books. Is the MSNBC interpretation what the common core education system produces by encouraging critical
thinkingrevision?Much of this abject stupidity also seems to stem from a 1999 Andy Reiss review of a TNT production of Animal Farm, from the World Socialist Web Site.
The Collective loves to try to set Stalin’s integral involvement in socialism aside, and separate him from other phases of the same operation. This kind of general ignorance is pervasive in academia, where the Utopian tenets of Marxism are routinely taught, but never the historical realities.
Leftists should realize, George Orwell was a committed Socialist who was sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Stalin’s purges. Trying to rewrite history and literature in this age of the laptop and coffee shop WiFi will mean you are destined to be beaten on the head and shoulders like a red-haired stepchild.
The Left would do well to accept the murderous rages of some of its main disciples and let the sleeping dogs be. This revision nonsense exposes their dirty laundry to the world and makes them look not only stupid, but dishonest as well.
@Skook:
The left’s hyperventilationists always rush to claim Orwell as a socialist, but I suspect his personal politics were far more complex than wholesale subscription to any singular ideology.
@Kraken: That was an excellent essay, and yes, Orwell was a complex man with significant intellect. I read Homage to Catalonia years ago, but sadly my memory needs to be refreshed. I will reread the tome. Orwell is always a good mental gymnastic.
I would like to tour Spain to get a feeling for their horses and horsemanship, the Muslim occupation, and the Civil War. There is a lot of writing material in those subjects.
Can’t wait for Krystal to explain to us how 1984 is really a cautionary tale warning us against illicit sexual liaisons……
Here’s another good piece on Orwell and Ball
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/377477/krystal-not-clear-orwell-charles-c-w-cooke