Homage to Catalonia

by George Orwell

But I also knew that to retain my first impression of him I must not see him again;

But I would sooner be a foreigner in Spain than in most countries.

‘Revolutionary’ discipline depends on political consciousness—on an understanding of why orders must be obeyed;

they were fighting against their own class,

when I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on.

I watched him with some interest, for it was the first time that I had seen a person whose profession was telling lies—unless one counts journalists.

No one who was in Barcelona then, or for months later, will forget the horrible atmosphere produced by fear, suspicion, hatred, censored newspapers, crammed jails, enormous food queues and prowling gangs of armed men.

The fact is that every war suffers a kind of progressive degradation with every month that it continues, because such things as individual liberty and a truthful press are simply not compatible with military efficiency.

I have the most evil memories of Spain, but I have very few bad memories of Spaniards.

It is obvious that a person who reads Mein Kampf must be a Fascist.

Curiously enough the whole experience has left me with not less but more belief in the decency of human beings.

consciously or unconsciously everyone writes as a partisan.