Perhaps better known as George Orwell: this quote is from his popular novel 1984."The keyword here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this."
The Wiki article on Orwell is good reading. I knew that he had died fairly young in 1950 but I didn't know that the cause of death was tuberculosis.
I couldn't resist adding these quotes, mainly for my own edification:
Rules for writers
"In "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell provides six rules for writers:[44]
- Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive voice where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
- Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous."
- —from Wikipedia on George Orwell
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