On writing

Writing is a personal journey, it is a personal expression, writing can be a personal endeavour; what writing is- is a form of communication through which if an individual so desires can become the vehicle by which they may choose to reach out to others, in order to share an idea, a story an event: For some writing is the perfect medium through which to make contact with the outside world-it is in a word an 'exchange'. As for writing in & of itself- this need I find has been something which has been a part of me as a person for as long as I can remember, indeed it is fair to say it is in part a fundamental core to my character. I am reminded as I write of what George Orwell said in his book 'Why I write' & what he feels drives people to write, as he contends there are 'four great motives for writing' which 'exist in different degrees' (Orwell, 1946/1984: 4); these degrees are as follows:

'1). Sheer egoism. Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood, etc.etc. It is humbug to pretend that this is not a motive, and a strong one. Writers share this characteristic with scientists, artists, politicians, lawyers, soldiers, successful businessmen-in short, with the whole to crust of humanity. The great mass of human beings are not acutely selfish. After the age of about thirty they abandon individual ambition-in many cases, indeed, they almost abandon the sense of being individuals at all-and live chiefly for others, or are simply smothered under drudgery. But there is also the minority of gifted, wilful people who are determined to live their own lives to the end, and writers belong in this class. Serious writers, I should say, are on the whole more vain and self-centred than journalists, though less interested in money.

2). Aesthetic enthusiasm. Perception of beauty in the external world, or on the other hand, in words and their right arrangement. Pleasure in the impact of the sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story. Desire to share an experience which one feels valuable and ought not to be missed. The aesthetic motive is very feeble in a lot of writers, but even a pamphleteer or a writer of textbooks will have pet words and phrases which appeal to him for non-utilitarian reasons; or he may feel strongly about typography, width of margins, etc. Above the level of railway guide, no book is free from aesthetic consideration.

3). Historical impulse. Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.

4). Political purpose-using the word 'political' in the widest possible sense. Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people's ideas of the kind of society that they should strive after. Once again, no book is genuinely free from political bias. The opinion that art should not have anything with politics is itself a political attitude.' (Orwell, 1946/1984: 4-6)  

These points raised by Orwells' I recognise in myself, is this then the essence of my own nature? Orwell considers these 'various impulses' as a part of each persons 'nature' (Orwell, 1946/1984: 6). Please do not think me arrogant in that I consider myself anything of the like of his great talent of mind let alone as a writer per se, again it is something inside which drives me to this & Orwell touches upon some of this for me. For example I am motivated to write & opine upon many subjects covering politics & to the mundane of life. The driver underpining this motivation may well be expressed  as what I experience in terms of what I feel & think about a given subject. Thus simply put my opinions on given subjects is in essence are wrapped up in strong emotional feelings such as anger & frustration at those rulers & elites of the world who are seemingly perpetuating strife & disorder-  of social & civic injustices prevalent throughout the world, in pursuit of their own dubious-vested nefarious interests & ends. 

As such I think it only fair to state that I carry a sense of deep foreboding as we are witness to the continual erosion of our individual liberties &  the continual erosion of democracy within this country, leaving in its wake a growing power vacuum as the politicians become ever more disembodied from the body politic, leaving the great mass (the demos) feeling disenfranchised & alienated: who then seek out ever more extreme political parties or indeed trustin vaccous & irrational religions of whom they perceive as onlt able to deal with certain given issues of which they are concerned. Currently we are witnessing the slow decline of this country into a deep & dark abyss from which a return is not at all certain; indeed in the current trend analysis a change of direction is itself uncertain even if desired, as we have in many ways moved too far down this dark path. The descent has begun the warning signs are there for those who wish to see... 

So welcome to my blog...For the record my political ideology is rooted within the Classical liberal tradition & as such a philosophy which is firmly grounded within liberty; but I am also a realist to a point: I am therefore neither swayed by the Utopian dreams of the so called left, right & centerists. Deal with the world as it really is so that we may all move forward together so that we may all feel the benefit of progress, there is no such thing as a free lunch so don't expect one! So please take note all you idealists, utopians, collectivists, relativists, stasists & statists.