George Orwell in 2025 would cut through bullshit partisan claims to his legacy and focus on the fundamentals: the deliberate corruption of language by all sides, the assault on objective truth, and the growing cult of leadership. He'd be alarmed by government censorship, the rewriting of history, and the labeling of opponents as "enemies of the people." While recognizing legitimate concerns across the political spectrum, he'd warn that when words lose their meaning and facts become whatever the powerful declare them to be, the foundation for independent thought crumbles. His approach would be what it always was - clear-eyed, independent, and focused on defending the space where honest thought remains possible, regardless of which faction feels threatened by truth.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Even framing this as "fighting the fascism destroying democratic institutions" locks us into counterproductive patterns of thinking. Such binary, totalizing language might feel righteous but ultimately limits our effectiveness by positioning us in a reactive stance against an abstract enemy rather than for concrete democratic functions. More generative approaches focus on what we're building rather than just what we're opposing - strengthening democratic capabilities at multiple levels, protecting essential relationships, and creating resilient alternatives that maintain vital functions despite institutional pressure. The most powerful response isn't merely resisting a labeled threat but creating distributed networks of democratic practice that can weather periods of institutional stress while building toward more durable and participatory systems. This approach creates space for unlikely alliances around specific concerns while avoiding both hopeless alarmism and naive complacency.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​