🧵 1/
The Orwellian language of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
George Orwell warned that political language often disguises uncomfortable realities through vagueness, euphemism, and bureaucratic phrasing.
Jetten’s recent statement is a textbook example.
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Orwell wrote that political language replaces concrete descriptions with abstraction.
Jetten says the strikes fall “outside the framework of international law.”
Instead of saying plainly that something violates international law, the phrase “outside the framework” softens the claim and creates distance.
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Orwell called this kind of wording euphemistic abstraction.
A clear statement would identify a breach.
“Outside the framework” makes the action sound like a technical irregularity rather than a violation.
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Another Orwellian device is balancing incompatible signals.
“The Dutch government does not support the attack but understands why it took place.”
Condemnation and justification appear in the same sentence
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This is what Orwell described as cloudy vagueness.
The statement signals disapproval while simultaneously legitimizing the action.
The result is political positioning without a clear judgement.
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Then there is passive framing.
Jetten says the government is “responding to events rather than being involved in the decision to act.”
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Orwell warned that passive constructions obscure responsibility.
Instead of identifying actors and decisions, the situation is presented as something that simply “happened.”
Agency disappears.
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Finally, there is technocratic language.
Phrases like:
“framework of international law”
“political or military backing”
“responding to events”
replace simple statements with bureaucratic wording that sounds precise but says little.
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Orwell called these phrases “operators” or “verbal false limbs” — language that inflates sentences while avoiding clarity.
The complexity signals seriousness while reducing direct meaning.
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The political function is clear.
Language like this allows a government to acknowledge legal concerns while avoiding direct condemnation of an ally.
Exactly the kind of rhetorical maneuver Orwell warned about.
11. Jetten’s recent statement is a textbook example.
Read here Orwell's essay 'Politics and the English Language'👇
@apenkop : I would be surprised if Evilgöz did not propose to help the US and Israel in military attacks in the Middle East. And don't underestimate conservative voices in the CDA.
The statement "begrip", a compromise, probably prevented her from blowning up the current government.
#VVDisCIDI #DilanYesilgozToICC #DavidVanWeelToICC #EricVanDerBurgToICC #MarkRutteToICC #UriRosenthalToICC
Mihai Martoiu Ticu
Frans Super 🇺🇦🇵🇸🍋 FKNZS🔻
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Erik van Straten