“ But even friendship can hardly exist when every white man is a cog in the wheels of despotism. ”
 George Orwell, Burmese Days (1934). copy citation

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Author George Orwell
Source Burmese Days
Topic friendship despotism
Date 1934
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200051.txt

Context

“It is a world in which every word and every thought is censored. In England it is hard even to imagine such an atmosphere. Everyone is free in England; we sell our souls in public and buy them back in private, among our friends. But even friendship can hardly exist when every white man is a cog in the wheels of despotism. Free speech is unthinkable. All other kinds of freedom are permitted. You are free to be a drunkard, an idler, a coward, a backbiter, a fornicator; but you are not free to think for yourself. Your opinion on every subject of any conceivable importance is dictated for you by the pukka sahibs' code.” source