From the database:
Neither have I, and I think some of the wording - 'rough men' especially - is rather unOrwellian. All the same the sentiment was certainly one he would agree with. This line from his essay 'Notes on Nationalism' (1945), expressing his opinion that pacifism is hypocritical, is as close as I can get to finding the quoted passage in Orwell's works:
"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
- Attributed to George Orwell
(I have found no evidence that he really did say this)
Neither have I, and I think some of the wording - 'rough men' especially - is rather unOrwellian. All the same the sentiment was certainly one he would agree with. This line from his essay 'Notes on Nationalism' (1945), expressing his opinion that pacifism is hypocritical, is as close as I can get to finding the quoted passage in Orwell's works:
Those who 'abjure' violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf.
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