a lesson from Orwell, not the usual

When I had the honor of slaving for Reason for a summer, the assistant editor in whose care my work was mete recommended I read Orwell's essay on politics and the English language. He said he reread it frequently, and today Andrew Sullivan says the same:

POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: I try and read Orwell's famous essay once a year. When I edited TNR, it was the only thing I asked the interns each year to read before they started work. It has rarely been more valuable than today. Here's Condi Rice describing "extraordinary renditions" when the US swoops in, captures an alleged terrorist, and transports him to countries like Uzbekistan, Egypt or Syria to be tortured, as long as the dictators say they'll be nice this time. You know: like with Libi. Her phrase:

"spiriting away terrorist suspects to mystery destinations for robust interrogation."

Is that a spa she's referring to or a torture chamber?

You can read the famous essay yourself, here, for a refreshing slap against insidious ambiguity.

But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation even among people who should and do know better.
--George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language"