As adjectives go, “Orwellian” tends to be prematurely invoked — and hyperbolically, if often in good faith. It warns of language being hijacked toward antithetical means and authoritarian ends. It’s also usually a bit more subtle than President Trump’s recent congressional address, but subtlety doesn’t define his policy formulations or his gaudy architectural aesthetic.
“I’ve stopped all government censorship and I’ve brought back free speech in America,” he declared from the dais. Then, mere moments later, to thunderous applause from the Republican chamber, he added, “I renamed the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ the ‘Gulf of America.’”
