“The aim of the High is to remain where they are. The aim of the Middle
is to change places with the High. The aim of the Low, when they have
an aim – for it is an abiding characteristic of the Low that they are
too much crushed by drudgery to be more than intermittently conscious of
anything outside their daily lives – is to abolish all distinctions and
create a society in which all men shall be equal. Thus throughout
history a struggle which is the same in its main outlines recurs over
and over again. For long periods the High seem to be securely in power,
but sooner or later there always comes a moment when they lose either
their belief in themselves or their capacity to govern efficiently, or
both. They are then overthrown by the Middle, who enlist the Low on
their side by pretending to them that they are fighting for liberty and
justice. As soon as they have reached their objective, the Middle thrust
the Low back into their old position of servitude, and themselves
become the High. Presently a new Middle group splits off from one of the
other groups, or from both of them, and the struggle begins over again.
Of the three groups, only the Low are never even temporarily successful
in achieving their aims. It would be an exaggeration to say that
throughout history there has been no progress of a material kind. Even
today, in a period of decline, the average human being is physically
better off than he was a few centuries ago. But no advance in wealth, no
softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human
equality a millimetre nearer. From the point of view of the Low, no
historic change has ever meant much more than a change in the name of
their masters.”
George Orwell.
