by Art Carden
The American Institute for Economic Research
After they successfully take over Manor Farm, the animals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm spell out Seven Commandments of Animalism:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
Over time, the pigs on Animal Farm pervert the commandments, carve out exceptions for themselves, and change the story. “No animal shall drink alcohol,” for example, becomes “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.” Eventually, the pigs scrap the whole charade and replace the Seven Commandments with one of twentieth century literature’s most memorable sentences: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”