Politics and the English Language Lesson Plan

What is the relationship between words and meaning in modern English writing, and why is this a problem?

Orwell believes that writing used to be the practice of "picking out words for the sake of their meaning" and that images were invented to make that meaning even clearer. To restate it more simply, writers worked hard to express their meaning in the clearest way possible. Now, however, writers lazily reach for pre-made phrases, making their meaning so unclear that they themselves do not understand it. This way of writing is easier, since it doesn't involve the labor of meticulously searching for the right words and inventing fresh, arresting images.

What are...