Fact Check: Orwell did not write, 'People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf'

A less-shared version of the quote appeared without Orwell's name in a Flint, Michigan, newspaper in 1998, reading, "It's been said that we 'civilized' types can sleep soundly in our beds because ...

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Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards composed the legendary Satisfaction riff while asleep, and this wild event shaped the band's trajectory.

Did Orwell write, 'People sleep peaceably' because 'rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf'?

The alleged quote surfaced in March 2026 after then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said people often attribute the words to the British author.