The Incomplete Guidebook for the Intellectually Challenged on:
How to Undermine, Destroy, and/or Escape a Totalitarian Society.
Introduction
What does it mean to question your Totalitarian society?
If you find yourself questioning your totalitarian society it must mean that you are feeling suppressed by your Party in some way. If you have picked up this book and already begun reading then congratulations are in order because you have already taken the first and most difficult step. Chances are you need to be more careful hiding how you truly feel now. Also don’t get caught with this book.
As you may or may not know, freedom of thought can get one into far more trouble then some think it is worth. However, the mere fact that you are thinking these things has already gotten you into trouble. You might as well go through with it. However, if you’re already thinking of backing down there is no use. You just might not be cut out to be a “freedom” fighter so put the book down, pansy, and go outside to the police.
Now if you’re still with me you might have a chance of becoming a cause for good in a society that has slowly reduced itself to a sink hole. If you feel you have been treated unfairly and that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way “they” are making you live your life then its time for you to do something about it. It’s time to get up and try to subvert the system!
What does it mean to subvert the system?
This is a very good question that should probably be addressed before we continue onto part one. Subverting the system literally means to overthrow the existing government. This will require more then just an introductory section to cover it; this is a reason why this book has been created. Now, please allow me to help you better understand what overthrowing a government is all about.
Part 1
Undermining a Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Gain as much Knowledge as Possible
As you may know one of the functions of a totalitarian society is to keep the people ignorant. If you did, congratulations you have begun the path towards gaining valuable knowledge. While your totalitarian society might make it difficult to learn, they will never be able to extinguish the existence of and ability to gain knowledge. The truth is out there about what this society is really doing and your goal is to find out as much about the past as possible.
While this may seem like a daunting task at first, it is important to be prepared to be sneaky, deceiving, and above all: willing to break the law. The act of gaining knowledge may not be as difficult as you think. It is important that if you have received some education to use what you have learned to further your knowledge. Obviously reading and writing are fundamental learning tools that you can use to advance your knowledge. If you cannot write, that’s ok. If you can’t read… well… none of this makes sense to you anyways.
Chances are good that you live in a time and place where history is hard to find. Its quite possible that there has been book burning, and a department has been set up to deliberately alter history. If this is true, the best thing to do is to try and find a safe space where you have complete privacy. Some place that is similar to what Equality 7-2521, found in Anthem, by Ayn Rand. Now, you may not have direct access to this book (or any other book). if you do then great. Start reading! All of the books that will be discussed feature characters just like you. They have similar goals, and while some fail, others do succeed. Remember not to be too hard on yourself. Totalitarian societies are set up to keep the people as ignorant as possible. If you can come out of this in one piece and not a mindless- zombie then this book (and you) have done an excellent job!
Step 2: Find Others in your Society with Similar Feelings
Now, on your journey for more knowledge, it is important to try and find some like-minded people. Again this could be dangerous because you can never truly trust anyone you meet, but if you have heard whispers and rumors of an organization that is trying to bring the government down it’s most likely true.
Actually finding another person with like-minded goals can often be a challenge. The most important thing to keep in mind is body language. You can usually tell from a person’s outward appearance if they are uncomfortable with their living conditions. An important thing to remember is that these people most likely under surveillance by the government and frankly, you might be too.
A big problem with finding people is to not speak publicly about your dissention for the government. It is very important to a private place where you can go to have such discussions. In 1984, because the society was totally controlling of the peoples’ lives, it was important to constantly change where your group met. Also it is important never to trust an upper class member of society. They are most likely a member of society who will cause the downfall of your little rebellion. Never trust someone higher up than you; they are more intelligent, better looking, and more likely connected to the government!
Step 3: Find What it Means to be You!
As you may or may not know, each person is an individual. Everybody has different likes and dislikes. In a effort to undermine your totalitarian government it is important to figure out who you are as a person. Individual freedom is something the government is trying to take away from you. By suppressing who you are the government has made it easier to control you and everyone else. This obviously creates a problem while you attempt to gain knowledge and distinguish yourself from others. By making yourself different you are also making yourself a target at the same time. Yet your individuality is the saving grace that you need to enable yourself and others to free yourselves of the shackles of your society!
When you have figured out what it means to be an individual you have completely undermined your totalitarian government. And you have in fact already broken the governments hold on who you are. It is now important to never forget this. Even if you get captured and tortured you should never let go of who you are because as soon as you do the government has won and all hope is lost!
Part 2
Destroying a Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Become a Super/Masked Hero
This step may be difficult or altogether impossible for several of you who are reading this. If you still wish to find a way to escape your government, then please just move onto the next section. If your still wondering, there are several reasons this may be impossible. 1. Your society doesn’t have anything in the ways of science. 2. You can’t get your hands on any spandex. 3. You have nowhere to make your personal bat-cave. Or 4. The people don’t need rescuing, you do!
For those of you who have the means and will to follow through with this step there are several approaches you can take to realize your super hero potential. Not only does magic become a possibility for some of you but so do some other abilities such as extra strength, cool gadgets, and the ability to understand a parallel time continuum. For those who don’t wish to accidentally experiment on their bodies in order to become another “Dr. Manhattan,” you may just want to consider donning an ultra-tight outfit and start and beating up street-gangs. There is also the chance that you have already been captured by the government for experimentations. In this instance it would be best to use your new found abilities to strike terror into the hearts of the Party leader. Also these powers can be used to create an all encompassing plan to destroy the Party from the inside.
Something else to remember when becoming a super hero is to diligently protect your identity. Your true self is the one thing that could be used against you, especially if you live in a society that de-emphasizes the individual. By keeping your identity secret you are essentially becoming a symbol of hope for the oppressed. As a symbol of the freedom of choice or of a new direction of thought you have the unique ability to become the face of change. You can inspire others to realize they can also attain freedom.
Step 2: Plan and Carryout Political Assassinations
While this step may seem like a bad idea to some of you, committing political assassinations weakens the power of the party. Now, you shouldn’t go out and start killing everyone you see because that defeats the purpose of this step. You mostly want to target the upper class and the heads of government. Some of these people may be hard to get to, but this is where being a superhero comes in handy. For instance, if like Dr. Manhattan you have the ability to move and shift molecules it becomes easy to assassinate anyone you wish. However, if you think that you are more like a V character, it becomes more important to know the inner workings of the party and catch these people when they least expect it.
The most important aspect in planning an assassination is choosing your weapon of choice. There are many different ways to kill people and each is unique. By now you should know your preferences for violence. If you don’t assassinating someone is not a good way to find out. The simplest and sometimes cleanest way to kill someone is with a gun. Guns may not be readily available which can cause even more problems for you. Poison is also another “clean” way to kill someone but, again, the ingredients to make a poison may not be readily available to you. One of the messier methods is to kill with a knife. This, while not only messy, puts you in physical danger because you have to get very close to the person you wish to kill. However, knifes are more readily available (as you most likely use them to eat your food with). Another option that will also put you in grave danger is one-on-one combat. Not only do you have to be physically strong but you must also be prepared to take on an enemy and kill them with your bare hands.
Political assassinations should not be preformed for the sake of revenge. Emotions muddy a situation and can place you in harms way. They should serve a greater purpose, which is to cause detrimental damage to the government. It may also not actually be necessary to kill the person, but just break them down to a point where they can no longer function as a member of society. To pull off an assassination successfully it is important to study your target while not getting caught. This is a circumstance when it is helpful to be a superhero because you already know many of the best ways to avoid getting caught. While studying your prey you should take note of their routine (where do they go, who do they see), what they eat (morning, afternoon, and night!), and how often they are alone.
Step 3: Promote New Political Agendas and Ideas
When trying to destroy an entire political party it is important to give society different options. Without other political ideas to grasp onto the people will not really understand what you are trying to do. It is essential to get your message out by any means possible. Some of you may only be able to disperse information by word of mouth. This retelling of stories can serve in your favor to not only promote your ideals but also make you more of an ideal. When people talk about you they will exaggerate when telling stories and make you seem larger than life.
First maybe we should discuss the type of political ideology you feel will work best as your platform. It is important that while you pursue your education to learn as much about the past as you can. There are many political strategies that actually work in providing the people freedom. Several ideologies that could work for you are democracy, bureaucracy, theocracy, confederation, or even anarchy.
After you have determined which ideology works best for you it is of course important to promote it. As mentioned earlier, one way to do this is by relying on word of mouth. The problem with this is that your government could suppress any one who tries to spread your ideals. A better way, if the technology exists, is to take over every television, radio, and tele-screen in of the nation. If this is possible, every single person with access to these technologies will hear and know your ideology. This serves as an excellent way to gain support and let the people know that they are being oppressed.
Part 3
Escaping a Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Prepare for Departure
As you know by now, taking down a totalitarian society is not that easy. The government, if set up well, should have contingency plans for every possible disastrous event. If you find this to be the case it might be a good idea to just forget it and figure out a way to get out of there before the situation get worse. It is important to keep your plans a secret. While this may be hard because of all the monitoring that takes place in your society, it is still possible.
One very good part of the plan to figure out is where you can go. With all of the knowledge you hopefully have by now you should be able to find a non-totalitarian society. If you find that all of the other nations are run by totalitarian governments, it might be a good idea to get a boat and try to find a deserted island. If you feel there are no deserted islands, wandering about in the woods is still a better alternative than being worked to death and starved by the government.
Now after you have determined where to go you must figure out what you need to bring on your journey. Food will be essential especially if you have never hunted or are unable to tell one plant from another. Also, if you don’t know how to start a fire now would be an excellent time to learn. If you think you can survive sufficiently without bringing too much food, clothing should be your next consideration. Clothes allow you to keep warm as well as protect you from bugs, and other wild life that may think you are tasty. If you would rather travel naked, well that’s totally up to you, but not recommended at all. Water will also be a good thing to bring if there are no water sources near by. However, if you are following a river with fresh flowing water you will only need to bring a canteen. If you find these things to not be worthy of bringing just bring whatever you can get your hands on that might be helpful!
Step 2: Bring a Buddy
Yes, you should bring a friend. Obviously they should come of their own free will. If you feel this is irrelevant than at least make sure that they can’t hurt you. The importance in bringing a friend comes down to basic survival. Not only will there be two sets of hands to do manual labor, there will also be two sets of eyes. Most likely that your government doesn’t want to let you go. With two of you, then you can be better prepared to watch out for each other. This is another reason why you should bring someone who actually wants to go with you.
Having a buddy also keeps you from getting lonely. People who get lonely tend to do stupid things. You don’t want to do stupid things, so having a buddy will help keep you safe. This being said you should probably make sure your buddy is someone you don’t mind spending the rest of your life with. While chosing someone with survival skills is essential, consider being attracted to them an added bonus (especially if they find you attractive as well).
If you and your buddy do become “good” friends then great! Not only have you chosen a life partner but you can now go about securing the future of your genetic line. According to evolution that is the basic point of mating. If you find you and your buddy are not compatible in this way then that’s ok. There is always a chance you will find someone else, or even rescue someone later.
Step 3: Finding a New Home
Probably the most important step after actually escaping is to find a place to settle down. If you are lucky, like some people (Equality 7-2521), then a house will just be waiting for you in the wilderness. If you aren’t that lucky then you should be prepared to build your own home.
Building your own home can be a complicated task. So you want to build somewhere far away from your old society. The place you chose should be remote as well as protected by natural wildlife. When building a shelter it is important to have at least four walls and a roof. The most attainable building material will most likely be wood. Wood must be harvested from trees therefore you must devise a way to cut them down. If you are unable to do this it would be a good idea to find a cave to live in.
If you still think that building a house is to complicated there is always the odd chance that you may be fortunate enough to wander into an established village. If you do find this village, then please come down to the third shelter on the left. I’ll be inside waiting. Then you can either thank me or slap me. And yes I did build it myself…
Conclusion
Let me remind you this is a totally incomplete guidebook. Hopefully you have learned enough to evade getting killed or tortured. If you do get killed or torture I am in no way liable, and I’m sorry you weren’t smart enough. I hope you found this helpful, and also not too confusing. I know for some of you the concept of individuality is a tough one to face, but I hope you embrace it and really make it your own.
I would just like to say that for those of you too lazy to actually read the entire book, but went straight to the end points: Shame on You! Now I would like to end by thanking the books and stories that made this guide book possible.
Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, Anthem by Ayn Rand, V for Vendetta and Watchmen by Alan Moore, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and The Giver by Lois Lowry.
Major points
Gain Knowledge
The truth is out there about what your society is really doing, and you need to find out as much about the past as possible.
If you have received some education, use what you have learned to further your knowledge.
Find Others
This could be dangerous because you can never truly trust someone else, but if you have heard whispers and rumors of an organization that is trying to bring the government down it’s most likely true.
Usually from how a person looks and acts you can tell if they are uncomfortable with their living conditions. An important thing to remember though is that most likely these people being monitored by the government and frankly, you might be too.
It is important to find some place private where you can go to have discussions.
Never trust someone higher up than you; they are more intelligent, better looking, and more likely connected to the government!
Find your Identity
As you may or may not know each person is an individual. Everybody has different likes and dislikes.
In making yourself different you are making yourself a target. Yet your individuality is the saving grace that you need to enable yourself and others to become free of the shackles of your society!
Become a Super/Masked Hero
This step may be difficult or altogether impossible for several of you who are reading this and wish to still find a way to escape your government if this is the case, then please just move on to the next section.
Not only does magic become a possibility for some of you but so do some other abilities like extra strength, cool gadgets, and the ability to understand a parallel time continuum.
An important thing to remember when becoming a super hero is to always keep your identity a secret. Your true identity is the one thing that could be used against you, especially if you live in a society that de-emphasizes the individual.
Plan and Carryout Political Assassinations
While this step may seem like a bad idea to some of you, committing political assassinations weakens the power of the party.
The people you want to target are mostly the upper class, and heads of the departments of government. Some of these people may be hard to get to, but of course this is where being a superhero comes in handy.
The most important thing in assassinations is your weapon of choice.
To pull of an assassination successfully it is important to study your target, while not getting caught.
Promote New Political Ideas
Without other political ideas to grasp onto then the people will not really understand what you are trying to do. It is important to get your message out to the people through any means possible.
It is important through your education to learn as much about the past as possible and to realize that there were some ways that never really worked well.
Several ideologies that could work for you are democracy, bureaucracy, theocracy, confederation, or even anarchy.
Prepare for Departure
The government if set up well should almost be resistant to all forms of destruction. If you find this to be the case it might be a good idea to just forget it and figure out a way to get out of there before things get worse.
Figure out where you can go; a different nation, a deserted island, or maybe just wander around in the woods.
Now after you have determined where you are to go, you must figure out what you need to bring! Food is a good option especially if you have never hunted or can’t tell one plant from another.
Clothes allow you to keep warm and also protect you from bugs, and other wild life that think you are tasty. If you would rather travel naked, well that’s totally up to you, but not recommended at all.
Bring a Buddy
Yes, you should bring a friend. Obviously they should come of their own free will, but if this is irrelevant than at least make sure that they can’t hurt you.
If there are two of you, then you can be better prepared to watch out for your buddy.
Having a buddy also keeps you from getting lonely. People who get lonely do stupid things.
If you and your buddy do become “good” friends then great! Not only have you chosen a life partner, but now you can go about securing a future for your genetic line.
Find a New Home
If you are lucky like some people then a house will just be waiting for you somewhere in the wilderness.
If you aren’t lucky then you should be prepared to build your own home.
The location should be remote and well protected by natural wildlife.
When building a shelter it is important to have at least four walls and a roof.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Incomplete Guidebook for the Intellectually Challenged on:
How to Create, Run, and Maintain a Totalitarian Society.
Introduction
What is Totalitarianism?
As defined by many dictionaries Totalitarianism can have either of two definitions, depending on the context. The first is “centralized control by an autocratic authority” and the second is “the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority.” Totalitarianism is a system of government that gives total political power to a party or political ideal. The party then attempts to controls all aspects regarding politics and the personal life of its people.
How Totalitarian Governments Function.
Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda that is spread through the state-controlled mass media. A single party controls the state, personality cults, the economy, regulations, and uses mass surveillance. It also restricts free discussion and criticism of the state, and advocates widespread use of state terrorism.
The Differences between Totalitarianism and Authoritarian Societies.
The term “Authoritarian” refers rather to the structure of government than to the structure of society. Authoritarianism often revolves around a single dictator’s whims and ideas rather than an entire party or political ideology. This kind of regime confines itself to political control of the state. This means that Authoritarianism does not try to control every aspect of the society’s life as Totalitarianism hopes to accomplish. While a Totalitarian society may use Authoritarian techniques, it goes above and beyond what Authoritarians deem necessary to secure control of the people. In doing so Totalitarianism seeks to destroy the civilized society as it once was in order to create an entirely new society based solely on their own ideology and party propaganda.
Classic Examples of Totalitarian Societies in Literature.
Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, Anthem by Ayn Rand, V for Vendetta and Watchmen by Alan Moore, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain all display apt portrayals of totalitarian societies. While their literary structure and target audiences are drastically different, they have many correlating similarities.
Part 1
Creating Your Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Creating a Political Ideology and/or basis for your Totalitarian Government
Perhaps the most important aspect of creating a Totalitarian society is the basis upon which you create your new government. If there is not a cause or reason for people to jump behind you and give your party strength, there will never be any power to your party and your endeavor will not succeed. The thing is that people have to be willing in this day and age to give themselves over to a totalitarian ideal or to elect a leader with such ideals. For this to occur there must be a reason for a stricter control of the government. In the graphic novel V for Vendetta, the Norsefire party rose to power after their English society had been devastated from war. Other societies that also sprang out of war include the Oceania society of 1984, and the American society in Watchman. It seems the threat of war or actual war plays an important part in creating a Totalitarian society. With war, the party is able to suppress citizens’ rights in a way they are not normally able to in a time of freedom.
It is important to remember that the right to rule in a Totalitarian fashion must originally come from the people. If the idea does not come from the people then they will be less willing to subjugate themselves into the mindless, controllable hordes that you wish them to become. Even in the off chance, you should happen to fall from the sky and be handed a country to rule, your initial power comes from the people that inhabit that land. If the people do not initially believe in your cause or your ideology there is no chance that your Totalitarian idea will come to fruition.
It is also important to make sure your ideology is all-encompassing. There must be a how and a why for everything. No question can go unanswered, and no problem can go unsolved. By this, it is meant that not only must the State be self-sufficient, but that it must also have an all-encompassing power over its people. The initial importance in establishing these rules is in not taking away the societies’ rights all at once. By doing this one would only create anger and fear within the populace, which may be a desired effect for some, but the people must be given time to forget about the “old” way of life to better fit in to the “new” way of life. Prime examples of this are found in the governments established in Oceania, and in Anthem, in which both governments have complete control of their populace.
Another important factor to keep in mind when creating your ideology is the use of the people. After they have been totally and utterly brought into the parties’ control, what then does one do with them? Society must still function and the people must still have daily lives. By keeping the people busy it also gives them a sense of purpose, which in turn give them a drive to keep working for their country!
A good course of action is to continue to create consumer goods, but at a slower pace, or by creating a mass quantity of one thing while not making something else to create scarcity of some item or another. Better yet, if other societies are also beginning to become Totalitarian it would be proper to declare war on one or more of them as a good reason to have your people continue the production of goods.
Step 2: Creating and Appointing a Central Figure for your Party
An important part of running an effective Totalitarian government is having not a dictator, but a head of the party that can be used to help further the cause and act as a speaking mouth. The person you choose to act as your head of state should have several important characteristics such as charisma, charm, good looks, while having the ability to strike terror into the hearts of the masses if necessary.
Now I know what you are thinking and before you get there, I want to stop you, and ask you to look into the mirror. I know you feel like you should be the central figure for your new found party, but I ask you to take a step back and consider this choice wisely. Are you really all that charming? Do you really think that the masses will feel like you are a trusty-worthy person? You need to be honest with yourself because without the appropriate figurehead your political party may not have the necessary components to be elected into power.
Are you a woman? If you are you should give up right now because you’ll never be the figurehead of a major political party. To be quite honest, you just don’t have the ability to strike fear into the heart of the masses. So, no offense honey, but put the book down.
Ok well now that we got that out of our system it is important to remember that it is also sometimes necessary to backstab your figurehead when the Party feels they are not really working out. It may also be a good idea not to use an actual person as your mouthpiece. Hiring an actor to play the voice of the “leader” might be a good idea because in reality there is no real person with whom you will have to contend. This tactic is especially helpful because if an internal coup were to take place there would be no real opposition. Also, if you do pay an actor he will not be held to the same standards as a real person because he can be the perfect person. As long as the masses believe the figurehead to be real, this is all that matters.
Step 3: Creating Catchy Slogans
A catchy slogan not only helps to further your cause, but it gives the mindless masses something to chant over and over again as they go through their boring everyday lives. Slogans need several important factors that make them to make them effective. First and foremost slogans should be brief and to the point. You do not want a long slogan because not only will the people forget it, but who wants to spout off a five-minute long slogan only to have the people fall asleep and forget about what you were saying. Short and to the point makes it easier for people to remember what the slogan means, and it makes it easier to shout at the people while holding rallies, and addressing the people.
It may be necessary to have several slogans throughout your entire campaign. The first slogan could be the most important because it is the one that will establish your dominance. Much like a presidential campaign, your election slogan must be about protecting the people, or it should harbor good intentions all around. A good example would be “"Compassionate Conservatism," which was used in the 2000 Bush campaign this relayed a message of caring while it also presented us with a set of values. Other good slogans include “Power to the People,” “One People, One Country, One Leader" (used by Nazi Germany), and “Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad” (used by the animals from Animal Farm). Yet what ever your initial slogan is, it is important to center it around a cause which makes the people feel united.
Once you have been officially elected you find yourself in a good position to start changing doctrine and officially declaring war. This might also be a good time to change your slogan to something more worth while and truly declares your new found morals. Your new slogan should be akin to these popular slogans found in literature, which range from “Strength Through Purity, Purity Through Faith” in the Norsefire world of V for Vendetta to the ever popular “Big Brother is Watching You” from 1984. Both of these mottos, or slogans, react with the people in different ways. For instance, the Norsefire party is trying to keep the people together by reminding them of what they can do as a community, and that they should have faith in their leaders. The slogan from 1984 on the other hand is used to both keep people in check and serve as a constant reminder that they are being watched. Not only will this stop the people from committing criminal acts, but it also serves to reassure those people who take comfort in the watchful eye of Big Brother. You will probably want your slogan to sit somewhere in the spectrum of all the examples.
Part 2
Running a Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Creating Policy to keep you People in Order
An important aspect of your newly formed society is the formation of new laws, policies, and administrations. Obviously, it will be your government that decides what is most important to keep both the people and the country in check. However, several things need to be kept in mind while creating these policies.
It is important to keep your people busy and also to give them a sense of purpose in their lives. A working environment is very important because not only does it accomplish these tasks but it also will enable your country to become self-sufficient. National independency is important in maintaining your society so the people are key in this endeavor.
There are several things to keep in mind when sending people into a working environment. First and foremost, it is important to educate a select group of your people to a certain extent so that they can perform more advanced tasks. If you wish, there are several ways to set up your educational system. For example, in Anthem and The Giver, you might feel it is vital to educate all of your citizens until a certain age, such as 15 or 16. This works well in smaller societies where population is kept under control. If your society is larger, on the other hand, it might be a good idea to educate only a small portion of your society. Larger societies should not be as egalitarian as smaller societies and this create a “class” structure of high, middle, and low. The lower class should be kept mostly ignorant and perform the most menial tasks. The middle class can receive more education to do more independent and administrative tasks. The upper class is obviously the most important and will both watch over the other classes and run the government, so it is important to educate them on everything that is essential so that they may best fill their positions.
It is also essential to consider the military while you plan on how you will run your society. If you have chosen the path of constant warfare the military will become necessary when you need to control your people. Not only will it be important to make your enemy appear absolutely evil, it is also important to make jobs centered around supporting your military. Things such as ammunition and “rocket bombs” become essential to the success of the military. This means that the bigger the military is the better because this will allow more power to filter into your governments hands.
Religion has played an important and active part in peoples’ lives, yet it is really up to the new government if it wants to keep this institution in place. In the past, the church has acted as an excellent way to guide and oppress the people, while rewarding those in power. While you may feel religion is not really necessary for the functioning of your government, it will give the people something else to occupy their time. It is important to remember that the people will need to have something to keep them preoccupied while they are not working. This will help prevent a good deal of retaliation.
If you choose to discontinue religious practices in your country, it will be important to create more hobbies and activities to keep the people occupied. Good ideas would be community recreational activities and national sports leagues. These will not only keep your people subdued but will keep them fit and wear them out so that they do not have time to think about anything subversive.
There is an important thing now that must be considered, especially in running your totalitarian society. The concept of racial diversity and alternative lifestyles must be addressed. Your people must lead simple lives, and cultural aspects like identity and race will only divert your peoples’ thoughts. Racial purity will allow your people to live simpler lives without having to worry about interacting with someone different from themselves. As one can see from the novel Pudd’n’Head Wilson the questions of race not only prove to be confusing, but racial differences also cause problems that are not easily fixed. By totally eliminating racial diversity as a factor, it makes life easier for your people. It is also important not to let alternative lifestyles flourish. The people should not have to be exposed to things that they might feel are obscene. So along with the removal of racial diversity it will also be important to remove all sexual and religious diversity as well.
It may be prudent to get rid of sexuality and sex all together. While birth and new life is important to the sustainability of your society, sex has historically been the downfall of many societies. A variety of cultures have taken different stances on how to incorporate procreation into a healthy and functioning society. In 1984, sex is something dirty and embarrassing, but it is also something that must be done for the Party! The same can be seen in Anthem, where the inhabitants were brought to the City Palace of Mating and the Council of Eugenics paired them up. However, sex is still an ugly and shameful thing. Something that the people should not be thinking about. Another good example is from The Giver in which some girls are assigned the job of birthmother. Each year one hundred babies are born, cared for by nurtures and then given to willing parental units after one year has gone by. This controls the population and also enables the weeding out of bad babies. It also totally eliminates the sexual act altogether, even though it never really explains how.
Step 2: The Creation of Governing Agencies
Governing agencies become an important part of running your Totalitarian society. How you wish to set up your agencies and what they do is entirely up to you, but there are also many aspects you should take into account.
First, your agencies should provide everything for your people in as few buildings as possible. A prime example of this is in the novel 1984, in which there were four ministries that controlled the four aspects of life. The Ministry of Peace, conducts Oceania’s perpetual war. The Ministry of Plenty, responsible for rationing and controlling food and goods along with the production of all domestic goods. The Ministry of Truth, the propaganda arm of Oceania’s regime, controls all information outlets (news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts). The Ministry of Love, is responsible for the identification, monitoring, arrest and torture of dissidents, real or imagined. Within these agencies, the entire function of government is controlled, and the people know there is no weak spot.
The agencies you chose to set up should serve several basic functions. One should control the people, one should focus on censorship, one should serve the function of war, and another should address the people’s living conditions. (All of these things will be talked about more in-depth in later sections.) If you wish to create more agencies this is up to you and your prerogative, but keep in mind these agencies must be under the parties control at all times. When an agency begins to run amok it becomes harder to control especially if the man running the agency has a different agenda from the parties‘.
This can be seen most prominently in the graphic novel V for Vendetta. The five agencies present in it represent all of the different senses. The Head is the ruler, the Nose serves as a detective agency, the Ears are surveillance, the Mouth controls the media, and the Finger is the police force. The problem for this totalitarian society comes when the leader of the Finger decides he is better suited to be the head, and sets about the destruction of the party from the inside. It is then important to realize that no one man should be in charge of an entire agency! The people who work in your agencies must serve the party through and through and not believe that they themselves have any right to control. (See Part 3, Step 3 for more ideas).
Step 3: The Living Conditions of your People
Depending upon how you choose to run your totalitarian society and the principles on which it is based, the living conditions of your people will appear substandard when compared to how they were before your revolution. This, however, can work to your advantage in many different ways. If for instance your nation is at constant war with one enemy or another, this gives you the ability to deny your people some of their basic needs. This could be anything from food items to razor blades and to shoes. By keeping some of your people in need they will come to realize how much they need and depend upon your government and the agencies you have set up for them.
An important thing to remember is to constantly remind your people that their country is at war. War requires sacrifice and if your people understand that then they will be willing to live without certain commodities while at the same time professing their love for their government. It is also important not to keep your people wanting for everything. Like all good societies, there should be a hierarchical class system. The upper class should not be denied as much as the middle class is, who should not be denied as much as the lower class. As with education if your lower class does not know they are lacking they can live happy and contented lives. Yet your middle class should be able to recognize that they have more than the lower class. Also, they will be able to understand that with hard work and much love for their government, there is a possibility that they can one day move into the ranks of the upper class and receive their just rewards. It does not matter if this is a possibility or not, only that the middle class thinks it is a possibility.
Part 3
Maintaining your Totalitarian Society
Step 1: The Importance of Surveillance
It should go without saying that your people are never to be trusted. Even the highest members of your society can be secretly plotting your society’s demise. With this being said it is important to keep tabs on each and everyone one of your people, at all times. This measure includes everything from video monitoring, to phone taps and “bugs“, to regulating your peoples’ thoughts. The equipment needed for this is already there, video cameras are widely available as are wire-tapping devices and “bugs.” It might be important to invest some time and the most brilliant minds into advancing these technologies so that something such as a tele-screen can be created. The tele-screen is most famous for its appearance in 1984 where it not only transmits images it also receives images and acts as an excellent way to monitor the people in their homes and offices.
Another important monitoring system is mobile surveillance vehicles. These vans, or cars, should roam the street listening in on the conversations of everyone it comes across. Not only does this provide basic coverage of the streets, it also acts as a way to have someone on the scene immediately if a problem should arise. This will also add a layer to the monitoring of your people. Face it, tele-screens are a great idea, but apparently you need to buy those or at least be high enough in the 1984 society to be worthy of having one. This way if someone wonders away from their tele-screen you can keep tabs on them by listening to their conversations.
The most important element of monitoring your people is done through an agency well known as the “thought police.” This is an organization set up in 1984 to act as the all powerful and knowing police force. The thought police, if that is what you wish to call them, function in ways much like a covert task force would. They have unregulated access to absolutely everything, and monitor all aspects of peoples’ lives. It is up to these police to decide who is worthy of further investigation and who is worthy of being taken in. When the thought police do decide to take someone into custody their most used method of extracting information from people is torture. As can be seen in several different novels, such as 1984, Anthem, and V for Vendetta, torture is an excellent way to quickly break a person’s will.
There are many practical ways torture can be used to not only frighten the people but also act as another method to control them. There are also many kinds of torture that can be used, such as psychological, physical, and emotional. Whatever type of torture you feel works best for your society it is always important to remember the point of torture is to extract information and teach your people a lesson, not to revel in a sick form of gratification.
Step 2: Changing and/or Eliminating History
History is one of those things that can often come back and bite a government in the butt; however, as a totalitarian society you have the unique ability to change and manipulate history so that it reflects exactly what you want it to. This can work in many different ways.
First off there should be an entire working body dedicated to the rectification of history. Not only should times have been worse before your revolution, but no matter what is said and done, the party should always be right. Everything placed into “permanent” record should positively reflection the government in relation to the promise and statements it makes. For example, if your figurehead made a speech about how in three months there would be more boots, but in reality there was less boots, a worker should then go in and fix the original speech so that it appears as though your figurehead said a hard time was coming and there would be less boots. This is a perfect way to make sure you and the party always appear to be in the right because, face it, who doesn’t want to be right all the time?
A totally different direction you may consider taking could just be to eliminate history all together. If you feel this would work best for your society there are several important things you need to remember. In trying to forget “old” times, it is important to rid the world of those who could or would deliberately try to remember those times. This process may take several decades to accomplish and is not do-able at the beginning of your society. It may also be necessary to take away technologies that were once widely used and either keep them for yourself or reintroduce them back into society only after a lengthy period of time. It is important to realize that you are trying to create a lasting society that will dwarf your own life. So it is important to set out what you expect to happen. If you feel that the elimination of all history works best it would be wise to burn books, manuscripts, scrolls, videos, and anything that one could use to identify with the past.
Step 3: The Destruction of the Individual
This is certainly a long-term goal, and will surely, like the eradication of history, take much effort on your government‘s part. The loss of individuality is the ultimate goal of totalitarian societies. Without a sense of identity the people will do as they are told and be happy to serve the bigger purpose. Some may argue that it is part of human nature to be distinguishable from his brothers, but the truth is we all want the easy way out. By getting rid of individuality, the whole of society can function and prosper. As seen in The Giver everyone knows they each have a niche in society. As a result they all function and work well with each other. Each child, while given a specific name, serves the society in an equal manner. This book exemplifies the true meaning of equality!
In the novel Anthem, not only has the individual ceased to exist but the very words used to describe it have also been eradicated. What a glorious day it will be when we no longer need to worry about such irrelevancies. With the loss of individuality, the people no longer have any worries other than what society needs and how they serve a bigger purpose. Once all individuality and independence has been lost, a lot of the elements you and the party have worked towards become fruitless effort. This is ok. The goal is to create a freedom that no man now or in the past has known. The function of man is to serve man.
To destroy individuality is the function of everything we have discussed earlier. Through racial purity, monitoring, torture, and the conditioning of a bigger purpose humanity will one day become perfect and no longer even necessarily need the use of a totalitarian government. It will become something larger!
Conclusion
There are many different ways to create, run and maintain your totalitarian society. As you may have figured out this guide does not address absolutely everything you need to know, but is rather a starter guide to help get you thinking. The way your totalitarian society functions and the platform on which you create your society is completely up to you . That being said it is important to make your society what you feel it should be and to also try and make it a lasting one without stepping on too many peoples toes!
Below are some of the most important points of the text so for those of you too lazy to read the entire thing.
Important things to remember when Creating a Political Ideology and/or basis for your Totalitarian Government:
War is of the utmost importance. While it is not necessary to begin with War in all cases it is important to be at War occasionally to convince the people that they are in need of your protection and watchful eye.
It is also important to remember that your power must initially come from the people otherwise it will be difficult to secure it.
Important things to remember when Appointing the Figure of your Party:
Never elect yourself. Face it, there’s someone better to take the blame other than you!
Important things to remember when Creating Slogans:
Short and to the point works best!
Several slogans should be used to convey different messages.
Important things to remember when Creating Policies to Control the People:
It is important to keep your people busy with work, hobbies, and recreation.
Educate some of your people to a certain extent so that they can perform tasks that are more advanced.
Not only can you use the military to control your people, but if you have chosen the path of constant war the military becomes a necessary element of your society.
While you may feel religion is not really necessary for the functioning of your government it will give the people something else to occupy themselves with.
Your people need to have simple lives. Distractions such as identity and race will divert your peoples’ thoughts. Racial purity will allow your people to live simpler lives without having to worry about interacting with someone different from themselves.
While birth and new life is important to the sustainability of your society, sex has historically been the downfall of many societies.
Important things to remember during the Creation of Governing Agencies:
How you wish to set up your agencies and what they do is entirely up to you. However, one agency should control the people, one should focus on censorship, one should serve the function of war, and another should address the people’s living conditions.
Keep in mind these agencies must be under the parties control at all times.
Important things to remember when Addressing the Living Conditions:
The living conditions of your people will appear substandard to how they might have been before your revolution.
By keeping some of your people in need they will come to realize how much they need and depend upon your government and the agencies you have set up for them.
The upper class should not be denied as much as the middle class is, who should not be denied as much as the lower class.
Important things to remember when using Surveillance:
It should go without saying that your people are never to be trusted.
The tele-screen is most famous for its appearance in 1984 where it not only transmits images it also receives images and acts as an excellent way to monitor the people in their homes and offices.
Another important monitoring system are surveillance vehicles.
The most important part of monitoring your people will probably be through an agency well known as the “thought police.”
When the thought police do decide to take someone in their most prominent method of getting people to talk is through torture.
Important things to remember when Changing and/or Eliminating History:
As a totalitarian society you have the unique ability to change and manipulate history so that it reflects exactly what you want it to reflect.
Not only should times have been worse before your revolution, but no matter what is said and done, the party should always be right.
A totally different direction you could take may just be eliminating history all together.
In trying to forget “old” times, it is important to rid the world of those who could or would deliberately try to remember those times.
It might also be important to take away technologies that were once widely used and either keep them for yourself or reintroduce them back into society one at a time after a wait period.
It is important to realize that you are trying to create a lasting society that will ultimately dwarf your own life, so it is important to get your expectations in order.
Important things to remember when Destroying the Individual:
The loss of individuality is the ultimate goal of totalitarian societies. Without an identity, the people will do as they are told, and be happy to serve a bigger purpose then themselves.
To destroy individuality is the function of everything we have discussed earlier. Though racial purity, monitoring, torture, and the conditioning of a bigger purpose humanity will one day become perfect and no longer need the use of a totalitarian government, it will become something larger!
How to Create, Run, and Maintain a Totalitarian Society.
Introduction
What is Totalitarianism?
As defined by many dictionaries Totalitarianism can have either of two definitions, depending on the context. The first is “centralized control by an autocratic authority” and the second is “the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority.” Totalitarianism is a system of government that gives total political power to a party or political ideal. The party then attempts to controls all aspects regarding politics and the personal life of its people.
How Totalitarian Governments Function.
Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda that is spread through the state-controlled mass media. A single party controls the state, personality cults, the economy, regulations, and uses mass surveillance. It also restricts free discussion and criticism of the state, and advocates widespread use of state terrorism.
The Differences between Totalitarianism and Authoritarian Societies.
The term “Authoritarian” refers rather to the structure of government than to the structure of society. Authoritarianism often revolves around a single dictator’s whims and ideas rather than an entire party or political ideology. This kind of regime confines itself to political control of the state. This means that Authoritarianism does not try to control every aspect of the society’s life as Totalitarianism hopes to accomplish. While a Totalitarian society may use Authoritarian techniques, it goes above and beyond what Authoritarians deem necessary to secure control of the people. In doing so Totalitarianism seeks to destroy the civilized society as it once was in order to create an entirely new society based solely on their own ideology and party propaganda.
Classic Examples of Totalitarian Societies in Literature.
Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, Anthem by Ayn Rand, V for Vendetta and Watchmen by Alan Moore, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain all display apt portrayals of totalitarian societies. While their literary structure and target audiences are drastically different, they have many correlating similarities.
Part 1
Creating Your Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Creating a Political Ideology and/or basis for your Totalitarian Government
Perhaps the most important aspect of creating a Totalitarian society is the basis upon which you create your new government. If there is not a cause or reason for people to jump behind you and give your party strength, there will never be any power to your party and your endeavor will not succeed. The thing is that people have to be willing in this day and age to give themselves over to a totalitarian ideal or to elect a leader with such ideals. For this to occur there must be a reason for a stricter control of the government. In the graphic novel V for Vendetta, the Norsefire party rose to power after their English society had been devastated from war. Other societies that also sprang out of war include the Oceania society of 1984, and the American society in Watchman. It seems the threat of war or actual war plays an important part in creating a Totalitarian society. With war, the party is able to suppress citizens’ rights in a way they are not normally able to in a time of freedom.
It is important to remember that the right to rule in a Totalitarian fashion must originally come from the people. If the idea does not come from the people then they will be less willing to subjugate themselves into the mindless, controllable hordes that you wish them to become. Even in the off chance, you should happen to fall from the sky and be handed a country to rule, your initial power comes from the people that inhabit that land. If the people do not initially believe in your cause or your ideology there is no chance that your Totalitarian idea will come to fruition.
It is also important to make sure your ideology is all-encompassing. There must be a how and a why for everything. No question can go unanswered, and no problem can go unsolved. By this, it is meant that not only must the State be self-sufficient, but that it must also have an all-encompassing power over its people. The initial importance in establishing these rules is in not taking away the societies’ rights all at once. By doing this one would only create anger and fear within the populace, which may be a desired effect for some, but the people must be given time to forget about the “old” way of life to better fit in to the “new” way of life. Prime examples of this are found in the governments established in Oceania, and in Anthem, in which both governments have complete control of their populace.
Another important factor to keep in mind when creating your ideology is the use of the people. After they have been totally and utterly brought into the parties’ control, what then does one do with them? Society must still function and the people must still have daily lives. By keeping the people busy it also gives them a sense of purpose, which in turn give them a drive to keep working for their country!
A good course of action is to continue to create consumer goods, but at a slower pace, or by creating a mass quantity of one thing while not making something else to create scarcity of some item or another. Better yet, if other societies are also beginning to become Totalitarian it would be proper to declare war on one or more of them as a good reason to have your people continue the production of goods.
Step 2: Creating and Appointing a Central Figure for your Party
An important part of running an effective Totalitarian government is having not a dictator, but a head of the party that can be used to help further the cause and act as a speaking mouth. The person you choose to act as your head of state should have several important characteristics such as charisma, charm, good looks, while having the ability to strike terror into the hearts of the masses if necessary.
Now I know what you are thinking and before you get there, I want to stop you, and ask you to look into the mirror. I know you feel like you should be the central figure for your new found party, but I ask you to take a step back and consider this choice wisely. Are you really all that charming? Do you really think that the masses will feel like you are a trusty-worthy person? You need to be honest with yourself because without the appropriate figurehead your political party may not have the necessary components to be elected into power.
Are you a woman? If you are you should give up right now because you’ll never be the figurehead of a major political party. To be quite honest, you just don’t have the ability to strike fear into the heart of the masses. So, no offense honey, but put the book down.
Ok well now that we got that out of our system it is important to remember that it is also sometimes necessary to backstab your figurehead when the Party feels they are not really working out. It may also be a good idea not to use an actual person as your mouthpiece. Hiring an actor to play the voice of the “leader” might be a good idea because in reality there is no real person with whom you will have to contend. This tactic is especially helpful because if an internal coup were to take place there would be no real opposition. Also, if you do pay an actor he will not be held to the same standards as a real person because he can be the perfect person. As long as the masses believe the figurehead to be real, this is all that matters.
Step 3: Creating Catchy Slogans
A catchy slogan not only helps to further your cause, but it gives the mindless masses something to chant over and over again as they go through their boring everyday lives. Slogans need several important factors that make them to make them effective. First and foremost slogans should be brief and to the point. You do not want a long slogan because not only will the people forget it, but who wants to spout off a five-minute long slogan only to have the people fall asleep and forget about what you were saying. Short and to the point makes it easier for people to remember what the slogan means, and it makes it easier to shout at the people while holding rallies, and addressing the people.
It may be necessary to have several slogans throughout your entire campaign. The first slogan could be the most important because it is the one that will establish your dominance. Much like a presidential campaign, your election slogan must be about protecting the people, or it should harbor good intentions all around. A good example would be “"Compassionate Conservatism," which was used in the 2000 Bush campaign this relayed a message of caring while it also presented us with a set of values. Other good slogans include “Power to the People,” “One People, One Country, One Leader" (used by Nazi Germany), and “Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad” (used by the animals from Animal Farm). Yet what ever your initial slogan is, it is important to center it around a cause which makes the people feel united.
Once you have been officially elected you find yourself in a good position to start changing doctrine and officially declaring war. This might also be a good time to change your slogan to something more worth while and truly declares your new found morals. Your new slogan should be akin to these popular slogans found in literature, which range from “Strength Through Purity, Purity Through Faith” in the Norsefire world of V for Vendetta to the ever popular “Big Brother is Watching You” from 1984. Both of these mottos, or slogans, react with the people in different ways. For instance, the Norsefire party is trying to keep the people together by reminding them of what they can do as a community, and that they should have faith in their leaders. The slogan from 1984 on the other hand is used to both keep people in check and serve as a constant reminder that they are being watched. Not only will this stop the people from committing criminal acts, but it also serves to reassure those people who take comfort in the watchful eye of Big Brother. You will probably want your slogan to sit somewhere in the spectrum of all the examples.
Part 2
Running a Totalitarian Society
Step 1: Creating Policy to keep you People in Order
An important aspect of your newly formed society is the formation of new laws, policies, and administrations. Obviously, it will be your government that decides what is most important to keep both the people and the country in check. However, several things need to be kept in mind while creating these policies.
It is important to keep your people busy and also to give them a sense of purpose in their lives. A working environment is very important because not only does it accomplish these tasks but it also will enable your country to become self-sufficient. National independency is important in maintaining your society so the people are key in this endeavor.
There are several things to keep in mind when sending people into a working environment. First and foremost, it is important to educate a select group of your people to a certain extent so that they can perform more advanced tasks. If you wish, there are several ways to set up your educational system. For example, in Anthem and The Giver, you might feel it is vital to educate all of your citizens until a certain age, such as 15 or 16. This works well in smaller societies where population is kept under control. If your society is larger, on the other hand, it might be a good idea to educate only a small portion of your society. Larger societies should not be as egalitarian as smaller societies and this create a “class” structure of high, middle, and low. The lower class should be kept mostly ignorant and perform the most menial tasks. The middle class can receive more education to do more independent and administrative tasks. The upper class is obviously the most important and will both watch over the other classes and run the government, so it is important to educate them on everything that is essential so that they may best fill their positions.
It is also essential to consider the military while you plan on how you will run your society. If you have chosen the path of constant warfare the military will become necessary when you need to control your people. Not only will it be important to make your enemy appear absolutely evil, it is also important to make jobs centered around supporting your military. Things such as ammunition and “rocket bombs” become essential to the success of the military. This means that the bigger the military is the better because this will allow more power to filter into your governments hands.
Religion has played an important and active part in peoples’ lives, yet it is really up to the new government if it wants to keep this institution in place. In the past, the church has acted as an excellent way to guide and oppress the people, while rewarding those in power. While you may feel religion is not really necessary for the functioning of your government, it will give the people something else to occupy their time. It is important to remember that the people will need to have something to keep them preoccupied while they are not working. This will help prevent a good deal of retaliation.
If you choose to discontinue religious practices in your country, it will be important to create more hobbies and activities to keep the people occupied. Good ideas would be community recreational activities and national sports leagues. These will not only keep your people subdued but will keep them fit and wear them out so that they do not have time to think about anything subversive.
There is an important thing now that must be considered, especially in running your totalitarian society. The concept of racial diversity and alternative lifestyles must be addressed. Your people must lead simple lives, and cultural aspects like identity and race will only divert your peoples’ thoughts. Racial purity will allow your people to live simpler lives without having to worry about interacting with someone different from themselves. As one can see from the novel Pudd’n’Head Wilson the questions of race not only prove to be confusing, but racial differences also cause problems that are not easily fixed. By totally eliminating racial diversity as a factor, it makes life easier for your people. It is also important not to let alternative lifestyles flourish. The people should not have to be exposed to things that they might feel are obscene. So along with the removal of racial diversity it will also be important to remove all sexual and religious diversity as well.
It may be prudent to get rid of sexuality and sex all together. While birth and new life is important to the sustainability of your society, sex has historically been the downfall of many societies. A variety of cultures have taken different stances on how to incorporate procreation into a healthy and functioning society. In 1984, sex is something dirty and embarrassing, but it is also something that must be done for the Party! The same can be seen in Anthem, where the inhabitants were brought to the City Palace of Mating and the Council of Eugenics paired them up. However, sex is still an ugly and shameful thing. Something that the people should not be thinking about. Another good example is from The Giver in which some girls are assigned the job of birthmother. Each year one hundred babies are born, cared for by nurtures and then given to willing parental units after one year has gone by. This controls the population and also enables the weeding out of bad babies. It also totally eliminates the sexual act altogether, even though it never really explains how.
Step 2: The Creation of Governing Agencies
Governing agencies become an important part of running your Totalitarian society. How you wish to set up your agencies and what they do is entirely up to you, but there are also many aspects you should take into account.
First, your agencies should provide everything for your people in as few buildings as possible. A prime example of this is in the novel 1984, in which there were four ministries that controlled the four aspects of life. The Ministry of Peace, conducts Oceania’s perpetual war. The Ministry of Plenty, responsible for rationing and controlling food and goods along with the production of all domestic goods. The Ministry of Truth, the propaganda arm of Oceania’s regime, controls all information outlets (news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts). The Ministry of Love, is responsible for the identification, monitoring, arrest and torture of dissidents, real or imagined. Within these agencies, the entire function of government is controlled, and the people know there is no weak spot.
The agencies you chose to set up should serve several basic functions. One should control the people, one should focus on censorship, one should serve the function of war, and another should address the people’s living conditions. (All of these things will be talked about more in-depth in later sections.) If you wish to create more agencies this is up to you and your prerogative, but keep in mind these agencies must be under the parties control at all times. When an agency begins to run amok it becomes harder to control especially if the man running the agency has a different agenda from the parties‘.
This can be seen most prominently in the graphic novel V for Vendetta. The five agencies present in it represent all of the different senses. The Head is the ruler, the Nose serves as a detective agency, the Ears are surveillance, the Mouth controls the media, and the Finger is the police force. The problem for this totalitarian society comes when the leader of the Finger decides he is better suited to be the head, and sets about the destruction of the party from the inside. It is then important to realize that no one man should be in charge of an entire agency! The people who work in your agencies must serve the party through and through and not believe that they themselves have any right to control. (See Part 3, Step 3 for more ideas).
Step 3: The Living Conditions of your People
Depending upon how you choose to run your totalitarian society and the principles on which it is based, the living conditions of your people will appear substandard when compared to how they were before your revolution. This, however, can work to your advantage in many different ways. If for instance your nation is at constant war with one enemy or another, this gives you the ability to deny your people some of their basic needs. This could be anything from food items to razor blades and to shoes. By keeping some of your people in need they will come to realize how much they need and depend upon your government and the agencies you have set up for them.
An important thing to remember is to constantly remind your people that their country is at war. War requires sacrifice and if your people understand that then they will be willing to live without certain commodities while at the same time professing their love for their government. It is also important not to keep your people wanting for everything. Like all good societies, there should be a hierarchical class system. The upper class should not be denied as much as the middle class is, who should not be denied as much as the lower class. As with education if your lower class does not know they are lacking they can live happy and contented lives. Yet your middle class should be able to recognize that they have more than the lower class. Also, they will be able to understand that with hard work and much love for their government, there is a possibility that they can one day move into the ranks of the upper class and receive their just rewards. It does not matter if this is a possibility or not, only that the middle class thinks it is a possibility.
Part 3
Maintaining your Totalitarian Society
Step 1: The Importance of Surveillance
It should go without saying that your people are never to be trusted. Even the highest members of your society can be secretly plotting your society’s demise. With this being said it is important to keep tabs on each and everyone one of your people, at all times. This measure includes everything from video monitoring, to phone taps and “bugs“, to regulating your peoples’ thoughts. The equipment needed for this is already there, video cameras are widely available as are wire-tapping devices and “bugs.” It might be important to invest some time and the most brilliant minds into advancing these technologies so that something such as a tele-screen can be created. The tele-screen is most famous for its appearance in 1984 where it not only transmits images it also receives images and acts as an excellent way to monitor the people in their homes and offices.
Another important monitoring system is mobile surveillance vehicles. These vans, or cars, should roam the street listening in on the conversations of everyone it comes across. Not only does this provide basic coverage of the streets, it also acts as a way to have someone on the scene immediately if a problem should arise. This will also add a layer to the monitoring of your people. Face it, tele-screens are a great idea, but apparently you need to buy those or at least be high enough in the 1984 society to be worthy of having one. This way if someone wonders away from their tele-screen you can keep tabs on them by listening to their conversations.
The most important element of monitoring your people is done through an agency well known as the “thought police.” This is an organization set up in 1984 to act as the all powerful and knowing police force. The thought police, if that is what you wish to call them, function in ways much like a covert task force would. They have unregulated access to absolutely everything, and monitor all aspects of peoples’ lives. It is up to these police to decide who is worthy of further investigation and who is worthy of being taken in. When the thought police do decide to take someone into custody their most used method of extracting information from people is torture. As can be seen in several different novels, such as 1984, Anthem, and V for Vendetta, torture is an excellent way to quickly break a person’s will.
There are many practical ways torture can be used to not only frighten the people but also act as another method to control them. There are also many kinds of torture that can be used, such as psychological, physical, and emotional. Whatever type of torture you feel works best for your society it is always important to remember the point of torture is to extract information and teach your people a lesson, not to revel in a sick form of gratification.
Step 2: Changing and/or Eliminating History
History is one of those things that can often come back and bite a government in the butt; however, as a totalitarian society you have the unique ability to change and manipulate history so that it reflects exactly what you want it to. This can work in many different ways.
First off there should be an entire working body dedicated to the rectification of history. Not only should times have been worse before your revolution, but no matter what is said and done, the party should always be right. Everything placed into “permanent” record should positively reflection the government in relation to the promise and statements it makes. For example, if your figurehead made a speech about how in three months there would be more boots, but in reality there was less boots, a worker should then go in and fix the original speech so that it appears as though your figurehead said a hard time was coming and there would be less boots. This is a perfect way to make sure you and the party always appear to be in the right because, face it, who doesn’t want to be right all the time?
A totally different direction you may consider taking could just be to eliminate history all together. If you feel this would work best for your society there are several important things you need to remember. In trying to forget “old” times, it is important to rid the world of those who could or would deliberately try to remember those times. This process may take several decades to accomplish and is not do-able at the beginning of your society. It may also be necessary to take away technologies that were once widely used and either keep them for yourself or reintroduce them back into society only after a lengthy period of time. It is important to realize that you are trying to create a lasting society that will dwarf your own life. So it is important to set out what you expect to happen. If you feel that the elimination of all history works best it would be wise to burn books, manuscripts, scrolls, videos, and anything that one could use to identify with the past.
Step 3: The Destruction of the Individual
This is certainly a long-term goal, and will surely, like the eradication of history, take much effort on your government‘s part. The loss of individuality is the ultimate goal of totalitarian societies. Without a sense of identity the people will do as they are told and be happy to serve the bigger purpose. Some may argue that it is part of human nature to be distinguishable from his brothers, but the truth is we all want the easy way out. By getting rid of individuality, the whole of society can function and prosper. As seen in The Giver everyone knows they each have a niche in society. As a result they all function and work well with each other. Each child, while given a specific name, serves the society in an equal manner. This book exemplifies the true meaning of equality!
In the novel Anthem, not only has the individual ceased to exist but the very words used to describe it have also been eradicated. What a glorious day it will be when we no longer need to worry about such irrelevancies. With the loss of individuality, the people no longer have any worries other than what society needs and how they serve a bigger purpose. Once all individuality and independence has been lost, a lot of the elements you and the party have worked towards become fruitless effort. This is ok. The goal is to create a freedom that no man now or in the past has known. The function of man is to serve man.
To destroy individuality is the function of everything we have discussed earlier. Through racial purity, monitoring, torture, and the conditioning of a bigger purpose humanity will one day become perfect and no longer even necessarily need the use of a totalitarian government. It will become something larger!
Conclusion
There are many different ways to create, run and maintain your totalitarian society. As you may have figured out this guide does not address absolutely everything you need to know, but is rather a starter guide to help get you thinking. The way your totalitarian society functions and the platform on which you create your society is completely up to you . That being said it is important to make your society what you feel it should be and to also try and make it a lasting one without stepping on too many peoples toes!
Below are some of the most important points of the text so for those of you too lazy to read the entire thing.
Important things to remember when Creating a Political Ideology and/or basis for your Totalitarian Government:
War is of the utmost importance. While it is not necessary to begin with War in all cases it is important to be at War occasionally to convince the people that they are in need of your protection and watchful eye.
It is also important to remember that your power must initially come from the people otherwise it will be difficult to secure it.
Important things to remember when Appointing the Figure of your Party:
Never elect yourself. Face it, there’s someone better to take the blame other than you!
Important things to remember when Creating Slogans:
Short and to the point works best!
Several slogans should be used to convey different messages.
Important things to remember when Creating Policies to Control the People:
It is important to keep your people busy with work, hobbies, and recreation.
Educate some of your people to a certain extent so that they can perform tasks that are more advanced.
Not only can you use the military to control your people, but if you have chosen the path of constant war the military becomes a necessary element of your society.
While you may feel religion is not really necessary for the functioning of your government it will give the people something else to occupy themselves with.
Your people need to have simple lives. Distractions such as identity and race will divert your peoples’ thoughts. Racial purity will allow your people to live simpler lives without having to worry about interacting with someone different from themselves.
While birth and new life is important to the sustainability of your society, sex has historically been the downfall of many societies.
Important things to remember during the Creation of Governing Agencies:
How you wish to set up your agencies and what they do is entirely up to you. However, one agency should control the people, one should focus on censorship, one should serve the function of war, and another should address the people’s living conditions.
Keep in mind these agencies must be under the parties control at all times.
Important things to remember when Addressing the Living Conditions:
The living conditions of your people will appear substandard to how they might have been before your revolution.
By keeping some of your people in need they will come to realize how much they need and depend upon your government and the agencies you have set up for them.
The upper class should not be denied as much as the middle class is, who should not be denied as much as the lower class.
Important things to remember when using Surveillance:
It should go without saying that your people are never to be trusted.
The tele-screen is most famous for its appearance in 1984 where it not only transmits images it also receives images and acts as an excellent way to monitor the people in their homes and offices.
Another important monitoring system are surveillance vehicles.
The most important part of monitoring your people will probably be through an agency well known as the “thought police.”
When the thought police do decide to take someone in their most prominent method of getting people to talk is through torture.
Important things to remember when Changing and/or Eliminating History:
As a totalitarian society you have the unique ability to change and manipulate history so that it reflects exactly what you want it to reflect.
Not only should times have been worse before your revolution, but no matter what is said and done, the party should always be right.
A totally different direction you could take may just be eliminating history all together.
In trying to forget “old” times, it is important to rid the world of those who could or would deliberately try to remember those times.
It might also be important to take away technologies that were once widely used and either keep them for yourself or reintroduce them back into society one at a time after a wait period.
It is important to realize that you are trying to create a lasting society that will ultimately dwarf your own life, so it is important to get your expectations in order.
Important things to remember when Destroying the Individual:
The loss of individuality is the ultimate goal of totalitarian societies. Without an identity, the people will do as they are told, and be happy to serve a bigger purpose then themselves.
To destroy individuality is the function of everything we have discussed earlier. Though racial purity, monitoring, torture, and the conditioning of a bigger purpose humanity will one day become perfect and no longer need the use of a totalitarian government, it will become something larger!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)