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!