One of the mistakes we often make when discussing totalitarianism is assuming that those within the system do not believe in the tenets of said system. Often, this is because we believe our own propaganda. Consider, for example, North Korea. When thinking about what life must be like for an individual living under that regime and within that structure, it is commonplace to assume that everyone knows they are living in a broken system and remain silent due to fear.
Great post. For a few years now, I've been thinking the electoral American left is very much a Vichy party. They would refuse to work with anyone outside the party—they're true believers, as you make clear—even if it meant the country would lose a war and suffer enduring consequences. Not necessarily occupation, but possibly loss of territory and a humiliating, costly condition of surrender.
Great analysis and summation; being so brief without leaving important points out is also a sign of great thought having been put in.
Yes, doublethink is necessary to resolve the paradox, conscious doublethink at that. The Party is right when it claims 2+2=5, and 2+2=4 at the same time: to be able to think like that is a prerequisite to belonging to the modern (post-1970s) general Leftist cluster of ideas. To be able to think like that consciously without rationalisation or continuous real-time editing of memory is a prerequisite of achieving a career, even leadership, in the same Left.
Or to sum it up: Lenin was a genius when it comes to understand how perception and communication creates, uncreates and recreates reality in the mind.
As a "resident" of one of the western leftist enclaves, I can confirm that there is a duality in perspectives needed to survive a regime. While there are true believers, who live and breath the lie, believe the lie, enforce the lie and worship the lie, there is another tribe who survives the lie. That portion of society is "democratically" the minority, but regionally the majority. In order to survive though they learn that their protestations will only bring another beating. And as any sentient being would learn, they keep their gaze, their thoughts and their voices low, so as not to upset the "dear leader".
But when there is a glimmer of weakness from the master with the whip, they will rise up and have their retribution.
There is no position the left can defend without emotion, because the cognitive dissonance of their doublethink proves the fallacy of their belief system.
A simple, and yet extremely effective tactic is to simply state NO. I will not comply with the edicts. I will not be forced to believe the lies. I will not lie to myself, to make myself believe the lies. And as more of that silent regional majority stand up to the insanity, more will join and the tide of the battle will shift.
Great post. For a few years now, I've been thinking the electoral American left is very much a Vichy party. They would refuse to work with anyone outside the party—they're true believers, as you make clear—even if it meant the country would lose a war and suffer enduring consequences. Not necessarily occupation, but possibly loss of territory and a humiliating, costly condition of surrender.
Great analysis and summation; being so brief without leaving important points out is also a sign of great thought having been put in.
Yes, doublethink is necessary to resolve the paradox, conscious doublethink at that. The Party is right when it claims 2+2=5, and 2+2=4 at the same time: to be able to think like that is a prerequisite to belonging to the modern (post-1970s) general Leftist cluster of ideas. To be able to think like that consciously without rationalisation or continuous real-time editing of memory is a prerequisite of achieving a career, even leadership, in the same Left.
Or to sum it up: Lenin was a genius when it comes to understand how perception and communication creates, uncreates and recreates reality in the mind.
As a "resident" of one of the western leftist enclaves, I can confirm that there is a duality in perspectives needed to survive a regime. While there are true believers, who live and breath the lie, believe the lie, enforce the lie and worship the lie, there is another tribe who survives the lie. That portion of society is "democratically" the minority, but regionally the majority. In order to survive though they learn that their protestations will only bring another beating. And as any sentient being would learn, they keep their gaze, their thoughts and their voices low, so as not to upset the "dear leader".
But when there is a glimmer of weakness from the master with the whip, they will rise up and have their retribution.
There is no position the left can defend without emotion, because the cognitive dissonance of their doublethink proves the fallacy of their belief system.
A simple, and yet extremely effective tactic is to simply state NO. I will not comply with the edicts. I will not be forced to believe the lies. I will not lie to myself, to make myself believe the lies. And as more of that silent regional majority stand up to the insanity, more will join and the tide of the battle will shift.