A totalitarian state is based on the complete hegemony of the state over the individual in all spheres of life, with the final aim of completely suppressing and eradicating any sense of individual identity and thought, essentially extirpating the human capacity to act. In a totalitarian regime, this is achieved through an amalgamation of methods, a key proponent of which is propaganda.
Propaganda is a tool used by leaders to psychologically manipulate and indoctrinate the masses, often in order to strengthen their own position. Countless instances of this are present in history; for instance in the 1920s, Stalin deliberately created a cult of personality - a glorified and idealized view of him as a God-like super being - through massive propaganda machines that bombarded the public with pro-Stalin propaganda. In Germany, Adolf Hitler set strict guidelines on themes that could be explored through the arts (including theatre, music, etc.), and created the Reich Chamber of Culture that ensured all art met these guidelines, in order to restrict critical reflection and thought - and manipulate the masses into supporting the regime’s policies and ideology to strengthen their overall power. These examples showcase the immense power of propaganda; to glean support for miscellaneous policies and thus curtail opposition, to keep the population content and essentially to shape the thoughts of the masses.
Looking at these instances of propaganda in history, one often tends to think that the people who believed in the aforementioned propaganda, were extraordinarily credulous and naïve, and that democracy now is too strong to have traces of such propaganda. However, this is untrue. Nothing in a democracy in the 21st century is outside the reach of propaganda, from entertainment to education. The crux of a democratic society is that policy is decided by taking everyone’s opinion into account - propaganda can, and is used to influence those opinions. For example in his election campaigns, US President Donald Trump’s labelling of Latino immigrants as criminals and rapists and his idea that travel bans should be implemented on certain Muslim-majority countries in interests of ‘American security’ succeeded, to a significant degree, in whipping up fear and anger about race and religion amongst many Americans, which played a role in his election as President.
The role of propagandists is made even easier in the 21st century through digitalization. On online forums, truth and reality are easily subverted by propagandists, to the point where the masses are left with a vast sea of information, where not one but multiple truths and realities exist. This adds a new dimension to the ‘traditional propaganda’ used by the likes of Adolf Hitler and Stalin; while it may not directly convince the masses - it certainly confuses them. It besmirches the public’s wells of knowledge and sources of understanding, insinuating that there is no objectivity and that there are no true facts. In this way, propaganda has aided in precipitating an age of obfuscation. Rather than trying to think critically, this age has convinced many to disengage, consequently leading to increasingly low voter turn outs, for example, in times when the public’s actions really matter.
Instead of disengaging, however, one should make an effort to avoid falling into the trap of propaganda, and to fight against it. One should introspect, analyze and adopt a critical mindset towards information instead of blindly accepting what is told. Moreover, one should question one’s own views and foster a sense of openness to the possibility that one can inadvertently and subconsciously be swayed by a sense of bias. Through adopting these approaches, one can do their best to attempt to grasp the true reality in the vast ocean of multiple false realities.
