Totalitarianism, in one sense, has been the norm of human society for millenniums as most ancient kings and lords claimed a total authority over the people and the land. This totalitarian authority was often established upon a divine stewardship or a direct claim of divinity. But in another sense, totalitarianism is a modern phenomenon, since a competent totalitarianism differs from a nominal totalitarianism in that the former has the mechanism to effectively impose a total control. This mechanism is born from an ideology but realized by a technology. Only when there comes modernity, this technological prerequisite is ready. We are not necessarily referring to communicating and spying technologies in the information age, though this definitely boosts totalitarianism. The very basic need of a totalitarianism is not instant communication or monitoring, but a network (of human or machine) that could reach the doorstep if not the chest of every man. Therefore, one prominent characteristic of totalitarianism is a network, a party network and an informational network, a party machine and a propaganda machine, a mobilizing mechanism and an educational mechanism. Without any of these, there would be no totalitarianism. Thus, totalitarianism must be one-party state, as only in one-party state, its party network could be so extensive without blind spots; totalitarianism must penetrate into the thoughts of man, as whoever controls man’s thoughts controls man. Every nation has police, but totalitarianism has thought police; every nation has parties, but totalitarianism has one party. This was the case for Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Mao’s China, and their descendants and imitators today.
The question nowadays is not how evil totalitarianism is, as history has proved in every such experiment; the puzzling question is why totalitarianism is so appealing in spite of its dismal failure in a colossal scale. Why do people who have suffered under totalitarianism still support it heartily? Why do people who live in a free society embrace totalitarianism? To call them crazy is too simple a reply. To call them brainwashed is just scratching the surface. There must be something in totalitarianism that fascinates the people, that rewards the people, that supports them to give such a pseudo-religious devotion, and to endure pain inflicted by those they hold dear.
There are two types of people upholding totalitarianism: those who believes in it and those who do not believe in it. The latter are just pragmatists who use totalitarianism for self-gain. They do not think totalitarianism is inherently good, they just think it is good enough for them. They are opportunistic, hypocritical, and demagogic. But an ideology or a movement cannot last long based on this. There must be some ardent supporters who do believe totalitarianism is the right way, the only way to the ultimate good. They are idealists with conviction and self-sacrifice. They are the ones we look at here.
Totalitarianism, by consolidating human and natural resources, can demonstrate the power of man to achieve something spectacular, and this provides man a sense of involvement in greatness, a participation in the meaningful, which elevates man from his mundane and puniness. One should not underestimate the strong desire of man in escaping the routine and vanity of everyday life. Totalitarianism always prides itself on mega-projects and the propaganda machine always boasts national achievements, real or fictional. For most people, this is not brainwash, this is a reality, a true sense of belonging, a true enjoyment of greatness that he is part of. Totalitarianism is tied to a radical nationalism and patriotism, even for the communists who are supposed to have a cosmopolitan spirit. Only through a perverted nationalism and patriotism, can this sense of belonging be fortified, as the individual conscience is imprinted with a national identity in everything everywhere. Man needs this sense of belonging, this sense of participating in greatness, this sense of relating to other people. The strict, para-military schemes of collective working and living are aiming at these. People are willing to accept a sub-human identity only when he thinks he is rising to a trans-human identity. No doubt he knows he is giving up something, but he is giving them up willingly and joyfully as he is receiving something much greater. In this mindset, they abhor anyone deviating from the solidarity. Such dissenters are like unclean people in the camp of Israelites, their uncleanness, if not eradicated, brings a curse upon the people as a whole. Totalitarianism must purge without ceasing; purity is the cardinal virtue, pure without blemish. A dissenter is a rebel, a saboteur, and a traitor. The mob is not without mercy, but against the dissenter, there should not be mercy. As often said amongst them, mercy to an enemy is betrayal to the people. In an existential struggle, on the road to greatness, any obstacle must be removed, all sacrifices must be celebrated not mourned.
Totalitarianism also touches the “soft” part of human heart, by giving a moral-spiritual vision of human being and human society. The drive of communism in mobilizing millions of poor peasants and workers is not first of all material but psychological, moral, and spiritual. Intellectuals and middle-class are drawn to communism/socialism not for material gain, which they already enjoy, but for a spiritual fulfillment, a moral reformation, and a social progress. In a moral swamp, a social dead water, and a spiritual void, totalitarianism rises to promise a total revolution. This energizes people, especially intellectuals, who see problems everywhere and want change in everything. Who does not want a better man, a better society? However, the pre-totalitarian society is often so timid and indifferent to do anything, or even to acknowledge any problem. Totalitarianism needs a particular type of soil, where all other possibilities of change have been strangled or compromised, that the only bold voice of change comes from totalitarianism. This total, radical revolution only sounds good when all other progressive reforms being refused. Totalitarianism triumphs amongst the suicide of its opponents. In another word, a self-destructive culture brings forth totalitarianism, because that seems to be the only hope, the only hope for those having no hope. The supporters of totalitarianism are working towards a grand vision, a vision of goodness, the only goodness available and possible. They feel like standing on a high if not the pinnacle of moral ground, and those who against them are heartless, merciless, and pathetic parasites. There is no mercy for those who have no mercy. Therefore, they are willing to stone those parasites to death, as a parasitic life is not worth living.
But totalitarianism is not just about glory and vision, it does have a practical good, that is a simple, a sheltered life. Life is difficult, the modern life is especially complicated. The survival of a man in the modern society is demanding, and the survival of a man in a dangerous society is even more. In this anxiety, totalitarianism smiles to give you an easy way out: you do nothing but following orders. Totalitarianism must create a sense of urgency and peril so that his help may appear timely and life-saving. It often starts by make your life miserable, then blames it on anyone but the real culprit. Therefore, when everyone and everything is against you, the big brother is there for you. It is interesting that totalitarianism chooses terms of close family relationships to describe the government-people relationship, like father-son. This appeals to a fundamental human affection, and brings man, adults, to a fond memory of being an infant or a child protected and cared by a father. Totalitarianism would like to keep the people as infants or children. True adults are anti-totalitarianism by definition. This is why totalitarianism is destructive to man individually and to society as a whole, because its operation has to rely on a continual infantilizing of citizens, taking away the necessity and ability to think as an adult. In the end, being an adult is not only dangerous, but also fatal. Staying as infants under a totalitarian government is romantic, serene, innocent, being loved, and privileged. He hates freedom and everything associated with freedom, freedom is sub-human and anti-human. He does not want choice, as making choices is terrifying, and committing a mistake is more terrifying. It is better to leave this pain to a father-like figure or a big brother-like figure. Modern totalitarian government only succeeds in cultures that had an ancient totalitarian tradition. Those who crave for a totalitarian government must be someone who hates freedom. Those who does not know how to live as a free man must retreat to the prison of totalitarianism.
