Why American Totalitarianism Is Totally Possible
Conspiracy theories, stupid mobs, demagogues, where do you think this all leads?
In her book Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt described what I call the four horsemen of a totalitarian apocalypse.
- Conspiracy theories
- ‘Stupid’ people, well-organized
- Wishful thinking
- Loneliness
America today has all four, galloping apace.
60% of the population believes in some sort of conspiracy theory. A major political party is taken over by the ‘stupid’ mob. And people are not taking it seriously. They’re not learning from history, not believing what their enemies say, refusing to consider where this all leads.
Americans simply think totalitarianism isn’t possible for them, but this is wishful thinking. People died for the information that everything is possible. As David Rousset wrote, after his experiences in a concentration camp:
This is the epigraph of Arendt’s book. Everything is possible. Conspiracy theories can become policy. Stupid mobs can take over countries. Complacent elites can be forced to flee. Saying that this isn’t realistic misses the point. Totalitarianism makes its own reality.
