The Securing of Power - Updated
How Totalitarians React to Threats to Their Power
This being Christmas time I’m taking a short break, so I thought I would re-post this essay from August 5, 2023, the idea being that most of my subscribers had not yet subscribed at that time. I’ve done some editing and updating.
Most of this material is derived from the book Resistance to Tyranny by Joseph P. Martino, the link to Amazon is here:
I bought my copy elsewhere just because I don't like Bezos.
As a regime begins to assume dictatorial powers it can expect a certain amount of resistance, which will of course be countered.
Mr. Martinez lists a number of responses that a burgeoning totalitarian regime will probably take.
In his first chapter he talks about the importance of civilian weapon ownership, and gives examples of the horrific abuses that came after civilian disarmament, as well the relative lack of population abuse in those well armed. Thus the first indication of a country turning tyrannical msy be the registration followed by confiscation of firearms and any other weapons of concern. The issues listed below are also indicators.
Creating an atmosphere of crisis.
Allowing a crime wave. It can be useful to allow crime to increase so that new restrictions can be imposed, surveillance increased, weapons confiscated and disallowed, police forces enlarged,etc.
Allowing an influx of illegal aliens. This allows increased bureaucratic controls to “protect” the populace from the situation that they created.
Use of propaganda to support the atmosphere of crisis. Things like the environment are so all inclusive that the bureaucracy can control almost anything. Propaganda is used to foster the aims of a bureaucracy trying to amass power. The better the people as a whole are at recognizing propaganda, the less successful this is. If interested see my essay on propaganda.
Creeping denial of rights. With the use of propaganda the public is convinced that there is a crisis, so it's time to slowly eliminate rights on the pretense of improving safety (although safety will not actually improve).
Rights are taken away a little at a time so that each step seems justified. (Have you heard the question “would you give up a little of this right for more safety?”) Start by taking them away from smaller groups, usually called “extremists”. Remember Ben Franklin's saying that those who give up essential liberties for security will have neither.
Economic pressures. Loss of your job, especially if your company does work for the government, or they have any kind of hold on the company, such as licensing requirements. (Hillsdale College in Michigan is famous for never taking money from government sources, and have remained free to conduct themselves as they see fit.) They may threaten to take your personal license if one is required for your work.
False arrest. You may be falsely arrested. You will probably be acquitted, but it will cost you a fortune. If you don't remain subservient you may be arrested again on a different charge. That can be kept up as long as necessary since it's the public's money in action.
Currency replacement. Turn in your old greenbacks for new ones. This is hard on revolutionary movements.
Foul-up of pension checks. Pension check doesn't come, oops accidentally labelled deceased, got the wrong address, etc.
Meritless claims of taxes owed. Where is that $30,000 you owe us? What $30,000 you say? No problem, we'll just freeze your bank accounts until this is straightened out.
Meritless citations for failure to comply with regulations. There are so many regulations that surely you are not in compliance with at least some. And if, after spending a fortune to show that your are, another can be found.
Harassment over environmental regulations. Surely you didn't fill in that perennial wet spot on your property? Don't you know that's a wet land? You didn't think that you could just do what you want with your own land, did you?
Medical care. Somehow you are at the bottom of the waiting list, or just denied treatment, or maybe Grandma is. One of the reasons totalitarians are always pushing for socialized healthcare.
Lack of anything to attack. How does one hit back at a faceless bureaucracy? Who do you shoot? It's just a big amorphous blob.
National ID system. Wonderful for tracking everyone and denying service to undesirables. Though not there yet, putting all known, or even suspected, unapproved (not government agents) firearms owners on the No Fly List is the sort of thing this can do.
Infiltration of the resistance. Classic. Most of the people involved in the Governor Whitmer false kidnapping plot were either federal agents or informants. And there was not even an actual plot.
Below link is to a video of Tim Pool interviewing Brandon Caserta, who was found not guilty in the plot, and a young woman who was researching the event. Quite illuminating.
Creating a fake resistance. The Communist government in the U.S.S.R. created fake resistance organizations to sucker in those opposed to them. Come to the secret meeting tonight on Gorelov Street, win a free ticket to Siberia.
Decapitation of the resistance. Simply kill off the leaders, either overtly or by arranged accidents.
Roundup. Detention camps for all and sundry. Maybe send them all to Siberia. In Turkey they mainly marched people into the desert with no supplies and left them to die. One and a half million Armenian Christians, a real security threat. (But only after firearms registration, followed by confiscation.)
Isolation. When the independent farmers in the Ukraine were a problem for Stalin he cordoned off the area so that millions starved to death. Under the Communists the farmers were required to turn in all grain, saving none for seed, and receive new from the State. All food was sent to the State and redistributed, so this was possible. This event is called the holodomor, and thereafter lowered the Ukrainians liking of the Russians. From the Left leaning Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
The U.S.A. could conceivably carve the country up into different regions by using the interstate highway system. Put fences up along the edges, control all interchanges and close or use checkpoints at overpasses on local roads.
False claims of tip-off. Claim that information leading to recent actions or arrests came from resistance member, thereby sowing suspicion and discord.
The usual steps governments will take. The five step solution.
Identify. Get lists of leaders, members, whoever.
Marginalize. Use propaganda to cast the identified as whack jobs or bad.
Demonize or label. Like 2, but say that they are really bad, dangerous, enemies.
Persecution. Send in the thugs to attack those MAGA types.
Elimination. Time for the Zyklon B, or maybe just a Tianamen square moment.
If and when armed resistance begins, government response:
Divide the adversary:
Win over crucial local groups.
Create a local party apparatus.
Field a local army.
Create a local government loyal to the ruling party.
Again, I stress that this is information found in Resistance to Tyranny by Joseph P. Martino, and is not my own. He has a lot of other interesting things to say as well.
"Totalitarianism, however, does not so much promise an age of faith as an age of schizophrenia. A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud. Such a society, no matter how long it persists, can never afford to become either tolerant or intellectually stable." ~ George Orwell
Stay Brave, Stay Free
After living through 4 years of essentially non-stop treason, most of us can relate to what has been referred to here. Scary stuff, when push comes to shove.
I read that book when it first came out. You have done an excellent job of explaining the points. Some of which escaped me at the time but not anymore. One thing I remember (and you brought this up in a general way) is the organization lenin set up to derail and destroy the counter revolution to the bolsheviks. I hadn't thought of that and didn't know that historical truth either at the time.