The Power of the Powerless

1. The post-totalitarian system: A society built on living within a lie

The post-totalitarian system touches people at every step, but it does so with its ideological gloves on.

Pervasive control. The post-totalitarian system extends its influence into every aspect of citizens' lives, creating a society where maintaining appearances becomes more important than reality. This system is characterized by:

• A dense network of regulations and control mechanisms
• The use of ideology to justify and mask the true nature of power
• A facade of legality and democratic processes

Collective compliance. The system's survival depends on the widespread acceptance of its lies and rituals, even if individuals don't genuinely believe in them. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle where:

• Citizens participate in ideological rituals to avoid trouble
• Their participation reinforces the system's legitimacy
• The line between oppressor and oppressed becomes blurred

2. The power of living within the truth: Challenging the system's foundations

Living within the truth is an attempt to regain control over one's own sense of responsibility.

Existential rebellion. Living within the truth is not just a political act, but a fundamental assertion of one's humanity and dignity. It involves:

• Refusing to participate in the rituals and lies of the system
• Actively seeking and expressing authentic thoughts and values
• Taking responsibility for one's actions and their consequences

Systemic threat. When individuals choose to live within the truth, they expose the fraudulent nature of the post-totalitarian system. This poses a significant challenge because:

• It reveals the gap between the system's ideological claims and reality
• It encourages others to question their own compliance
• It creates spaces of freedom that the system cannot fully control

3. The greengrocer's dilemma: Individual complicity in maintaining the system

Individuals need not believe all these mystifications, but they must behave as though they did, or they must at least tolerate them in silence, or get along well with those who work with them.

Silent participation. The greengrocer's act of displaying a propaganda slogan illustrates how ordinary citizens become complicit in perpetuating the system. This complicity is characterized by:

• Outward conformity to avoid trouble
• Tacit acceptance of the system's rules and rituals
• The creation of a social atmosphere that pressures others to conform

Personal cost. The decision to resist, even in small ways, comes with significant risks:

• Loss of job or social status
• Harassment by authorities
• Alienation from conformist peers

4. Ideology as a bridge between the system and individuals

Ideology is a specious way of relating to the world. It offers human beings the illusion of an identity, of dignity, and of morality while making it easier for them to part with them.

Justification mechanism. Ideology serves as a crucial tool for the post-totalitarian system by:

• Providing a framework for explaining and justifying the system's actions
• Offering individuals a sense of meaning and purpose within the system
• Creating a shared language that binds society together

Disconnection from reality. As ideology becomes more entrenched, it increasingly diverges from actual human needs and experiences:

• The system prioritizes ideological consistency over practical solutions
• Individual thought and creativity are suppressed in favor of dogma
• Social and economic problems are masked by ideological explanations

5. The role of dissent: Serving truth and defending human dignity

The singular, explosive, incalculable political power of living within the truth resides in the fact that living openly within the truth has an ally, invisible to be sure, but omnipresent: this hidden sphere.

Moral imperative. Dissent in a post-totalitarian system is not primarily about seizing power, but about:

• Asserting fundamental human rights and dignity
• Exposing the system's lies and contradictions
• Creating spaces for authentic human expression and community

Ripple effect. While individual acts of dissent may seem insignificant, they can have far-reaching consequences:

• Inspiring others to question the system
• Gradually eroding the legitimacy of official structures
• Cultivating a parallel culture of truth and authenticity

6. Parallel structures: Building an independent life within society

When those who have decided to live within the truth have been denied any direct influence on the existing social structures, not to mention the opportunity to participate in them, and when these people begin to create what I have called the independent life of society, this independent life begins, of itself, to become structured in a certain way.

Alternative communities. Parallel structures emerge as spaces where individuals can live more authentically:

• Independent cultural and intellectual activities
• Unofficial educational initiatives
• Self-organized social and economic networks

Gradual transformation. These structures have the potential to:

• Provide models for a more humane society
• Slowly influence and transform official institutions
• Create pressure for systemic change from within society

7. The limitations and potential of legal appeals in a post-totalitarian system

Demanding that the laws be upheld is thus an act of living within the truth that threatens the whole mendacious structure at its point of maximum mendacity.

Strategic leverage. While the legal system in a post-totalitarian state is often a facade, appealing to it can be effective because:

• It forces the system to confront its own contradictions
• It exposes the gap between official rhetoric and actual practice
• It can create space for legitimate criticism and dissent

Inherent limitations. However, legal appeals are not sufficient on their own:

• The system can always change or ignore its own laws
• True change requires deeper societal and cultural transformation
• The focus on legality can sometimes divert attention from more fundamental issues

8. The dissident movement: Its nature, goals, and impact on society

'Dissent' springs from motivations far different from the desire for titles or fame. In short, they do not decide to become 'dissidents', and even if they were to devote twenty-four hours a day to it, it would still not be a profession, but primarily an existential attitude.

Organic emergence. Dissidents are not a self-selected elite, but individuals who:

• Feel compelled by conscience to speak out against injustice
• Often become dissidents through gradual steps rather than a single decision
• Represent a broader undercurrent of societal discontent

Societal impact. The dissident movement influences society by:

• Articulating suppressed truths and values
• Creating pressure for reform within official structures
• Offering moral leadership and alternative visions for society

9. The crisis of human identity in the face of totalitarian power

The essential aims of life are present naturally in every person. In everyone there is some longing for humanity's rightful dignity, for moral integrity, for free expression of being and a sense of transcendence over the world of existences.

Existential struggle. The post-totalitarian system creates a profound crisis of identity by:

• Suppressing individual autonomy and creativity
• Forcing people to live in contradiction with their authentic selves
• Creating a pervasive sense of moral compromise and guilt

Reclaiming humanity. Overcoming this crisis involves:

• Reconnecting with fundamental human values and aspirations
• Cultivating personal integrity and responsibility
• Seeking authentic relationships and community

10. The path forward: Embracing responsibility and authenticity

I think that today, this 'provisional', 'minimal' and 'negative' programme – the 'simple' defence of people – is in a particular sense (and not merely in the circumstances in which we live) an optimal and most positive programme because it forces politics to return to its only proper starting point, proper that is, if all the old mistakes are to be avoided: individual people.

Personal transformation. The most effective response to the post-totalitarian system starts with individual choices:

• Committing to live in truth, even in small ways
• Taking responsibility for one's actions and their consequences
• Cultivating authentic relationships and communities

Societal renewal. This individual-focused approach can lead to broader change by:

• Gradually eroding the system's power through non-compliance
• Creating spaces for authentic cultural and social life
• Building a foundation for a more humane political order

Last updated: July 24, 2024