The term "velvet totalitarianism," which I attribute to Professor Nikolaos Loudovikos, refers to a form of totalitarianism characterized by the absence of violence and the application of gentle methods of control and manipulation of society. While traditional totalitarianism relies on violence, repression, and intimidation to control and subjugate citizens, velvet totalitarianism uses more insidious and less obvious methods.
These methods include:
Propaganda and Information Control: Using mass media and other sources of information to disseminate specific narratives and conceal unwanted information.
Social Engineering: Shaping social perception and values through education and culture.
Political Correctness: Imposing rules on what is socially acceptable to say or believe, thus limiting freedom of speech and thought.
Social and Economic Pressure: Using economic tools and social frameworks to enforce conformity, such as exclusion from the job market or social opportunities for those who do not comply.
Surveillance and Control: Using technology to monitor and control the behavior of citizens.
Velvet totalitarianism may appear more benign and less threatening compared to traditional forms of totalitarianism, but it can be just as effective in controlling and oppressing society.
Propaganda and Information Control
Propaganda involves disseminating information to shape public opinion in favor of specific policies or ideologies. Information control includes concealing or distorting facts and data.
Mass media can be controlled or influenced by the government or powerful economic interests, promoting specific narratives. Filtering information in news and reports selectively presents events and conceals information contrary to the desired image. Disseminating government or non-government messages and policies through state and non-state channels and platforms is also a common tactic.
Social Engineering
Social engineering involves shaping and controlling social values and behaviors through education and culture. This is achieved through educational programs that integrate specific ideologies and values into educational systems.
Using art, literature, cinema, and other cultural forms to spread desired messages is also a widespread method of social engineering.
Promoting specific values through advertisements, television shows, and other media extensively shapes behavioral norms.
Political Correctness
Political correctness involves imposing specific rules on what is socially acceptable to say or believe, aiming to avoid offense or discrimination. This is achieved by regulating language use (linguistic regulation) to avoid words and phrases considered offensive and through social shaming to create an environment where divergent views and behaviors are socially punished.
Cancel Culture
Cancel culture is a social phenomenon where individuals or groups attempt to remove someone's platform, influence, or employment due to their views, actions, or public statements. Cancel culture arises from a desire for social justice and awareness of issues like racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and sexual harassment, but it has evolved into a polarizing issue with supporters and critics.
Using social media to spread negative comments and expose individuals responsible for inappropriate or offensive behavior. Creating hashtags and campaigns on social networks to promote canceling a person or company. Contacting employers and sponsors to inform them about a person's actions or statements, aiming for dismissal or termination of partnerships. Public calls for boycotts of products or services associated with the canceled person or organization. Removing access from social media platforms, websites, and other communication means. Deleting content or closing accounts that violate platform rules. Participating in public discussions and meetings to promote positions in favor of canceling. Expressing negative opinions and arguments in mass media.
Examples of cancellation include Kevin Spacey, who was canceled by society and lost many roles and professional opportunities after allegations of sexual harassment. Another example is J.K. Rowling, who faced intense criticism and cancellation due to her views on transgender rights.
Social and Economic Pressure
Using social and economic tools to enforce conformity, such as exclusion from the job market or other opportunities for those who do not comply, includes excluding individuals from specific professions or jobs based on their political or social views (professional exclusion). It also involves creating closed social networks where conformity with dominant values and rules is necessary for inclusion and acceptance (social exclusion) and applying economic sanctions or restrictions to enforce compliance, such as denial of loans or funding.
Surveillance and Control
Using technology to monitor and control the behavior of citizens includes electronic surveillance using security cameras, facial recognition systems, and other technologies to monitor citizens' daily lives. Internet monitoring, applying surveillance technologies online, such as monitoring social network activity and collecting data from personal communications, and social credit systems, evaluating citizens based on their behavior and social interactions, like China's social credit system, affecting access to services and opportunities.
Conclusions
Velvet totalitarianism involves a range of methods that allow for the control and oppression of society in indirect and insidious ways. While these methods are not always visible or violent, they can be just as effective in shaping social behavior and political thought.