At one point, the reading mentions the possibility that the people of the Third Reich and Stalinist Russia are under a state of hypnosis. The author seems critical of this notion, and remains steadfast that the people willingly believe in the cult of personality of their leader, even if deep down, they are rational enough to doubt this kind of perfection.
What do you believe? Is it possible that the cult of personality can 'hypnotize' the masses into a state of total submission? Or do the people willingly do this to themselves? What about the reading convinces you to reach your conclusion?
I think the great submission towards particular leaders, particularly Stalin and Hitler, that one sees is a mix of self perpetuated delusion and hypnotic-like moves made by the government. The government will put out false information about how great they are and allow others to believe it and therefor causing people to love them dearly. Though the kind of information and other sorts of influences is what really creates such a powerful love for their leader. I think it's easier to believe that these people were hypnotized, particularly with Hitler, because one would often like to assume that most people are born with a moral compass that points due north and they're simply being tricked, but I still think that, after the reading and seeing those who did not succumb to the social/political pressure, that a part of it is people wanting to believe their government because that too is easier and they submit to the "delusions" or false claims of grandeur a bit more willingly and easily than is morally excusable.
ReplyDeleteI think that, at first, the people have controll over their submission to these cults. But once they are a part of it, the immense amount of propaganda and daily influences of the cult ultimately leads to a gradual progression of the compliance to it. The reading talks about how cults used religion, pop culture, holidays, media etc etc etc to advocate the ideas of the cult. HItler Day or songs saying "Glory to Stalin will be eternal" are just a few of the examples that the reading gives. Of course if you are on the outside looking into the cult, you will probably not be "hypnotized", but with the increase of people being reeled in and the constant reminders of the cult in daily life it is hard to resist. Even AFTER Hitler had died in April of 1945, 48% of young German believed that only a new Fuhrer was the answer to German revival. This near majority supports the fact that (even after the driving force of the cult is dead) people can become so inclined to participate in the cult of personality that they end of becoming finding themselves in a state of complete submission.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is mostly certainly a kind of hypnotic spell that these people are under. I think that it was easier for Hitler and Stalin to take them over because they were vulnerable. in both countries, the masses were feeling the effects of the first world war and those affects were putting a huge burden on the masses. I think that the effects were felt more in Germany because they were subject to the most "heat". This "heat" put to much of a strain on the masses and Hitler promised and delivered to take that strain off. Russia has just lost lenin and was scrambling to find a replacement. with these struggling countries, if one man comes along with a secret "snake oil cure" that would cure the country of its plague most people would buy into it depending on hoe desperate they were and the masses of these two countries were in desperate need of that cure.
ReplyDeleteI believe that an entire people can be hypnotised into believing certain things. When the government starts to say things, and everyone around you seems to believe it, you will start to see things differently as well. You become somewhat like a sheep, just following the crowd blindly. This is the danger of such powerful governemnt, as they do have such an influence on the way they want you to live your lives.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for me to imagine that the masses of Hitler and Stalin willingly succumbed the the indoctrination forced upon them. Because there was so little rebellion (I am assuming there were some cases, since disagreement was a crime in Stalinist Russia - people were killed for it)it can me inferred that the cult of personality legitimately hypnotized the masses into a state of total submission. It seems that such obsequious flattering would have been impossible for the people to exhibit without being in a brainwashed, hypnotic state. The article's information on the religious affiliation of Hitler and Stalin further convinces me of this; "Hitler was described either as a god himself, or a gift from god", and some Stalinist enthusiasts "suggested changing the calender to that it would be dated from Stalin's birth, not that of Christ."
ReplyDeleteWhile I wouldn't go so far as to say that an entire group of people can be "hypnotized," but Stalin, the great propagandizer, used an incredibly controlling combination of propaganda and fear tactics. People under great stress or fear of being killed by a man would likely be enough for the people to submit, because as they have seen, people speaking out against Stalin will be silenced at the first utterance of anti-Stalinist ideals. Fear can be a great motivator for people to act any way the controller wants.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it was 'hypnotizing' people, they definitely came willingly, but still these people were reeling for a war that killed over 16 million people and a global financial crisis. As we've gone over, they were looking for a hero. In the U.S. we were lucky and had FDR, but in some cases, like Russia and Germany, people weren't as lucky. I think that the propaganda was so prevalent and the secret police so terrifying that people did their best to believe that these leaders were doing ht best for them. Everyone was so enamored with these people that they overlooked their faults and only focused on the good they were doing in their countries even if it was insignificant compared to the sufferings.
ReplyDeleteI find that there is obviously a relationship that the hitler and stalin have towards their followers. They would constantly subject them to false information to make them look better and be better leaders. And the citizens would believe them and before they knew it, they were falling into the hypnosis that he is the best leader that has ever lived. But I also liked what Jack wrote about stalin. How he got his way by subjecting them to fear. He made everyone so afraid of death that the chances of them revolting were incredibly unlikely. Though this method is very brutal, it is also a great way to get people to do what you tell them to do.
ReplyDeleteI think it's more likely that people willingly believe something that makes them feel better rather than they're under some sort of magical spell. Dictators provide a solution to problems that are too big for the masses to comprehend. Stalin made a Russian superpower seem possible, and people indulged in this folly. It's like being told by LeBron James if you do everything he does, you'll reach the same level of greatness he's at. He may seem legitimate because he's the best basketball player in the world so you're confident you can trust him, yet he really can only do so much.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the reading and my personal experience, there is no doubt that the cult of personality could put people into hypnosis easily. When the cult of personality become thrive and fanatical it means much more than the cult, cult is just the aftermath of the ongoing propaganda, education and elimination of anti-revolitioneers. While everything involved in your life are pointed at one direction and sub service toward the goverment and the leader ever your parents, friends and teacher, it's hard to be a bold, bizarre and absurd to sing a different tune.
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