Ideology throughout the ages has been used to manipulate and control whole societies. The proof for this is written throughout history. Historically,dictatorships, {and even democratically- elected governments}, have been able to subjugate their citizens virtually at will. How have they been able to do this? The way they have achieved this was and is through the power of the word.
The manipulation of words by governemnts and even the mass media for their own ends became a skilled ‘practice’. Yes even the press, throughout the years, have fallen foul to ‘the body politics’, so-to-speak. of dictatorships – and the manipulation of the word.. And in fact the media themselves,became both the ‘official’ and ‘unoffical’ spokespeople of fuling governments.
The Ideology of The Three ‘Isms’
The ideology of the three ‘isms: Racism, Fascism and Communism was taken on board by the populations of the day who lived through those times. Indeed, in the America of the Deep South, Racism and Apartheid was ingrained into the very fabric of society to such an extent that it became almost invisible – unless of course someone was brave enough to point it out. In every single part of American society, and South African Society, black people, where treated lower than 3rd class citizens in their own land.
American – and South African Society – was bult on such an ideology. Indeed having white skin {except if one happened to be Jewish} was superior in every way, to the detriment of every other race of people. In both the United States and South Africa. Millions died for the basic freedoms that other people seemed to take for granted.
Black and white marched together in America and South Africa in a show of unity – in spite of the threats, the lynchings, the rapes church bombings and cross burnings. People fought and died to overcome the ideology of Racism, and fought for a society in which freedom and fairness would reign for all American citizens throughout the land.
Fascism was an ideology that the whole world fought against in order to save their own lives and lands. The ideology of Adolf Hitler and his ‘National Socialists nearly brought the world to its knees. Countless millions died in the fight for freedom, as country after country fell to the Nazi onslaught.
The shame of such times was that the ideology of the Nazis was taken on board by certain countries- and people, who embraced National Socialism and Fascism – not least in the American Deep South even though they refused to see themselves as Facists. The irony of this could not be ignored, while White America called up black American men to serve in her military, that same military was divided along the lines of colour.
America wanted black people to fight against Fascism – and also fight for freedom and democracy…but whose ‘democracy’? Those same black Americans who where fighting for the democracy of all peoples where being denied that same freedom and right in their own land.
The hypocrisy of this could not be overlooked. [Which was why Cassius Clay refused to fight in Vietnam], stating that until he and all black people had freedom in America, then why should he fight against a people who had done him no harm? Yet Clay was called a ‘traitor to the cause’, and an ‘enemy of democracy’, by the national press at that time, and was subsequently imprisoned for refusing to fight.
When Hitler took power unemployment in Germany fell to an all time low – as Hitler had promised German Jobs for German People. Record numbers of Germans where housed, and there was food aplenty. It seemed that Germany could not go wrong with Fascism, as, after all, it was the German people that where being cared for and looked after. The propaganda machine was working overtime to make the German People believe that all was well within the country, and that also they could win the war against the Allies.
Yes, one had to work hard if one was a German, but the rewards were great. Who cared if a few Jews had lost their jobs in place of a German? After all, was it not the Jews that were taking all of the jobs and houses in the first place? That was the ideology of Fascism, and people fell for it, and embraced it wholeheartedly. Scapegoats had to be found for the chronic shortage of employment and housing in Germany.
Facism solved this problem by putting the blame for her ills on the Jews. By getting rid of the ‘Jewish Problem’ employment would be created, and also there would be enough homes for Germans to move into…again, all propeganda. Yet, soon after, little did we know that the whole world would be consumed by death and destruction caused by Fascism itself. The situation of the Jews in Europe, and Black Americans in the States as people under persecution ran parallel with each other.
Indeed,one could not fail to see the similarities that the two races where going through. Yet this was conveniently ignored by the ‘Status Quo’ when it came to calling up black people for the war effort. This was just one example of how black Americans where manipulated into fighting for a so-called ‘democracy’ that did not and chose not to recognize their right to even exist as human beings.
Communism
The ideology of Communism {in which all goods and land would be owned, socially} was taken on board and ingrained into society by a number of countries. Communism does away with private ownership, believing such ownerships to be evil in nature. To be a Communist would mean that the whole world belongs to you, and to everyone else – shared ownership, so-to-speak. In fact Communism, was a direct threat to Capitalism – in that Capitalism actively promoted the idea of private ownership.
It was the Industrial Revolution {18th Century} that brought about the existence of Communism. The Industrial Revolution, in Capitalist Societies, brought terrible working conditions in factories. Also, the wages for working in such conditions where chronically low, and the hours where terrible.
This brought about mass protests from the people in which the modern form of Communism came about. Indeed, the basic {and simplistic ideology of Communism} is that eventually, there will be a ‘Class War’. This Class War, will come when the people finally tire of those in private ownership taking all and leaving nothing in return,
Of course, this is why those who run societies based on the ideology of Capitalism are so against those countries who are Communist. Those who live in Capitalist Societies believe that everyone should have the chance of private ownership. In theory this sounds right, but theory is very seldom played out in practice. Indeed, the gap between those that have, and those that don’t have, in Capitalist Societies, has grown to such an extent that homelessness is at a record high. and the rich and poor divide has grown into a chasm. For Capitalist Countries, the enemy is Communism, and many wars have taken place between the two, with millions dying for their own cause.
Of course, those who where in power within Communist States {not unlike within the so-called ‘Democratic Societies’.} said one thing and meant another. Many of their own people starved to death, while those in power who believed in Communism, ruled their people with an iron fist. Millions where slaughtered in the name of Communism, and their bodies where buried in makeshift graves – or just left to rot.
Communism – along with Capitalism – was an ideology that people lived through, and died because of it. The ideology of Communism to control the masses worked to such a degree,that basic human rights where ignored. People became like automatons, instead of acting like human beings,and they where controlled by the Status Quo, too scared to even have individual thought.
Communism, although a good idea in principle, had become the demon that it always threatened to become, slaughtering those who dared to speak up about their conditions, and destroying all those who showed some form of individuality – some form of ‘free thought’.. Yet those in power lived the life of luxury.
To sum up: Racism, Fascism and Communism – all man-made ideologies- have all failed miserably. Why is this? This is because with such systems {and they are systems and ideals}, there are always others who become ‘victims’ of such regimes. Those people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves having to stay silent, for fear of reprisals.
In every single case of Fascism, Racism and Communism, people have fought for the basic human right to be themselves, and the results have been horrific. Mass Graves caused by all three ideologies, have been found over the years, as Man’s inhumanity to Man knew no bounds.
The Pogroms in the Deep South of America – and South Africa – caused by the ideology of Racism, the pogroms in Germany – caused by Fascism, and the Pogroms of the Communist States, went on unabated for many years. This is how the ideology of all three shaped the history of every country that they touched. May these ideologies be a lesson to us all. May we all be aware of the traps and dangers we could fall into when political ideology, encouraged by those who should know better, are espoused.
