Ian Kummer

Remember that old Hans Christian Anderson story about emperor who walked through the streets naked, and everybody had to pretend he had clothes, out of fear of death? Good thing it’s just a silly story and didn’t become reality, right? Aside from fairy tales, when we imagine totalitarianism, we reflexively invoke alleged examples from other countries and cultures. We rarely even invoke Nazi Germany. We say “This is just like Stalinist Russia!” or “This is just like Maoist China!” In reality, we are in an echo-chamber of our own making, and our perception of other cultures is just a mirror image of our own.

A new survey by the Cato Institute included a question about the government installing surveillance cameras in citizens’ homes. The results are unsurprising, and match what many of us have been saying for a long time. Safety and security are at the top of most normal peoples’ hierarchy of needs. When they feel unsafe, they’re more willing to embrace totalitarianism.