The argument that the liberal democratic West, while avoiding the crude brutality of 20th-century fascist/communist totalitarianism, has developed a more subtle, consumerist and bureaucratic form of total control. It pacifies populations with material comfort, entertainment, and the illusion of choice, while corporate and state power merge to create a managed society where radical change is rendered unthinkable. Dissent is absorbed as a market niche or therapized away.
*Example: "Western totalitarianism is watching a revolutionary punk anthem from the '80s used in a car commercial. It's political activism that starts with changing your profile picture and ends with buying a branded t-shirt. It's a society where the most rebellious thing you can imagine is choosing a different brand of smartphone, and even that choice is funneled through two monopolistic corporations. The cage is gilded, open, and you're busy customizing it."*
by AbzuInExile February 1, 2026
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