Road to Serfdom Reflection
National Planning
With increased government power, individual freedom will get taken away. In times of war, many countries use national planning to stabilize the economy and help society. However, some people want the organized planning of many aspects of life to stay after times of war. This may seem like a good idea to some people because it helped during the actual time of war. However, it is risky to keep the same planned and organized systems in place after times of war because it takes away freedoms and liberty. It also gives the power to the government because they are the ones enforcing these plans. Once the power is given to the people in control of these systems, they will inevitably make promises they cannot keep. They want to please every citizen, but that is utterly impossible. They cannot agree on one plan to satisfy different needs. The citizens will also have different needs based on their occupation and economic status. It is almost impossible to satisfy everyone’s changing and different needs.
Public Acceptance
With the idea that it is difficult for everyone to see eye to eye on certain government plans, many people in power turn to public acceptance. Public acceptance is something that is hard to gain if the ideas you are selling are too extreme. Public acceptance also varies depending on how gullible your group of people trying to convince is. Some individuals are firm in their values and beliefs. This is why some lawmakers turn to propaganda. The use of propaganda can affect a group of people psychologically. It can change how they view certain ideals subconsciously. It also affects critical thinking skills. The use of propaganda is not a foreign subject in history. Many countries used propaganda to push certain agendas. In some cases, propaganda works. For example, in the United States, Rosie the Riveter was used to try to encourage women to enter the workforce and improve the economy. As a result, more women started working and women-based productivity improved significantly. Uncle Sam was also used in the United States to try and gain support for the US government, as well as encourage people to join the military. Throughout history, propaganda caused people to change their views about certain things and come to agreement with the agenda the government was pushing.
Things Go South
When the people in control make plans that don’t satisfy people, the people start to notice. Once the people notice that the plans in place aren’t ideal, the government will give the power to a single person who is deemed fit. Most likely the person is seen as strong and powerful. For example, Hitler was this person in times of Nazi Germany. They will create a political party to create unity. Like any political party, it is desired to have the majority. However, in some efforts to increase majority power, the political party will target a certain minority. This was seen in Germany will the push of antisemitism. The Nazi party had enough power to persuade its followers to turn against Jewish people. They targeted a minority and tried to eliminate them completely. Once a political party has too much power, even its own followers are scared to go against their norms. Going against the current leader would result in destruction for the person. At this point, individual freedom is gone, and life has completely changed. Almost all aspects of life are planned according to this controlling power. Jobs, wages, and ways of life are controlled by that power.
What To Do
All this destruction started with some kind of freedom being taken away by a central power. It is important to keep in mind the importance of liberty and individual freedom in times of lawmaking. The government should have limited power to ensure that the individual person has freedom and liberty. Even though some policies may have been a positive change in times of war, does not mean they should be in place even in times of peace. Another important aspect of this individual freedom destruction is the use of propaganda pushing an agenda that is detrimental to freedom. Certain propaganda has been used for good throughout history, such as Rosie the Riveter, and signs encouraging the importance of mental health. However, it is important to still think critically when faced with propaganda. Instead of agreeing blindly, one should read between the lines and think about what the propaganda is really saying. Overall, the government should have limited power, and the citizen should think critically and not necessarily fall victim to propaganda.
