[Image Source] (https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/road-serfdom-15-quotes/)
This post is in response to a question posed by @apfeff (https://peakd.com/gradnium/@apfeff/week-05-questions-central-planning-and-totalitarianism).
“The Road to Serfdom published in the Reader's Digest says, "In a country where the sole employer is the state, opposition means death by slow starvation." While the starvation can be literal, what is the figurative meaning referring to?”
With all control of societal function resting on the shoulders of a totalitarian government, citizens have no say in how their lives are spent. In these situations, government officials control everything from the careers of their constituents to the media that is broadcasted throughout the country. This leaves little room for the consideration of how their actions affect individuals. As resources continue to be reallocated in favor of government ideologies, citizens get left behind and have to find new ways to survive the oppression coming down on them like rain during a hurricane. Materialistic starvation comes from lack of sufficient access to food, medical equipment, and any other resources necessary to maintain a stable standard of living. But what is more concerning is the starvation going on behind the scenes: the blatant disregard for human rights. By depriving people of the fundamental right to communicate with the outside world, the government is cutting off their supply of social stimulation and starving them of a vital foundation for future social interactions. Without the ability to understand the innerworkings of the world around them, people typically feel stuck in their current situation, unable to relate to those around them. This is the true end goal of totalitarianism. No government with this much power over its citizens wants to illude to a better quality of life in the outside world or allow people to have support systems around the world that could liberate them from their current predicament. It is a carefully thought-out system that effectively keeps people exactly where they want them. Another form of “starvation” within totalitarianism is the rejection of differing opinions, or freedom to choose one’s own destiny. Blocking the creative flow of each individual starves their brains of proper stimulation and impedes its ability to properly grow and develop. The innovation that would come from someone who was able to choose their own path gets nipped in the bud and is not welcomed in this harsh environment. Instead, citizens have to live with the decisions their government made for them and slowly starve to death.
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I thought your answer was thoughtful and considered. People are social and inquisitive by nature and to deprive them of the ability to commune with the outside world, develop relationships across cultural and national boundaries, and pursue opportunities to progress, is to deprive them of the right to learn, the right to grow, and the right to embody all that makes us human. Totalitarianism truly is a stifling state of affairs.