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It’s not Individualism vs Collectivism—It’s Democracy vs Totalitarianism
People who see society as a contest between the individual and the collective miss the fact that we exist in families and tribes. We are collective creatures who value individuality. The societies that they call collectivist—Hitler’s Germany, Franco’s Spain, Mao’s China, Stalin’s Russia—were strong-man states where a few individuals had the power to control the people.
Totalitarianism cuts across the traditional political divide, from fascist capitalism to authoritarian communism. Totalitarian governments share basic traits, regardless of their political orientation: they suppress democracy, the free press, and anything they consider deviance. Their goal is not collectivism or patriotism but conformity.
Orwell’s 1984 speaks to people on the left and right who value liberty because it’s not about communism or capitalism—it’s about totalitarianism. Stalin may have inspired Orwell, but Orwell’s insights apply to every politician whose power comes from keeping us ignorant.
“Every line of serious work I have written since 1936 has been, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.” —George Orwell
Earlier: Identitarians versus Universalists, Collectivists versus Individualists
