Hannah Arendt made the comments that follow in 1974 during an interview with the French writer Roger Errera.
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
begins in contempt for what you have. The second step is the notion:
“Things must change—no matter how, Anything is better than what we
have.” Totalitarian rulers organize this kind of mass sentiment, and by
organizing it articulate it, and by articulating it make the people
somehow love it. They were told before, thou shalt not kill; and they
didn’t kill. Now they are told, thou shalt kill; and although they think
it’s very difficult to kill, they do it because it’s now part of the
code of behavior. They learn whom to kill and how to kill and how to do
it together. This is the much talked about Gleichschaltung—the
coordination process. You are coordinated not with the powers that be,
but with your neighbor—coordinated with the majority. But instead of
communicating with the other you are now glued to him. And you feel of
course marvelous. Totalitarianism appeals to the very dangerous
emotional needs of people who live in complete isolation and in fear of
one another...link
