Thursday, January 15, 2009

Tyranny Flourishes In An Uneduated Environment- a claim on Animal Farm


Tyranny, dictatorship, and anarchy have long plagued civilization. Many times, this happens because the people of a vulnerable civilization are looking for a leader, someone to promise them safety and peace. Willingly throwing trust, support, and power toward a single leader, the people of a civilization put themselves at risk. Their judgment clouded by fear, they willingly give up themselves and their freedoms to this leader. The leader is then rapidly consumed by the new level of power obtained, taking advantage of the people and the freedoms they surrendered, and without realizing it, a tyrant is born into this unstable and uneducated environment.

This is not a rare happening in the world of today. People are constantly tricked into throwing their support to someone who later uses it against them. Without the knowledge of the dangers of unchecked power, people give up their freedoms to a person who later becomes a dictator. While it is commonplace to think that this situation is only viable for third-world countries because they lack formal education and are in constant poverty, this is not always the case. One of the most devastating dictators, Adolf Hitler, came to power in (the non-third-world) Germany. Expressing the want to protect his country and build it strong, the people willingly threw all their support to him, without questioning what could come of his new and unruly power. Hitler was quickly consumed by his new power, and turned it against his own country. He rose from a hopeful leader, to a crushing dictator, ruling his country through fear and brainwashing. This similar situation has been seen in many different countries, spanning the entire globe; Saddam Hussein- Iraq, Adolf Hitler- Germany, Fidel Castro- Cuba, Mao Zedong- China, Kim Jong-il-North Korea, Napoleon Bonaparte- France, Benito Mussolini- Italy, the list goes on. Because of the lack of knowledge among the people, these leaders were able to rise to the level of dictator. Once they reached ‘dictator status’ they were able to suppress their people, taking away many of their civil rights, and brainwashing younger generations so as to snuff all rebellion. Proper education is throw aside in these situations and replaced with education that supports the doings of the dictator, rather than show that what they are doing is morally, and legally, wrong. Without knowledge, the dictatorship can grow to be more powerful, and therefore, more dangerous.

George Orwell grew up surrounded by this type of hostile environment, and his feelings toward tyranny are clearly shown in his novel, Animal Farm. The animals, fearing and loathing Jones, their master, plan a rebellion under the instructions of Major, the most revered pig on the farm. Once their rebellion is complete, they feel vulnerable without a leader. They worry about their livelihood and they fear the return of Jones. Then, in the midst of all this fear, comes a leader. Napoleon, flanked by the other pigs, promise survival and protection, and feeling safe in his words, the animals follow him. Napoleon quickly rises to a dictatorship, ruling Animal Farm through fear, changing of the past, and revoking of individual rights. He brainwashes younger generations into idolizing him, and convinces older animals that their memories of the past are faulty. Through these tactics, Napoleon was able to raise a tyranny of pigs, with himself as the ring leader. Through suppression of education, free will, and knowledge, tyranny was able to flourish on Animal Farm.

Education is clearly our one defense against the dangers of tyranny. Education spreads knowledge of the benefits and dangers of our decisions, and without it, whole countries can fall victim to power hungry leaders. Let the past be a reminder to us in the future- Tyranny flourishes in an uneducated environment, do not let those in power go unchecked.