Repetition is a form of power, and a lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth. This is the "Goebbels effect" followed by the totalitarian Nazi party, turning hollow and boring slogans into what you believe to be the truth.
"The language of the Nazi party is a language of faith, with a religious form but empty inside. They are accustomed to maintaining uniformity through a series of simple and crude slogans, which have no substantive content. They only reinforce the ideological control through countless repetitions, turning lies into truth. The hollow slogans of Nazism are filled with unquestionable brutality, and any opposing voices will be drowned out by the uniformity of the dictatorial rule of the leader."
Karl Kraus, a Jewish observer, recorded his observations in the terrifying living environment - "The Language of the Third Reich," presenting the absurdity and cruelty of language control under Nazi dictatorship.
"Words are like small doses of arsenic, which take effect after a certain time." Repetition is a form of power, and a lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth. Just like the story of "Zeng Can Killing People" in "Strategies of the Warring States," three identical rumors shook the mother's trust in her virtuous and righteous son.
Joseph Goebbels, a staunch Nazi and the "creator of Hitler," keenly captured the phenomenon of "Zeng Can Killing People." He gave the slogans fabricated by the Nazis the appearance of truth and spread them widely. The "stupid" people, like Zeng Can's mother, believed them to be true and devoted themselves to the leader, even sacrificing their lives, because they were constantly praised for their "supreme sacrifice for the cause of national socialism."
Goebbels knew the importance of aligning the consciousness of the people with Nazi ideology, so he was determined to make Germany only hear one voice. In order to completely cleanse "heretical ideas" from the minds of the German people, Goebbels launched a nationwide "book burning" campaign. Books that were considered to have a destructive effect on their future were set on fire and completely destroyed. He incited students' enthusiasm for book burning: "The soul of the German people can once again be revealed. Under this fire, not only an old era has ended, but this fire also illuminates the new era."
This Nazi propaganda minister shamelessly believed that "propaganda has only one goal: to conquer the masses. All means that serve this goal are good." "The majority of the people are much more ignorant than we imagine, so the essence of propaganda is to insist on simplicity and repetition." "The basic principle of propaganda is to repeatedly spread effective arguments, and lies must be spread repeatedly and dressed up to be believed." "Propaganda is like falling in love, it can make any empty promise." "The task of newspapers is to convey the will of the rulers to the ruled, making them see hell as heaven."
Therefore, Goebbels and his propaganda department firmly controlled the tools of public opinion, distorting right and wrong, confusing the truth, and fooling the people. In September 1933, the German Cultural Association was established. Members of the association had to be enthusiastic about the Nazi cause and engage in activities according to the guidelines, policies, and routes set by the state. The publication or performance of works had to undergo Nazi propaganda review and approval. Editors had to be politically aligned with the Nazi party and racially pure Aryans. Strict censorship was applied to determine what news could be published. Through the centralized control of the entire cultural activity by the German Cultural Association, a cultural team loyal to the Nazi regime could be "purified." This team had to serve as the main force of Nazi propaganda and the vanguard of organized deception. In this way, the entire German public opinion was completely immersed in the frenzy of fascist cultural ideology.
Goebbels dressed absurd slogans and lies in the cloak of truth, tirelessly repeating and indoctrinating the people.
Similarly, Japanese militarism also had a fondness for the "Goebbels effect." In 1936, the News Alliance Society was established in Japan to monopolize domestic news and control public opinion. In 1937, the Japanese government ordered media companies to avoid all anti-war and anti-militarism themes, and not depict Japan as an aggressive country. After the "July 7 Incident," the Japanese government strengthened its control over the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, implementing a "one household, one radio" policy. No Japanese could escape the influence of radio broadcasters, who became "parrots" reading official announcements word for word. TV dramas and entertainment programs broadcast nationwide were filled with preaching. In 1939, the Film Law was enacted, banning light and trivial erotic films and films that focused on complex social issues. Films produced by production companies were required to "elevate national consciousness, establish public morality, and promote understanding of domestic and foreign policies."
Nazi culture under totalitarian rule was an all-encompassing phenomenon that attempted to influence all aspects of society.
As Czech politician Vaclav Havel said, totalitarianism controls an unbeatable, precise, logically structured, easily understandable, and extremely flexible ideology. It is almost a secular religion that can provide ready-made answers to any question. "It is almost impossible to partially accept it. For human life, accepting it has profound implications." This ideological propaganda has brought astonishing changes in the expression and use of everyday language. Even those who originally had a dislike for Nazism, those who were well-educated, had self-control and rationality, would unknowingly be influenced by it.
Karl Kraus wrote in his book, "The language of the Third Reich is completely targeted at individuals, stifling the essence of individuals, numbing their personal dignity, and turning them into one of a group of thoughtless, will-less animals, driven to move in a predetermined direction, becoming an atom of a rolling giant stone. The language of the Third Reich is the language of collective fanaticism. When it turns to individuals, it is not only aimed at their will but also their thinking. When it teaches people, it imparts the ways of fanaticism and incites the masses."
The most magical aspect of language control is that it destroys people's minds and bodies, but we don't feel any difference or pain. Instead, we fall into a trap similar to ideological control. The terrifying aspect of this form of control is that it invisibly makes us lose our conscience and rationality.
Chomsky said in "Necessary Illusions," "Manipulation of thought control usually follows wars or other crises." He pointed out that those in power create necessary illusions, and it is difficult to imagine who can successfully escape the influence of this indoctrination mechanism.
Power corrupts society, and those in power are the first to be affected. In the face of historical currents, the passionate faction in power provides an ideological boost that allows them to have a comprehensive view and arouse fighting spirit. They unconditionally include everyone in collective actions carried out in the name of the nation and the people, believing in the existence of a grand narrative with the nation and the people as the main subjects of history.
Goebbels said, "Without the fatherland, you are nothing."
But Montesquieu said, "Without justice, the fatherland is a prison."