Book: Literature and totalitarianism

... If between Russia and Germany will begin the war, and it is very likely in the next few years.

The peculiarity of the totalitarian state is that, controlling idea, it does not fix it on one thing. There are dogmas that are not subject to discussion, but variable from day to day. Dogma need, because you need absolute obedience of his subjects, however, it is impossible to do without adjustments dictated by requirements policies of those in power. Declaring himself infallible, the totalitarian state, however, rejects the notion of objective truth.

Totalitarianism encroached on freedom of thought as never before could have imagined. It is important to realize that its control of thought intended not only prohibitive, but also constructive. Not just forbidden to Express - even prevent - certain thoughts, but it dictates that it must think; it creates the ideology that needs to be adopted by a person strive to control her emotions and to impose her way of behavior. It is isolated as much as possible from the outside world to lock in an artificial environment, preventing comparisons. A totalitarian state always tries to control the thoughts and feelings of his subjects at least as effective as in control of their actions.

Socialism is usually imagined as a kind of liberal system, high spiritual morality. The state will take over the care of your economic prosperity, freed from the fear of poverty, unemployment, etc., but he will have no need to interfere with your private intellectual life. Art will flourish just as in the era of liberal capitalism, and even clearer, since the artist no longer will be experiencing economic coercion.
Experience forces us to admit that these ideas went out the window.

The worst thing you can say about a work of art - it is phony.