Politics has existed since the dawn of civilization, but so has power. As politics become more and more polarized, it is evident how propaganda is instilled upon the people. This isevermore evident throughout the real world as more and more divisions arise in politics. Propaganda and control, are subjects that people seem to think are relevant in the times of Hitler and Mao, but Moore proposes the idea that these subjects are as, if not more, relevant now than ever. Historically propaganda has been used to control the masses and oppress the people, this is evident within Moore’s fictional government Norsefire. What propaganda and control tactics capitalize on is misinformation, manipulation, and inequality, while preying on the vulnerable population.
To back the narrative of the government, it is befitting that Norsefire uses propaganda and control tactics. The use of propaganda is to perpetuate control or to take control. People by default will trust their government merely because they are told to do so, making it easy for the government to have complete control. But when the people doubt their government or are left in a vulnerable situation they are even more apt to be taken over, “There were riots, and people with guns. Nobody knew what was going on. Everyone was waiting for the government to do something… but there wasn’t a government anymore. Just lots of little gangs. All trying to take over, and then in 1992, someone finally did… It was all the fascist groups, the right-wingers. They’d all got together with some of the big corporations that had survived. “Norsefire” they called themselves” (28). As the English people were left without a government, they were left vulnerable, without a government is to unprotected and amid chaos. In a situation as such it is easily recognizable that the commonwealth is ignorant; this is what made it easy for Norsefire to take control. The use of signs that read "England Prevails", "strength through purity, purity through faith" and “for your protection” all lead to the perpetuating control of the people (9-11). The sign specifically “for your protection” can usually be sighted with a camera, the camera is not for the protection of the people, it is for the government to easily spy on the people and enforce existing bogus rules, such as curfews, gender roles, and enforcing specific sexual preferences.
As the government employs totalitarian control over the people there is no way for the masses to fully conceptualize what is real, and what is fake, but this concept perpetuates the existing vulnerability that the government has exploited, this makes the people more dependant on their government. On the 6th frame depicted on page 28, you’ll see Evey working with another young girl in a sweatshop, the box that they are pulling the materials out of has the word “Lucifer” written on it. Lucifer is another name for the infamous Devil, is a sign from Moore that what is going on here is not right. When Norsefire took over they preyed on the vulnerability of the people, those who took control became obsessed with the power that they have just taken, thus being said, they would do anything in their power to keep the population vulnerable. By stripping England of regulations of child labor, this is one of many ways that the new regime was able to create and perpetuate new economic vulnerabilities. Along with economic vulnerability comes social vulnerability. Much like Natzi Germany, the Norsefirean government is intolerant and unaccepting of uniqueness. Through manipulation tactics, such as those that were shown in the Milgram experiment, the government was able to get ordinary people to commit genocide “They were ordinary people, and they were prepared to torture a stranger to death, just because they were told to by someone in authority. Some of them said they’d even enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed what I did at the time. People are stupid and evil” (Moore,73). What Dr. Dilla acknowledges through her remorse here, is that the government is broken, but so are the people. As no one was able to think for themselves and did merely as they were told, they failed to stand up for the people, and thus lost the power of the people. This brokenness in the people is their vulnerability that Norsfire was able to prey on until V was able to awake them all.
Every villain needs a right-hand man; for Norsefire it is the media. The government would not have as much power as they do if it were not for the media. For the government to stay in control it is pertinent that their message is relayed to all of the people, with the help of the media this is possible. The government only allows for their view to be relayed, while any other view is seen as fictional, this single narrative allows for the cover-up of unjust behavior exerted by the government against the people. The formation of power and authority in any given society starts with the people. The power of the people must be given to the government to be exerted and contorted against them.
By demonstrating this feasible future, Moore is able to show how control tactics, such as propaganda can further break an already broken society. The misinformation, manipulation, and inequalities that Norsefirse preyed upon were a result of division that was never healed. By successfully demonstrating the cause and effects of control tactics, allows for those in the real world to acknowledge and recognize oppressive forces.