When you live under the thumb of
The Evil Empire or a
Dystopian government, they have several ways to keep you there. This is a list of the many ways.
Named for a line in
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which may have its origins in a
Norman legal proceeding called the
clameur de haro
.
Tropes
- Airstrip One: Your country no longer has a name.
- Being Tortured Makes You Evil: If they don't like you, torture them 'till they do.
- Big Brother Is Watching: Intruding in all aspects of private life.
- Book Burning: Destroying literature and art that dissents against the powers that be.
- Canned Orders Over Loudspeaker: Broadcasting propaganda everywhere.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: When used as a method for oppression.
- Crushing The Populace: When an empire decides that an area it has gained or regained a hold on must be punished, rather than rebuilt.
- Dystopian Edict: If you break the edict, you suffer the government's wrath.
- Evil Colonialist: A foreign (and usually white) oppressor against the natives.
- Exalted Torturer: Torture is heroic! Those people being tortured had it coming, so it's OK!
- The Exile: You are no longer welcome in your homeland.
- Fascists' Bed Time: Forced Curfews.
- Force Feeding: When the victim won't eat, or just to torture them.
- Forced To Watch: Cold-Blooded Torture is so passe. Better to make the victim watch loved ones suffer!
- Full-Circle Revolution: Leaders change, but things stay the same.
- Government Drug Enforcement: Forcing everybody to take mind-controlling drugs.
- Happiness Is Mandatory: Show how wonderful the regime makes you feel, on pain of death.
- Icon of Rebellion: The symbol of freedom fighters opposing the government.
- Lady Land: Sucks to be a guy.
- Newspeak: Political correctness turned Up to Eleven.
- No Woman's Land: Sucks to be a girl.
- People's Republic of Tyranny: Masquerading as a democracy.
- Police Brutality: Police are given free rein to get brutal on those who don't toe the line.
- Police State: Keeping a close watch over the citizens.
- Culture Police: Censoring all forms of art that seem subversive.
- Secret Police: A stealth repressive arm that secretly abducts troublemakers.
- Population Control: In order to have a manageable population, the government takes measure to keep the population within certain limits, either by sterilization or punishing dissenters. Alternatively if the government needs labor or armies, they will mandate or encourage more babies.
- President For Life: Wanted to vote the guy out of office? You're outta luck.
- Propaganda Machine: Hiding the truth from the people, feeding them lies instead.
- Reign of Terror: Causing panic to turn the population docile and easily manipulable.
- Released To Elsewhere: Executions are covered up with lies by the powers that be.
- State Sec: Thought Police Brutality and the Secret Police were bad? Well, now they have an entire army backing them, just so you know a direct confrontation is hopeless.
- The Presents Were Never From Santa: Used as an excuse to justify oppressive power.
- 2 + Torture = 5: Forcing people to believe in a lie.
- Thoughtcrime: You're not allowed to even think against the establishment.
- Unperson: Erasing someone from existence, when used as a method for oppression.
- You Are Number Six: Numbering people as a means of dehumanization and oppression.
