Scarcity is a
form of propaganda, a way The Party gets the proles to
jump on the bandwagon. It's a way to
manage suffering, to dole out poverty, to build false patriotism: "The Party needs razor
blades for the war effort. You would rather it go to the front lines than to you, the spoiled
public, safe at home, right? Support your country. Do without razor blades!"
It's a means of control: supply and demand. Like the war with Eurasia. Or is it
Eastasia? Is there a shortage of butter or razor blades this week? What's the price of
chocolate? Keep the public guessing and uninformed and no one complains. Always changing the
price gives it a kind of legitimacy, as if market forces are really at work. But it's all a
ruse, really.
It's like the shortages at the gas pumps and the price of gas
during a war or a recession. It's a way to make headlines by the Ministry of Truth. It's a way
to keep the masses from rebelling by the Ministry of Plenty. Keep them hungry, but not too
hungry. Take away razor blades, but not for too long. It's revolving door propaganda: flavor
of the week bandwagoning.
It's also aof the USSR's many "Five Year
Plans." The USSR was famous for its scarcity during the Cold War. One year the whole
country went without toilet paper, I think. But there were always enough fighter planes and
ICBMs to keep up the Americans.
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