Iron Curtain Speech

Communism, a political ideology credited to Karl Marx, derives its name from the word commune, which refers to working together for the greater good, with no one individual benefitting more than anyone else. In its basic form, communism advocates for a classless society in which wealth is divided equally among citizens or according to individual need. Property, as well as means of production, is publicly owned. Communism is thus diametrically opposed to capitalism, in which private ownership of property and means of production leads to unequal wealth distribution and the inevitable emergence of classes.

The “iron curtain” was a metaphor for the complex barriers that the Soviet Union fostered between itself and the West after World War II. These barriers were not only physical, based on military presence, but also political and philosophical. Iron is a strong metal that is not easily penetrated or manipulated, thus implying that the population “[b]ehind that line” is truly cut off from the rest of the world (28)—indeed, the people within the Soviet Union were generally prevented from leaving or even communicating with those outside its borders. The fences preventing migration or emigration were also both literal and figurative.

Under totalitarianism, which is a type of governmental structure, the government severely restricts individual liberties and freedoms. Rule by fear rather than rule by law is the norm. A totalitarian government will change the law to suit its needs. The primary motivating factor for a totalitarian government is to remain in power, not to maintain peace and security for its population.