Violence: Six Sideways Reflections

by Slavoj Žižek

One of the strategies of totalitarian regimes is to have legal regulations (criminal laws) so severe that, if taken literally, everyone is guilty of something. But then their full enforcement is withdrawn. In this way, the regime can appear merciful: ‘You see, if we wanted, we could have all of you arrested and condemned, but do not be afraid, we are lenient …’ At the same time, the regime wields the permanent threat of disciplining its subjects: ‘Do not play too much with us, remember that at any moment we can …’ In the former Yugoslavia there was the infamous Article 133 of the penal code which could always be invoked to prosecute writers and journalists. It criminalised any text that falsely presented the achievements of the socialist revolution or that might arouse tension and discontent among the public for the way it dealt with political, social or other topics. This last category is obviously not only infinitely plastic, but also conveniently self-relating: doesn’t the very fact that you are accused by those in power prove the fact that you ‘aroused tension and discontent among the public’? In those years, I remember asking a Slovene politician how he justified this law. He just smiled and, with a wink, told me, ‘Well, we have to have some tool to discipline at our will those who annoy us.’ Here we have an overlap of potential total culpability (whatever you are doing may be a crime) and mercy (the fact that you are allowed to lead your life in peace is not a proof ...