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Bread and Circuses
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Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Evil governments are allowed to be evil because they appeal to the needs and desires of the general populace. The workers all get paid, everyone has enough to eat, and the trains run on time. And it's not propaganda or a Lotus-Eater Machine; the benefits are real. As a consequence, nobody really cares about petty things the government does like restrictions of basic freedom, environmental destruction, WMD research, or random abductions... ... right? The trope name (Latin: Panem et Circenses) comes from the Roman poet Juvenal's metaphor for people voluntarily (or democratically) giving up civic responsibility for a reasonably stable status quo (the 'circus' in ancient Rome was an arena for spectator sports like Gladiator Games). When the people are well-fed and having fun, they will be too contented or lazy to protest against those in charge (they may even start to thank, adore, and praise those in charge), turning them into Gullible Lemmings and Apathetic Citizens who will leave the Powers That Be free to do as they please. These societies tend to be run by Totalitarian Utilitarians and/or Corrupt Corporate Executives, but bread and circuses can exist in any form of government, even in democracies and "utopias." The fact that said rulers can even pull this trope off means they'd likely have to have more than enough wealth to indulge both themselves and their citizens. Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })For examples to qualify, both the food and the fun have to be real, not just propaganda or promises. Where they come from or what they cover up will be the thing that the heroes set out to expose. This situation also sets up conflict for a hero who sees the evil of those in power, because as far as the neighbors are concerned, the hero is simply a rebel or a troublemaker out to ruin their (relatively) happy life — or worse, submerge them in fire and brimstone. Too much focus on the contentment of the people may also lessen audience sympathy for the hero; sometimes this is even the correct thing, because the hero really will cause more trouble than he fixes. |
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