Арсен Аветисов – Political Narratology. How Stories Shape Power and Compliance (страница 12)
As soon as the official narrative weakens, alternatives appear. They may be marginal, radical, naive and dangerous, utopian, or destructive. But they are united by one thing – they fill the void.
At this moment, power no longer controls the space of meanings: it becomes merely one party in a competition of interpretations.
This is a fundamentally new situation, even if everything outwardly appears stable.
The Illusion of Restoration
A mistake often made by power is the attempt to ‘restore the old narrative’. But stories never return in their previous form: the context of the times has changed, people’s experiences have changed, expectations have shifted.
Attempting to speak the old language in a new reality only heightens the feeling of detachment and inadequacy. The right to the story cannot be restored in a purely mechanical, procedural way. It can either be reassembled anew or lost for good.
When Society Stops Listening
The key moment of crisis is not a street protest or a revolution, but indifference. When the words of power no longer evoke anger, support, or even argument; when people simply stop reacting.
At this moment, the story is over. Only its form remains. From here, various scenarios are possible: a sudden collapse, a slow decline, a replacement of the plot, or external intervention. But they all begin with the same thing: the loss of narrative authority.
Why This is Important for Understanding Politics
Understanding how power loses its right to the narrative allows one to see a crisis before it becomes visible. Not through economic indicators, polls, or ratings. But through language, tone, repetitions, and the reaction of society.
Political narratology teaches one to listen not to what is being said, but to how it all ceases to work and loses its capacity to exist. And it is precisely this understanding that allows us to move to the next question – the image of the future as power’s main resource.
Because where the future disappears, so too does consent. It is from here that we shall continue.
Chapter 13. The Image of the Future as the Primary Resource
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
The Future as a Source of Obedience
In politics, victory rarely goes to those who best explain the present. It goes to those who more convincingly describe the future.
Economic indicators may be weak, institutions may be worn out, and elites may be unpopular, but if a power can maintain an image of the future, it retains its primary resource, i.e., society’s patience.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «Литрес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на Литрес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.