When Beatty says this quote in Fahrenheit 451 what does it mean?

Question

When captain Beatty asks "Freedom is participation in power." what can it possibly mean? also how does this represent Beatty's philosophy?

Answer 1

I'm afraid Mr. Beatty was not the first to utter these words.

In the first century BC, Cicero said: “Freedom is participation in power.”

In America, it has come to mean that if you want to exercise your full rights in Democracy you simply need to participate in the process from talking to others, to voting or even running for elected office.

There was a saying during World War II: "If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

I have seen the most quiet, humble people take active roles in the democratic process by becoming part of their political parties at the local level and going to state conventions. Believe me, they end up having as much power and influence as the wealthy. Why? Because they know who the voters are in their communities and it takes votes to get elected.