Old-thinker news | March 16, 2007

By Daniel Taylor

“The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves.” - Dresden James

As detailed in a previous article, social engineers have been and are currently manipulating society in order to maintain control and achieve future goals. As shown, Brock Chisholm sought to, “…remove from the minds of men their individualism, loyalty to family tradition, national patriotism, and religious dogmas…” Fred Gates envisioned a future in which he and his elite brotherhood, while deliberately dumbing down the people, “…have limitless resources and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands.” Carroll Quigley stated that the political processes in America should be controlled in a manner in which the people are given a false choice between two parties, who are in reality controlled by one entity and employ identical policies. “Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can “throw the rascals out” at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy,” stated Quigley.

Amidst the vacuous social climate detailed previously, America and the western world have become increasingly authoritarian. As time progresses individuals are becoming ever more wary of the threats to their liberty, privacy and well being, and more people are beginning to resist. Why, though do so many defend, deny, or go along with rising tyranny?

The following are some of the main characteristics of an oppressed society living under tyranny, or progressing towards it.

1. Fear is rampant. “There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.” - Andre Gide

The fear may be legitimate, but it may in fact be an illusion created by the ruling powers in order to maintain control. Fear clouds judgment, and when harnessed, can be used as a tool to cause individuals who are clamoring for protection to beg for their own enslavement. A large group of individuals under oppression may in fact be afraid of the force of tyrannical governmental power and consciously decide to go along with it. One recent historical example is of the Nazi Gestapo, who depended on German citizens snitching on their neighbors. They did this because the number of their employees were not adequate to enforce their power totally. They ruled by fear, exaggeration of the extent of their power, and depended on individuals to provide information to them who either identified themselves with, or who were afraid of the brutal Nazi regime. As the old axiom goes, it’s easy to go along to get along.

2. Ignorance. “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” - Frederick Douglass

Because of their often corrupt nature, illegal activities and a desire for control, tyrants need to manipulate or restrict access to vital and often embarrassing information from those they are ruling. Propaganda promotes the desired message to be propagated among the masses. Restriction of information leads to an ignorant and unaware population which is easily molded. This ignorance may also come about in a self censoring society that is lazy, bathed in decadence, and has no desire to be aware of information that may make them uncomfortable. An unaware and uninformed population can be led to believe that they are in fact doing the right thing by enforcing tyrannical laws and supporting corrupt leaders. They may buy the line that tyrants have sold their people for ages - that out of necessity these things must be done. In the words of William Pitt, as stated before the House of Commons in 1783, “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.”

3. Little men. “A little man does not know he is little and is afraid to know… He’s proud of his great generals but not of himself.” - Wilhelm Reich

Yet another group of individuals, who are in no way connected with the existing power structure — who do not respect themselves — often associate themselves with its power, and its leaders. These individuals believe that life is good as it is, as they are provided with basic necessities and desire in no way shape or form radical change. Often, an attempt to demonstrate the corrupt and tyrannical nature of their government to them will be met with a quick and angry denial, and at times a passionate defense of their oppressors.

Can you observe any of these trends around you today? Is western society falling into the depths of tyranny?