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Mark Kennedy's avatar

In the good old days, tyrants at least understood that letting malcontents blow off steam in a pub was a good idea. In the end it made them easier to control, and was in fact a measure of their impotence. The blowhards argued and complained to show they were free to argue and complain, but in the end their complaints added up to a resigned conspiracy of "What can you do?" obedience. Today's aspiring tyrants don't even understand this much.

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BookWench's avatar

It's just as Orwell predicted: they not only want us policing our own speech, they want us, ultimately, policing our own thoughts.

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Mark Kennedy's avatar

Thoughts are inherently unpoliceable, vaulting as they do from branch to branch in paths unpredictable and ultimately non-retraceable.

Are you really into books, BookWench? I'm a retired reference librarian with over eight thousand books in my home collection. What are your reading tastes?

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Karl's avatar

You’re right. For some time now, obedience has been considered insufficient. Belief, and even affirmation, are the new demands of tyrants, even petty ones like HR desk-warmers and school administrators.

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Ryan Gardner's avatar

Yes. Perfectly stated.

I would add the greatest trick ever played has been to change the meaning of transparency into traitor. The American public loves the government so much now The Truth would be one part shocking and one part unsettling ....so much so; it would be ignored.

Love of government is conditioning for love of gulags

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