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The New Totalitarians Are Here

Posted by Eudaimonia 9 years, 9 months ago to Culture
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"No, even after losing, you will be forced to admit the error of your ways. You must accept that you’ve sinned. You must discard your own values and accept the ideas of your betters. You must denounce yourself for undermining the construction of a better world."


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  • Posted by $ rainman0720 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    And then slapping a gag order on the couple so they can't even discuss the issue? That's not using force?
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  • Posted by 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    You know, if you're interested in some snappy tunes to whistle past the graveyard, I suggest Sinatra.
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    Posted by khalling 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Or the targeting of CEOs who have a private right to to give to political organizations of their choice?
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  • -9
    Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 9 months ago
    What nonsense. The Soviets, Nazis, and govt in 1984 really did use force people to try to make people agree with them. The people mentioned in the article did not.
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    Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 9 months ago
    What I find more frightening than the existence of those that utilize totalitarianism and authoritarianism, is the failure of even this author to recognize that those isms are tools in the pouch intended to gain much more than just the acceptance and agreement of the population for any particular issue. The goal is much worse and more pernicious than that. It is the total destruction of any form of self confidence. Its no longer acceptable to have an opinion formed within your own mind or to believe that such has any purpose to exist--one must seek out the approved and consensus opinion to have and to live by. If we need an opinion about the LGBT community, we must ask the LGBT community. If we need an opinion on the rape 'crisis', we must ask those that see a crisis. If we need an opinion on alcohol, we must ask Carrie Nation.

    But we must never ever have our own opinions based on our own experiences and facts and rational thought, particularly if it differs from or didn't originate from the consensus of those that have a right to form an opinion--even if those only represent less than 5% of the population.

    But what's important is that you don't have an opinion or trust yourself to form one. You can have no respect of yourself as an individual. You must ask.
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