"About the only thing oppressors really have to fear is rising awareness. Unfortunately for them, it is also the hardest thing to stop, because awareness can come from almost any communication, and they would have to kill everybody and then have nobody left to rule. So they stick to fear mongering, since fear makes people withdraw and slows the awareness process."
- (author's name withheld for personal reasons)
This quotation is an example of great thinking from an ordinary person.
What he calls "rising awareness" could otherwise be called education. When education about the conditions in which each person in a country lives is increased, the likelihood of the people of that country falling under the rule of a dictator decreases.
In countries where education levels are high, people can be fooled, and they certainly are. But not for long.
Where education levels (specifically about the living conditions in which they live) are lower, people are more apt to believe the single line of propaganda dealt out by the dictator. (I use the term "dictator" in a loose sense of one whose power is sufficient to control the politics and other behaviour of people in his country.) In Cuba, for example, people can receive a good education in any subject except politics, which is centrally controlled.
We fight wars, but we don't teach the people whose militaries (or militias) we oppose anything different from what their leaders have taught them. Their leaders have taught that "the enemy" is bad. War proves that point, so far as the people are concerned.
When citizens are taught that only one way of thinking (believing) is right and that any other way of thinking is treasonous, those people are oppressed.
In a true democracy, many ways of thinking exist. Debate can be bitter and opposing positions strongly held. But no one is killed or imprisoned for what they believe or what they speak or write, unless it contravenes existing law.
Democracy has many faults, but it's still better than the competition. Democracy fails when education levels and standards decline or information streams are restricted.
Bill Allin
'Turning it Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' striving to teach people about their living conditions and their needs as well as sterile information and skills.
Learn more at http://billallin.com
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Comments: 19
But I have a solution for government surveillance of my activities and thought. I just won't think anything. Tap my telephone? Static. Monitor my computer? Blank screen. Put a microchip in my brain? White noise. I am secure in the knowledge that they will go mad before I will.
I'm mad too, I just haven't figured it out yet.
Sam, as a Canadian I am reminded of the criticism that Republicans make of Democrats, that they would spend the country into poverty by doing good deeds for everyone, helping everyone who asked. I have to wonder if that would cost more than the two billion dollars a day the Republicans are spending in the Middle East.
The GOP is already lining up some serious muscle. I have not heard of a viable candidate yet from the Democrats.
Of course this is not the situation here with citizens of countries all over the world paralyzed with fear for their very lives.
John, when young people must be prepared to work in as many as 12 different businesses in their working career, it seems a waste to train them only for a job and not for life. All kinds of adults have screwed up lives because they have no idea what is required of them or how to cope with the exigencies of life.
Carol, I believe that was F. D. Roosevelt. Apparently no one listened to him. (He was not my president as I am Canadian.)
Believe it or not, the world is more peaceful (in terms of ongoing wars) today than it has ever been in history. This according to the United Nations. However, now we have AIDS killing people.
I agee the Dems are still floundering around too many conflicting ideas and have too many messages, no focus, and no outstanding possible candidate.
David, in a democracy, the pendulum swings both ways. We hope it doesn't get stuck at one extreme or we don't fall off during the swing.
Fear the government that fears your guns.
Fear is the mind killer.
We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
Know thine enemy.
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.
Yeah, though I enter the valley of death, I shall fear no evil.
No Fear (T-shirt logo font)
Fear those that would think for you.
Fear not the dog that bites, but the one barking in the darkness.
The man that does not speak, can be just as harmful as the man constantly yelling.
All that is needed for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
Well, those are the only quotes I can think of at the moment dealing with fear, power, and governments. Not quite right I'm sure, but close enough....
Good article Bill. I think one of the great challenges for China to really compete in the world economic forum is the education of it's people, while it tries to hold on to a failing political system. It obviously fears open communication that comes with an education, and will be the straw that breaks its back eventually in my opinion.
Thanks for the article and putting up with my musings.
China's future is a real mystery. There are no precedents in history for the economic surge that is happening there now. 23-26% increase in gross domestic product each year for several years would kill a western country.
Expect an explosion of some sort in the near future. Film at 11.
Tibet, however, is now almost equally populated by Chinese and Tibetans. Knowing the long memories and history of Tibetans, I would put my money on the Tibetans "converting" the Chinese into ex-pats.