{"id":1502,"date":"2007-08-07T23:06:02","date_gmt":"2007-08-08T03:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/s265039441.onlinehome.us\/philpaine\/?p=1502"},"modified":"2018-08-16T21:22:32","modified_gmt":"2018-08-17T01:22:32","slug":"second-meditation-on-democracy-written-monday-august-7-2007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.philpaine.com\/?p=1502","title":{"rendered":"SECOND<\/span> MEDITATION<\/span> ON<\/span> DEMOCRACY<\/span> (written Monday, August 7, 2007)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c<\/span>Civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion is the process in which one grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly increas\u00ades the num\u00adber of peo\u00adple includ\u00aded in the term \u2018we\u2019 or \u2018us\u2019 and at the same time decreas\u00ades those labeled \u2018you\u2019 or \u2018them\u2019 until that cat\u00ade\u00adgo\u00adry has no one left in it.\u201d <\/em> \u2014 Howard Win\u00adters, an Amer\u00adi\u00adcan archael\u00ado\u00adgist who stud\u00adied ancient set\u00adtle\u00adment and trade pat\u00adterns [quot\u00aded by Anne-Marie Cantwell in Howard Dal\u00adton Win\u00adters: In Memo\u00adri\u00adam<\/em>]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVoice or no voice, the peo\u00adple can always be brought to the bid\u00adding of the lead\u00aders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the paci\u00adfists for lack of patri\u00ado\u00adtism and expos\u00ading the coun\u00adtry to dan\u00adger. It works the same in any coun\u00adtry.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Her\u00admann Wil\u00adhelm G\u00f6ring, sec\u00adond in com\u00admand to Adolf Hitler.<\/span><\/p>\n

What most telling\u00adly dis\u00adtin\u00adguish\u00ades demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic from non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought is its respect for human beings. By this, I don\u2019t mean respect for some neb\u00adu\u00adlous abstrac\u00adtion called \u201chuman\u00adi\u00adty\u201d or \u201cthe peo\u00adple\u201d, which is all too eas\u00adi\u00adly trans\u00adformed into a mys\u00adti\u00adcal col\u00adlec\u00adtivism. It\u2019s a respect for real-life indi\u00advid\u00adual human beings, who live, fall in love, have chil\u00addren, and strug\u00adgle to find secu\u00adri\u00adty and hap\u00adpi\u00adness. In demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought, the well\u00adbe\u00ading of indi\u00advid\u00adual<\/em> human beings is the pur\u00adpose and mea\u00adsure of polit\u00adi\u00adcal choic\u00ades. Well\u00adbe\u00ading, to the demo\u00adc\u00adrat, is defined first in terms of what mat\u00adters most to con\u00adscious beings \u2014 lib\u00ader\u00adty, self-respect, dig\u00adni\u00adty, con\u00adtrol over their own lives. The phys\u00adi\u00adcal neces\u00adsi\u00adties of life, such as food and shel\u00adter, are mean\u00ading\u00adless to human beings except with\u00adin the con\u00adtext of those val\u00adues. We are not cattle.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is this respect for human beings as human beings, and not mere\u00adly as domes\u00adtic ani\u00admals, that dis\u00adtin\u00adguish\u00ades demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought from all oth\u00ader forms of polit\u00adi\u00adcal thought. The pur\u00adpose of non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought is to secure pow\u00ader, glo\u00adry, and wealth for some par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar peo\u00adple \u2014 invari\u00adably a very small num\u00adber of them \u2014 over the remain\u00adder. In order to accom\u00adplish this end, those who seek such pow\u00ader con\u00adcoct fraud\u00adu\u00adlent intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal struc\u00adtures. Their aim is to con\u00advince human beings to sac\u00adri\u00adfice them\u00adselves, to aban\u00addoned their rights, or to vic\u00adtim\u00adize their neigh\u00adbours. Some super\u00adnat\u00adur\u00adal or col\u00adlec\u00adtive enti\u00adty is pre\u00adsent\u00aded as the pur\u00adpose and ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcia\u00adry of polit\u00adi\u00adcal choice. Whether it be nation, race, reli\u00adgion, par\u00adty, or what\u00adev\u00ader, the sur\u00advival of some col\u00adlec\u00adtive enti\u00adty is pre\u00adsumed to be the mea\u00adsure of all worth. Human beings are pre\u00adsent\u00aded, not as valu\u00adable in them\u00adselves, but as exist\u00ading only to serve and per\u00adpet\u00adu\u00adate the cho\u00adsen col\u00adlec\u00adtive entity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic ideas are not vari\u00adants of, rel\u00ada\u00adtives of, or exten\u00adsions of any form of non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic ideas. They are not part of any \u201cspec\u00adtrum\u201d. They do not con\u00adsti\u00adtute an \u201cide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy\u201d, com\u00adpet\u00ading with oth\u00ader, essen\u00adtial\u00adly equiv\u00ada\u00adlent \u201cide\u00adolo\u00adgies\u201d. The gulf between demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought and non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought is a chasm of absolute and irrec\u00adon\u00adcil\u00adable oppo\u00adsi\u00adtion. The two ideas \u2014 that human beings have val\u00adue, on the one hand, or that they are mere\u00adly objects to be sac\u00adri\u00adficed to a col\u00adlec\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty, on the the oth\u00ader \u2014 exist in two sep\u00ada\u00adrate con\u00adcep\u00adtu\u00adal uni\u00advers\u00ades. The first exists in a moral uni\u00adverse, and the oth\u00ader does not.<\/span><\/p>\n

I must empha\u00adsize that I don\u2019t believe in the sin\u00adcer\u00adi\u00adty of non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought. Those who are called upon to sac\u00adri\u00adfice their lives and lib\u00ader\u00adty would not do so if they dis\u00adcov\u00adered that the only ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcia\u00adry was some oth\u00ader indi\u00advid\u00adual, not close or dear to them, who lived and pros\u00adpered par\u00ada\u00adsit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly from their self-sac\u00adri\u00adfice. They must either be con\u00advinced that human beings are ranked in real val\u00adue, and that their self-sac\u00adri\u00adfice reflects their own innate\u00adly less\u00ader val\u00adue than their ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcia\u00adries; or they must be dis\u00adtract\u00aded from see\u00ading the self-serv\u00ading inter\u00adest of the ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcia\u00adries by imag\u00adin\u00ading that some more impor\u00adtant, non-human thing is being served; or they must have their ordi\u00adnary human needs for love, friend\u00adship and fam\u00adi\u00adly crushed, and a neu\u00adrot\u00adic emo\u00adtion\u00adal trans\u00adfer\u00adence to a \u201cleader\u201d sub\u00adsti\u00adtut\u00aded for them. For any of these phe\u00adnom\u00ade\u00adna to come into effect, the ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcia\u00adries can\u00adnot be uncon\u00adscious of the fraud\u00adu\u00adlent nature of their claims. It requires a con\u00adstant refresh\u00adment of lies and manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion, switch\u00ades in tac\u00adtics and tech\u00adniques, and sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtions of one \u201caim\u201d for anoth\u00ader to main\u00adtain the spell. In all my stud\u00adies of tyrants and non-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic regimes, I have nev\u00ader once seen any cred\u00adi\u00adble evi\u00addence that the cen\u00adtral lead\u00ader\u00adship of any such regime actu\u00adal\u00adly believed in the truth of their sup\u00adposed \u201cide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy\u201d. One of the chief plea\u00adsures of dom\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion, from the point of view of the dom\u00adi\u00adnant, is the sat\u00adis\u00adfac\u00adtion of know\u00ading that the \u201csuck\u00aders\u201d believe absur\u00addi\u00adties which they would nev\u00ader fall for themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

To under\u00adstand this process, we must not look to some dubi\u00adous notion of human nature, but to the more con\u00adcrete\u00adly vis\u00adi\u00adble phe\u00adnom\u00ade\u00adnon of human char\u00adac\u00adter. Human nature, what\u00adev\u00ader it might be, is that which all human beings hold psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly in com\u00admon. Peo\u00adple have argued fruit\u00adless\u00adly for mil\u00adlen\u00adnia about whether peo\u00adple are \u201cessen\u00adtial\u00adly\u201d self\u00adish, or benev\u00ado\u00adlent, or vio\u00adlent, or peace\u00adful, or sub\u00admis\u00adsive, or aggres\u00adsive. What\u00adev\u00ader they might \u201cessen\u00adtial\u00adly\u201d be, our expe\u00adri\u00adence tells us that human beings vary in their char\u00adac\u00adter, that they do not all fit a sin\u00adgle tem\u00adplate. We have invent\u00aded words like \u201ccru\u00adel\u201d, \u201ckind\u201d, \u201cself\u00adish\u201d, \u201cpompous\u201d, \u201ccred\u00adu\u00adlous\u201d, \u201cgen\u00adtle\u201d, or \u201csen\u00adsi\u00adtive\u201d because we encounter dif\u00adfer\u00adent kinds of behav\u00adiour in human beings. With\u00adin a cer\u00adtain range, we are pre\u00adpared to deal with these vari\u00ada\u00adtions, and to rec\u00adog\u00adnize that our own char\u00adac\u00adter is among them.<\/span><\/p>\n

How\u00adev\u00ader, cer\u00adtain spe\u00adcif\u00adic human char\u00adac\u00adters present prob\u00adlems to human communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most obvi\u00adous prob\u00adlem is cre\u00adat\u00aded by the vio\u00adlent per\u00adson. Every\u00adone has the poten\u00adtial to be vio\u00adlent, but it\u2019s clear that some peo\u00adple come to it more eas\u00adi\u00adly than oth\u00aders. Every com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty has its bul\u00adlies. On a small scale, these can be held in check by the threat of revenge, and this, in fact, is how most local com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties have dealt with the prob\u00adlem. How\u00adev\u00ader, the solu\u00adtion has nev\u00ader proven very sat\u00adis\u00adfac\u00adto\u00adry. Exam\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtions of \u201cnon-state\u201d and pre\u00adlit\u00ader\u00adate soci\u00adeties, time and time again, have revealed death rates from war and mur\u00adder aver\u00adag\u00ading .5 per capi\u00adta per annum [see Kee\u00adley, Lawrence H., War Before Civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion<\/em>, Oxford UP<\/span> 1996.]. The typ\u00adi\u00adcal pre\u00adlit\u00ader\u00adate soci\u00adety stud\u00adied by anthro\u00adpol\u00ado\u00adgists cus\u00adtom\u00adar\u00adi\u00adly sanc\u00adtions a series of \u201cnest\u00ading box\u00ades\u201d of rela\u00adtion\u00adships defined by who is oblig\u00adat\u00aded to take revenge on who for thefts, assaults, or insults. A fist\u00adfight between two cousins over a coconut can rapid\u00adly be trans\u00adformed into gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions of bru\u00adtal war\u00adfare, as fam\u00adi\u00adly, then clan, then col\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal clans, tribes, and con\u00adfed\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions of tribes are each called upon to exact revenge for pre\u00advi\u00adous acts of revenge. In response to this dan\u00adger, most such com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties cre\u00adate con\u00adsular bod\u00adies, usu\u00adal\u00adly of wide\u00adly respect\u00aded peo\u00adple, vil\u00adlage elders, or heads of fam\u00adi\u00adlies, which attempt to damp\u00aden these cycles of vengeance by per\u00adsua\u00adsion and diplo\u00adma\u00adcy. Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic tech\u00adniques, such as we have devel\u00adoped them, have evolved from these con\u00adsular bod\u00adies, which can be found in every region of the world, every era, and every exten\u00adsive cul\u00adtur\u00adal and reli\u00adgious tra\u00addi\u00adtion. [see Muhlberg\u00ader, Steven R. &<\/span> Paine, Phil = Democracy\u2019s Place in World His\u00adto\u00adry<\/em>. Jour\u00adnal of World His\u00adto\u00adry 4:1 1993]. Their effec\u00adtive\u00adness in lim\u00adit\u00ading vengeance is hard to deter\u00admine, since we can\u2019t com\u00adpile sta\u00adtis\u00adtics of vio\u00adlence that might have hap\u00adpened, but did not. How\u00adev\u00ader, the death rates per capi\u00adta speak for them\u00adselves. Cul\u00adtures in which state orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion does not exist, or in which it is only super\u00adfi\u00adcial, exhib\u00adit death rates by war and homi\u00adcide far exceed\u00ading the most vio\u00adlent cities in the Unit\u00aded States, and often exceed\u00ading the mor\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty rates in mod\u00adern civ\u00adil wars. This con\u00adtra\u00addicts a wide\u00adly-held roman\u00adtic fan\u00adta\u00adsy of pri\u00admor\u00addial non-vio\u00adlent soci\u00adeties in har\u00admo\u00adny. This is not to say that the con\u00adsular tech\u00adniques devel\u00adoped in such soci\u00adeties are unim\u00adpor\u00adtant. They are ear\u00adly attempts to imple\u00adment pro\u00adto-demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic ideas, and such demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic prac\u00adtice as we have today owes its exis\u00adtence to these fal\u00adter\u00ading first steps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lucy Mair\u2019s com\u00adpar\u00ada\u00adtive study of sev\u00ader\u00adal small soci\u00adeties in East Africa [Mair, Lucy Philip. Prim\u00adi\u00adtive Gov\u00adern\u00adment: A Study of Tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Polit\u00adi\u00adcal Sys\u00adtems in East\u00adern Africa<\/em>. 1977] rang\u00ading from extreme\u00adly decen\u00adtral\u00adized clan soci\u00adeties to full-fledged monar\u00adchi\u00adcal states, shows that infor\u00admal con\u00adsular bod\u00adies are rea\u00adson\u00adably good at inhibit\u00ading vio\u00adlence at the fam\u00adi\u00adly and clan lev\u00adel, but pro\u00adgres\u00adsive\u00adly less effec\u00adtive as the con\u00adflict involves larg\u00ader or more dis\u00adtant par\u00adties. What is more, the process comes to a halt when the \u201ceth\u00adnic lim\u00adit\u201d of the group is reached. Con\u00adsular bod\u00adies make no attempt to lim\u00adit vio\u00adlence out\u00adside of the largest group that the soci\u00adety defines as \u201cwe\u201d. State\u00adless or \u201ctrib\u00adal\u201d soci\u00adeties, usu\u00adal\u00adly exist in a per\u00adpet\u00adu\u00adal state of war\u00adfare with their neigh\u00adbours. Raid\u00ading neigh\u00adbour\u00ading eth\u00adnic groups for cat\u00adtle, graz\u00ading land, access to water, or sim\u00adply to mas\u00adsacre and take cap\u00adtives, is usu\u00adal\u00adly regard\u00aded in such soci\u00adeties as a demon\u00adstra\u00adtion of val\u00adour. The sup\u00adposed provo\u00adca\u00adtions are usu\u00adal\u00adly spu\u00adri\u00adous, or cyn\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly con\u00adtrived. Such war\u00adfare is com\u00admon\u00adly very bru\u00adtal, empha\u00adsiz\u00ading tor\u00adture and rape to inflict the max\u00adi\u00admum humil\u00adi\u00ada\u00adtion on the ene\u00admy. Arche\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy has unearthed vast num\u00adbers of for\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions and vil\u00adlages placed in loca\u00adtions that were obvi\u00adous\u00adly cho\u00adsen for ease of defense, all in times and places where it is assumed that no large-scale states or king\u00addoms exist\u00aded. Recent attempts to claim that trib\u00adal soci\u00adeties engaged in war\u00adfare only because they were sub\u00adject to eco\u00adnom\u00adic pres\u00adsures from more tech\u00adno\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly advanced soci\u00adeties are not con\u00advinc\u00ading. The pat\u00adtern of per\u00adpet\u00adu\u00adal inter-trib\u00adal war\u00adfare, through\u00adout his\u00adto\u00adry, is evident.<\/span><\/p>\n

This may give us a clue to why vio\u00adlent peo\u00adple are sur\u00adpris\u00ading\u00adly tol\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded in human groups. Where there is a dis\u00adtinct trib\u00adal \u201cwe\u201d which is engaged in per\u00adpet\u00adu\u00adal vio\u00adlent rival\u00adry with sev\u00ader\u00adal \u201cthems\u201d, it is handy to have peo\u00adple with\u00adin your \u201cwe\u201d who have an unusu\u00adal\u00adly vio\u00adlent tem\u00adpera\u00adment. They may be a nui\u00adsance at home, but they can deliv\u00ader a use\u00adful amount of fierce\u00adness in war. Their psy\u00adchol\u00ado\u00adgy may even be mim\u00adic\u00adked and styl\u00adized into mil\u00adi\u00adtary cults, so that young men of more placid tem\u00adpera\u00adment can be trained into effec\u00adtive mil\u00adi\u00adtary forces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anoth\u00ader human type that strains the egal\u00adi\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan ethos in human com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties is the psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty. Some peo\u00adple take plea\u00adsure in con\u00adtrol\u00adling oth\u00ader human beings, and are very sen\u00adsi\u00adtive to the body lan\u00adguage, vocal into\u00adna\u00adtions, and oth\u00ader sub\u00adcon\u00adscious tricks that trig\u00adger an unthink\u00ading obe\u00addi\u00adence in oth\u00aders. If you don\u2019t have this par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar skill, it\u2019s hard for you to imag\u00adine how it works . Some peo\u00adple are sim\u00adply able to tell oth\u00ader peo\u00adple what to do, and obtain auto\u00admat\u00adic com\u00adpli\u00adance. If they embark on some project, they can expect to have oth\u00ader peo\u00adple doing the work for them, not just because they are offered a quid-pro-quo, but because they are infect\u00aded with an irra\u00adtional desire to please that per\u00adson. They fall into an unthink\u00ading assump\u00adtion that their own pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adties are less impor\u00adtant. Even when skep\u00adti\u00adcal of their aims, or irked by the arro\u00adgance implied by their man\u00adner, peo\u00adple tend to assume that some great tal\u00adent, intel\u00adli\u00adgence, or secret knowl\u00adedge must under\u00adly the con\u00adfi\u00addence that the dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty radi\u00adates. At the very least, peo\u00adple imag\u00adine that the dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty is gath\u00ader\u00ading the fruit of intense and self-dis\u00adci\u00adplined labour. These assump\u00adtions, how\u00adev\u00ader, do not stand up to exam\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion. Adolf Hitler, for exam\u00adple, was able to get mil\u00adlions of peo\u00adple to obey him, even when the obe\u00addi\u00adence was obvi\u00adous\u00adly destruc\u00adtive to their inter\u00adests. Why? He was not par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly intel\u00adli\u00adgent, and oth\u00ader than perus\u00ading a hand\u00adful of pop\u00adu\u00adlar crank books, was not par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly knowl\u00adedge\u00adable about any\u00adthing. Even at the height of world con\u00adquest, he spent very lit\u00adtle time work\u00ading. He spent most of his time sleep\u00ading, hav\u00ading leisure\u00adly meals, and watch\u00ading movies. He read almost none of the reports that came to him, and rarely inquired into the details of his admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion. On the few occa\u00adsions where he chanced to issue detailed and direct orders, they usu\u00adal\u00adly made no sense or caused con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00adable dam\u00adage to his own aims. What he did do, unfail\u00ading\u00adly, was to com\u00admand peo\u00adple to solve prob\u00adlems for him. They went out and did so. Gen\u00ader\u00adals were told to win bat\u00adtles, finance min\u00adis\u00adters told to finance them. He him\u00adself had no idea of how to do such things, but he did know that if he gave any order, it would be obeyed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcies are firm\u00adly entrenched, a great deal of effort is made to train aris\u00adto\u00adcrat\u00adic chil\u00addren to employ the psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal dom\u00adi\u00adnance tricks, and to block their use by non-aris\u00adto\u00adcrats. As a defen\u00adsive mea\u00adsure, estab\u00adlished aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcies make a spe\u00adcial point of inflict\u00ading pun\u00adish\u00adment for \u201cpre\u00adsump\u00adtion\u201d or \u201cinso\u00adlence\u201d. These pejo\u00adra\u00adtive terms are attached to any use of dom\u00adi\u00adnant speech or body lan\u00adguage out\u00adside of the approved cir\u00adcle. Despite the efforts of hered\u00adi\u00adtary aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcies to train suc\u00adces\u00adsive gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions in dom\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion skills, it does not appear to be some\u00adthing reli\u00adably inher\u00adit\u00aded. A tal\u00adent for it con\u00adstant\u00adly appears among any group of human beings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like the vio\u00adlent tem\u00adpera\u00adment, the dom\u00adi\u00adnant tem\u00adpera\u00adment is tol\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded in most soci\u00adeties much more than we would expect. Most dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties do not find them\u00adselves in a posi\u00adtion, like Adolf Hitler or Mao Zedong, of hav\u00ading an entire nation make them\u00adselves avail\u00adable for tak\u00ading orders. The aver\u00adage dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty must oper\u00adate in a sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion of lim\u00adit\u00aded resources and pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties, and must use their psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal tricks with\u00adin some con\u00adtext where quid-pro-quo exchanges con\u00adsti\u00adtute the pri\u00adma\u00adry activ\u00adi\u00adties. Large orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions pro\u00adduce things that the soci\u00adety as a whole is hap\u00adpy to have. There\u2019s a ten\u00adden\u00adcy for peo\u00adple to assume that what\u00adev\u00ader an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion accom\u00adplish\u00ades is the direct result of a dom\u00adi\u00adnant personality\u2019s per\u00adson\u00adal \u201cdynamism\u201d or charis\u00adma. Cli\u00admat\u00adic, demo\u00adgraph\u00adic and eco\u00adnom\u00adic fac\u00adtors may ensure that, for exam\u00adple, there is a great demand for air con\u00addi\u00adtion\u00aders, and mon\u00adey avail\u00adable to pay for it. Any orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion that pro\u00adduces air con\u00addi\u00adtion\u00aders to meet that demand will pros\u00adper. But if a charis\u00admat\u00adic \u201cleader\u201d is in charge, part of his dom\u00adi\u00adnance tech\u00adnique is to con\u00advince oth\u00ader peo\u00adple that what\u00adev\u00ader suc\u00adcess hap\u00adpens is the direct result of his dom\u00adi\u00adnant status.<\/span><\/p>\n

In some cas\u00ades, this is demon\u00adstra\u00adbly true. How\u00adev\u00ader, few peo\u00adple con\u00adsid\u00ader that the same ends can usu\u00adal\u00adly be achieved with\u00adout the par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion of dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties. Equal\u00adly pro\u00adduc\u00adtive orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions can be put togeth\u00ader, and man\u00adaged skill\u00adful\u00adly, entire\u00adly by quid-pro-quo rela\u00adtion\u00adships between peo\u00adple, with\u00adout the inter\u00adven\u00adtion of any psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty strut\u00adting around bark\u00ading orders, or ema\u00adnat\u00ading an aura of author\u00adi\u00adty. I\u2019ve worked in such an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion, which was quite suc\u00adcess\u00adful as an eco\u00adnom\u00adic enter\u00adprise, and char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by a pleas\u00adant atmos\u00adphere and high morale.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pol\u00adi\u00adtics, of course, has been treat\u00aded by many jour\u00adnal\u00adists and his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adans as if it were noth\u00ading but a chron\u00adi\u00adcle of the suc\u00adcess\u00ades of var\u00adi\u00adous dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties, and there is an unend\u00ading fas\u00adci\u00adna\u00adtion with the the careers of tyrants. Their abil\u00adi\u00adty to \u201caccom\u00adplish\u201d things (usu\u00adal\u00adly death and destruc\u00adtion) with a pow\u00ader\u00adful stare or a com\u00admand\u00ading voice, is not inter\u00adpret\u00aded as the sad result of human creduli\u00adty and emo\u00adtion\u00adal weak\u00adness, but as the man\u00adi\u00adfes\u00adta\u00adtion of \u201cgenius\u201d. But Mozart did not get oth\u00ader peo\u00adple to com\u00adpose bril\u00adliant music for him by bark\u00ading orders at them, or know\u00ading how to stand in an impres\u00adsive way. He sat down at a desk and cre\u00adat\u00aded the music with his mind. The music\u2019s val\u00adue speaks for itself. He was not a dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty. Noth\u00ading about true cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty has any\u00adthing to do with psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal dom\u00adi\u00adnance<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Def\u00ader\u00adence to dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties will prob\u00ada\u00adbly exist in any soci\u00adety. How\u00adev\u00ader, a civ\u00adi\u00adlized soci\u00adety will encour\u00adage peo\u00adple to have suf\u00adfi\u00adcient self-esteem, fore\u00adwarn\u00ading, and self-dis\u00adci\u00adpline to ignore auto\u00admat\u00adic obe\u00addi\u00adence to any\u00adone who learns how to arch an eye\u00adbrow or speak in a low, even voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s yet anoth\u00ader par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar kind of human char\u00adac\u00adter that has a pro\u00adfound influ\u00adence on soci\u00adety, while at the same time remains almost invis\u00adi\u00adble and uniden\u00adti\u00adfied. Psy\u00adchol\u00ado\u00adgists have coined terms like \u201csociopath\u201d and \u201cAnti\u00adso\u00adcial Per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty Dis\u00ador\u00adder\u201d to describe the small num\u00adber among us who ruth\u00adless\u00adly and effi\u00adcient\u00adly exploit oth\u00aders, with\u00adout any restraint from con\u00adscience. We under\u00adstand the process when we encounter it on a small, per\u00adson-to-per\u00adson lev\u00adel. All of us have known the jerk with a trail of abused, but incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adbly loy\u00adal part\u00adners. All of us have been sub\u00adject\u00aded to the con\u00advinc\u00ading con-artist who glibly attempt\u00aded to part us from a hard-earned pay\u00adcheck. We have sighed when we heard of a na\u00efve friend drawn into a pyra\u00admid scheme, or fall\u00aden in with a drea\u00adry reli\u00adgious cult lead by a charis\u00admat\u00adic guru. Occa\u00adsion\u00adal\u00adly, we hear of some extreme case of egre\u00adgious ruth\u00adless\u00adness, such as some\u00adone keep\u00ading an elder\u00adly rel\u00ada\u00adtive locked in an attic while steal\u00ading their pen\u00adsion checks.<\/span><\/p>\n

More com\u00admon\u00adly, we suf\u00adfer the depre\u00adda\u00adtions of small-scale social schemers. These peo\u00adple move through a group of friends or co-work\u00aders, tak\u00ading plea\u00adsure in manip\u00adu\u00adlat\u00ading them, plant\u00adi\u00adng strate\u00adgic lies, set\u00adting one friend against anoth\u00ader, engag\u00ading in sub\u00adtle char\u00adac\u00adter assas\u00adsi\u00adna\u00adtion, and gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly emerg\u00ading pros\u00adper\u00adous, priv\u00adi\u00adleged and unscathed while the more moral peo\u00adple around them suf\u00adfer. Any rea\u00adson\u00adably large group of peo\u00adple is like\u00adly to include at least one such person.<\/span><\/p>\n

What few peo\u00adple learn, or face up to when it is demon\u00adstrat\u00aded to them, is that the halls of busi\u00adness and state pow\u00ader are shaped and dri\u00adven by many such peo\u00adple. While they are only a small per\u00adcent\u00adage of us as a whole, their par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal char\u00adac\u00adter makes them extreme\u00adly suc\u00adcess\u00adful. The high\u00ader up the chain of author\u00adi\u00adty one goes, the more of this type can be found. We may even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly grasp what they are doing to us, but there is usu\u00adal\u00adly no way of undo\u00ading the dam\u00adage they inflict, of expos\u00ading them, or of bring\u00ading them to jus\u00adtice. The meth\u00adods they use have always worked, and rarely fail, unless in com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion with oth\u00aders using the same tech\u00adniques more efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n

A per\u00adson may, alter\u00adna\u00adtive\u00adly, rise in pres\u00adtige and wealth through the use of tal\u00adent with\u00adin a frame\u00adwork of hon\u00adourable behav\u00adiour. In fact, it is absolute\u00adly essen\u00adtial that some peo\u00adple do so, or noth\u00ading would func\u00adtion at all. Schemers and manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtors expend all their ener\u00adgy in destroy\u00ading oth\u00ader peo\u00adple, with lit\u00adtle time over to accom\u00adplish use\u00adful tasks. Large orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions, which have usu\u00adal\u00adly come into being to effect some prac\u00adti\u00adcal pur\u00adpose, can be expect\u00aded to have a pro\u00adduc\u00adtive core of com\u00adpe\u00adtent peo\u00adple doing their work well, expect\u00ading to be judged by the val\u00adue of their work, and seek\u00ading noth\u00ading more than recog\u00adni\u00adtion and remu\u00adner\u00ada\u00adtion appro\u00adpri\u00adate to their con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtion. Weav\u00ading among them, dodg\u00ading light-foot\u00aded from one betray\u00adal or sub\u00adver\u00adsion to anoth\u00ader, are the schemers and manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtors. These usu\u00adal\u00adly wind up at the top of the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some\u00adtimes, manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtors are so effec\u00adtive that they can actu\u00adal\u00adly cre\u00adate an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion whose only pur\u00adpose is to advance their own ambi\u00adtions, and is com\u00adprised entire\u00adly of manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtors, sub\u00adsidiary manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtors, enforcers, hang\u00aders-on, and cadres of cult drones who do the mun\u00addane work. Rather than being a use\u00adful orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion that has been cor\u00adrupt\u00aded and bent to the pur\u00adpos\u00ades of the manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtor, it is an act of manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion and fraud embod\u00adied in an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion. Pyra\u00admid schemes, most ide\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal move\u00adments, and many reli\u00adgious orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions fall into this cat\u00ade\u00adgo\u00adry. The Church of Sci\u00aden\u00adtol\u00adogy is a per\u00adfect example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again, we should look to dic\u00adta\u00adtor\u00adships to see this per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty type at its most active. Dic\u00adta\u00adtors are usu\u00adal\u00adly both dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties, capa\u00adble of elic\u00adit\u00ading auto\u00admat\u00adic obe\u00addi\u00adence through sub\u00adcon\u00adscious cues, and socio\u00adpath\u00adic per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties, who will cheer\u00adful\u00adly employ any decep\u00adtion, betray any trust, or destroy any inno\u00adcent per\u00adson to fur\u00adther their ends. In a dic\u00adta\u00adtor\u00adship, the socio\u00adpath\u00adic per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty tends to be the most suc\u00adcess\u00adful. Dom\u00adi\u00adnance skills are more wide\u00adly dis\u00adtrib\u00aduted in the pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion. A ris\u00ading dom\u00adi\u00adnant is bound to encounter, on his trip up the lad\u00adder, a num\u00adber of peo\u00adple who are just as good at giv\u00ading orders. On the upper rungs up the lad\u00adder, you can expect com\u00adplete obliv\u00adi\u00adous\u00adness to human suf\u00adfer\u00ading. Prob\u00ada\u00adbly the clear\u00adest, most undi\u00adlut\u00aded exam\u00adple in his\u00adto\u00adry of a pure socio\u00adpath\u00adic per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty would be Mao Zedong, who not only mur\u00addered more peo\u00adple and cre\u00adat\u00aded more suf\u00adfer\u00ading than any\u00adone in human his\u00adto\u00adry, but who lit\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly would have killed every human being on Earth if it had been with\u00adin his pow\u00ader. Mao lit\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly believe that he him\u00adself, and he alone, was the only thing that mat\u00adtered in the entire universe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vio\u00adlence and suf\u00adfer\u00ading of the world was not cre\u00adat\u00aded by some essen\u00adtial \u201chuman nature\u201d, but it has been shaped to a great degree by the sym\u00adbi\u00adot\u00adic inter\u00adac\u00adtion of vio\u00adlent, psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly dom\u00adi\u00adnant, and socio\u00adpath\u00adic per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties. These per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty types, even put togeth\u00ader, con\u00adsti\u00adtute no more than a small minor\u00adi\u00adty of the human com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. But the more rea\u00adson\u00adable major\u00adi\u00adty has been very slow to devel\u00adop the tech\u00adniques of con\u00adtain\u00adment, dif\u00adfu\u00adsion, and resis\u00adtance, nec\u00ades\u00adsary to pre\u00advent them from form\u00ading elites and aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcies. Human his\u00adto\u00adry has been dom\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded by orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions that have been cre\u00adat\u00aded by vio\u00adlent, dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties, and sociopaths to serve the pur\u00adpos\u00ades of these minori\u00adties. The sur\u00advival of par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar human beings with\u00adin the frame\u00adwork of these orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions has usu\u00adal\u00adly been a mat\u00adter of pure luck. For thou\u00adsands of years, ordi\u00adnary human beings have strug\u00adgled to sur\u00advive, while suc\u00adcess\u00adful elites have ruled over them, expro\u00adpri\u00adat\u00aded their pos\u00adses\u00adsions, and expend\u00aded their lives in wars.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the sto\u00adry of the human race is not just a cat\u00ada\u00adlog of vic\u00adto\u00adries for the strong and ruth\u00adless. There are dra\u00admat\u00adic dif\u00adfer\u00adences between dif\u00adfer\u00adent human com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties in the degree to which they are under the thumb of aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcies. As well as the hor\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading record of war, slav\u00adery, and human tor\u00adment, there has also been a slow, painful strug\u00adgle to cre\u00adate alter\u00adna\u00adtive insti\u00adtu\u00adtions that respect human life and dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n

For this strug\u00adgle to suc\u00adceed, it is essen\u00adtial that we learn to expand the con\u00adcept of \u201cwe\u201d. In demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic the\u00ado\u00adry, this is called \u201cinclu\u00adsive\u00adness\u201d. The grad\u00adual expan\u00adsion of inclu\u00adsive\u00adness in human insti\u00adtu\u00adtions is the tale that the demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan gets the most plea\u00adsure from telling. Strug\u00adgles over the exten\u00adsion or con\u00adtrac\u00adtion of the fran\u00adchise are the dra\u00adma in the demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic nar\u00adra\u00adtive. We know that peo\u00adple are capa\u00adble of treat\u00ading each oth\u00ader as equals, because in every soci\u00adety, some peo\u00adple per\u00adceive each oth\u00ader as equals. We can doc\u00adu\u00adment the intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal and emo\u00adtion\u00adal steps by which peo\u00adple learn to see larg\u00ader and larg\u00ader groups of peo\u00adple as their equals, and to treat them so. Each step that is tak\u00aden suc\u00adcess\u00adful\u00adly gives us a tem\u00adplate for the next. At some point, among most nor\u00admal human beings, the blind\u00ading rev\u00ade\u00adla\u00adtion that \u201c\u2019we\u201d means \u201cevery\u00adbody\u201d takes place. When it is grasped emo\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, as well as intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly, peo\u00adple begin to suc\u00adcess\u00adful\u00adly resist the depre\u00adda\u00adtions of the vio\u00adlent, the psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly dom\u00adi\u00adnant, and the ruth\u00adless schemers. They grasp that there is no such thing as aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcy, only peo\u00adple who claim aris\u00adtoc\u00adra\u00adcy. They learn that they should obey moral rea\u00adson, not the voic\u00ades and ges\u00adtures of men. They learn to for\u00admu\u00adlate laws that apply equal\u00adly and fair\u00adly to every\u00adbody. They learn to con\u00adstruct polit\u00adi\u00adcal insti\u00adtu\u00adtions that respect human rights, and eco\u00adnom\u00adic insti\u00adtu\u00adtions that pro\u00adduce goods and ser\u00advices with\u00adout exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now of course, we have no place on Earth where this job is even close to com\u00adplete. But despite the bru\u00adtal hor\u00adrors that have char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized the human sto\u00adry, objec\u00adtive obser\u00adva\u00adtion shows that there has been a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant improve\u00adment in the world. A num\u00adber of places have been able to secure a state of affairs that is some\u00adtimes called \u201cciv\u00adil soci\u00adety\u201d. This term has had a vari\u00adety of con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adto\u00adry usages in the past, and I\u2019m not entire\u00adly com\u00adfort\u00adable with it\u2019s use. But I think that most pro\u00adgres\u00adsive\u00adly-mind\u00aded peo\u00adple in the world are now using it to mean a soci\u00adety that has achieved a cer\u00adtain degree of depend\u00adable rea\u00adson\u00adable\u00adness, and a soci\u00adety that has a mul\u00adti\u00adplic\u00adi\u00adty of inde\u00adpen\u00addent insti\u00adtu\u00adtions that can pre\u00advent the sub\u00admis\u00adsion of the soci\u00adety to out\u00adright tyran\u00adny. In such a \u201cciv\u00adil soci\u00adety\u201d, the prin\u00adci\u00adple insti\u00adtu\u00adtions are intend\u00aded for log\u00adi\u00adcal, prac\u00adti\u00adcal, and desir\u00adable pur\u00adpos\u00ades. They are vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble to being infil\u00adtrat\u00aded and cor\u00adrupt\u00aded by socio\u00adpath\u00adic per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties, but they were not cre\u00adat\u00aded by them. The pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion that par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpates in them is more inclu\u00adsive and egal\u00adi\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan in its atti\u00adtudes than most human soci\u00adeties have been in the past. These soci\u00adeties have polit\u00adi\u00adcal struc\u00adtures that are capa\u00adble of solv\u00ading major prob\u00adlems by peace\u00adful means, if their cit\u00adi\u00adzens put their mind to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The achieve\u00adment of civ\u00adil soci\u00adeties in this sense has been a very slow and painful strug\u00adgle, and at the moment, only a minor\u00adi\u00adty of human beings are lucky enough to live in them. The major\u00adi\u00adty still live under out\u00adright tyran\u00adny, or in soci\u00adeties in which civ\u00adil and demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic insti\u00adtu\u00adtions are a sham, or too cor\u00adrupt\u00aded to be effec\u00adtive. But the minor\u00adi\u00adty of func\u00adtion\u00ading civ\u00adil soci\u00adeties demon\u00adstrate to human beings every\u00adwhere that improved con\u00addi\u00adtions are pos\u00adsi\u00adble. The rel\u00ada\u00adtive suc\u00adcess of such soci\u00adeties by mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal mea\u00adsures has at least exposed one of the loud\u00adest lies of total\u00adi\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan ide\u00adolo\u00adgies: the claim that tyran\u00adny is more \u201ceffi\u00adcient\u201d than democ\u00adra\u00adcy. This notion was once so wide\u00adly believed that a major\u00adi\u00adty of intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adals, even in demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic coun\u00adtries, sub\u00adscribed to it. Now even the most iso\u00adlat\u00aded peas\u00adant knows that it\u2019s a crock.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exist\u00ading civ\u00adil soci\u00adeties should be cham\u00adpi\u00adoned, not as utopias or sta\u00adt\u00adic mod\u00adels, but as encour\u00adag\u00ading signs on the way to a real civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion. Their cit\u00adi\u00adzens may not have achieved civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion yet, but they have tools at their dis\u00adpos\u00adal with which they have a chance to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

How\u00adev\u00ader, greater intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal clar\u00adi\u00adty is nec\u00ades\u00adsary for us to pro\u00adceed in that direc\u00adtion. At present, we are crip\u00adpled by an intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal frame\u00adwork that was designed by var\u00adi\u00adous aris\u00adto\u00adcrat\u00adic elites of the past to enable their pre\u00adda\u00adtions. With\u00adin that frame\u00adwork, the con\u00adcept of \u201cdemoc\u00adra\u00adcy\u201d is thought of as an \u201cide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy\u201d. I would like to pro\u00adpose that democ\u00adra\u00adcy is not an ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy, and that it is a pro\u00adfound mis\u00adun\u00adder\u00adstand\u00ading to think of it as one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Democ\u00adra\u00adcy is one of the tools employed by nor\u00admal \u2014 that is to say, not socio\u00adpath\u00adic, dom\u00adi\u00adnant, or vio\u00adlent \u2014 peo\u00adple, to cre\u00adate a civ\u00adil soci\u00adety, and lim\u00adit the pow\u00ader and scope of the sociopaths, mega\u00adlo\u00adma\u00adni\u00adacs, and brutes. That\u2019s why it is char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by attempts to cre\u00adate \u201cchecks and bal\u00adances\u201d, divi\u00adsions of pow\u00ader, gov\u00adern\u00adment by con\u00adsent and rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion, mech\u00ada\u00adnisms of over\u00adsight and recall, tem\u00adpo\u00adrary offices, and sub\u00admis\u00adsion of lead\u00aders to law. Democ\u00adra\u00adcy as a process is still crude. Almost every aspect of it cries out for redesign and refine\u00adment. And this pro\u00adce\u00addur\u00adal aspect is only one of the ele\u00adments nec\u00ades\u00adsary for the cre\u00adation of a decent civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion. Con\u00adnect\u00aded with it are a pletho\u00adra of asso\u00adci\u00adat\u00aded cus\u00adtoms and atti\u00adtudes that must work in con\u00adjunc\u00adtion with the polit\u00adi\u00adcal ele\u00adments. All of these things togeth\u00ader con\u00adsti\u00adtute the frame\u00adwork of ideas that I mean by the term \u201cdemo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

But these ideas are not lodged in any holy text, revealed from super\u00adnat\u00adur\u00adal sources, or issued as procla\u00adma\u00adtions by a guru or a super\u00adhu\u00adman leader. They are cre\u00adat\u00aded by the free inter\u00adchange of opin\u00adion, and the accu\u00admu\u00adla\u00adtion of expe\u00adri\u00adence. The expe\u00adri\u00adence we have is of being exploit\u00aded, cheat\u00aded, bul\u00adlied, mur\u00addered, and cowed with fear, then slow\u00adly devis\u00ading safe\u00adguards against these assaults, test\u00ading them by expe\u00adri\u00adence, and fit\u00adting them togeth\u00ader. The process has been slow and incre\u00admen\u00adtal. It is only now that we are start\u00ading to dis\u00adcern larg\u00ader, abstract pat\u00adterns in it, and it is only now that we are in a posi\u00adtion to start dis\u00adcussing the entire issue coherently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy is a dif\u00adfer\u00adent type of tool. An ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy is cre\u00adat\u00aded by socio\u00adpath\u00adic and dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties for their par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar, self\u00adish pur\u00adpos\u00ades. It is an intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal resource for prac\u00adtic\u00ading fraud. It jus\u00adti\u00adfies crimes, explains betray\u00adals and rever\u00adsals, and impress\u00ades ini\u00adti\u00adates. The more baro\u00adque\u00adly com\u00adplex it is, the more use\u00adful it is to its pro\u00admot\u00aders. An ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy like Marx\u00adism or Con\u00adser\u00advatism, for exam\u00adple, con\u00adtains such a polypho\u00adny of absur\u00addi\u00adties that it can glibly jus\u00adti\u00adfy any action, appear to explain any event, and appeal to any human weak\u00adness or cor\u00adrup\u00adtion. This is why such \u201cisms\u201d con\u00adtin\u00adue to be pro\u00admot\u00aded by those who wish to com\u00admit crimes on a grand scale. How\u00adev\u00ader, their par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar \u201cphilo\u00adsoph\u00adi\u00adcal\u201d con\u00adtent is not very impor\u00adtant. Those who use such an ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy are not bound by its con\u00adtent, and will just as hap\u00adpi\u00adly use any oth\u00ader gob\u00adbledy\u00adgook to accom\u00adplish the same ends. Peo\u00adple like the cur\u00adrent gang of brutes who have tak\u00aden over the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan exec\u00adu\u00adtive, for exam\u00adple, are the psy\u00adcho\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal and moral equiv\u00ada\u00adlent of Lenin\u2019s entourage. They find it con\u00adve\u00adnient to employ dif\u00adfer\u00adent buzz\u00adwords and dif\u00adfer\u00adent-sound\u00ading slo\u00adgans, but they are intent on com\u00admit\u00adting the same crimes. It\u2019s a mis\u00adtake to think that the ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy is what cre\u00adates the crime. The socio\u00adpath\u00adic and dom\u00adi\u00adnant per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty cre\u00adates the crime \u2014 the ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy is mere\u00adly a tool to that end.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic thought must nev\u00ader be dis\u00adcussed as if it was an \u201cide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy\u201d. It is as dif\u00adfer\u00adent con\u00adcep\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly from ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy as sci\u00adence and med\u00adi\u00adcine are from witch\u00adcraft. It exists for an entire\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent pur\u00adpose, and it is found\u00aded in a fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent world view.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c<\/span>Civ\u00adi\u00adliza\u00adtion is the process in which one grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly increas\u00ades the num\u00adber of peo\u00adple includ\u00aded in the term \u2018we\u2019 or \u2018us\u2019 and at the same time decreas\u00ades those labeled \u2018you\u2019 or \u2018them\u2019 until that cat\u00ade\u00adgo\u00adry has no one left in it.\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n

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