6 Comments
User's avatar
Donna Barthule's avatar

“Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me: There lie they, and here lie we. Under the spreading chestnut tree.”

George Orwell, nineteen Eighty-Four

And in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Fireman Montag’s wife Mildred informs on Montag to the authorities.

The behavior is axiomatic in totalitarian dictatorships. fictional and non. and non.

Expand full comment
Loki Excelsior Smith's avatar

Yes. It's hardwired into the DNA of fascism. The reach of the Stasi, in particular, in East Germany, is CRAAAZY to examine, now. I hope we can stigmatize it now in our culture so that the exploitation doesn't dig as deep.

Expand full comment
V Hayden's avatar

I would argue that fascism is simply the true face of patriarchy - the raw, unadulterated, unfiltered evil that it has always been - and these are the inevitable consequences and conclusion to 5000 years of its domination.

I would also say that it is a very rare human being who is strong enough to withstand the kind of prolonged, agonizing torture that is dished out in isolation, over a period of days and weeks. It comes down to a primal drive for self-preservation.

And where have men been when it comes to snitching on the patriarchy? Have they not had the same lust for power and domination at the expense of their women and children -and their souls, even if it is only to be kings of their own castles?

How can we expect them not to snitch on their families and friends when they've bowing so long to the patriarchy that it has become automatic?

These are the questions I ponder.

Expand full comment
Loki Excelsior Smith's avatar

Solid questions. I’ve been seeing a lot of arguments lately about how individualism led us here. Maybe that’s true. Then we are more apt to ignore the collective good, therefore ratting out the neighbor is not seen as a problem.

You’re also tapping into the patriarchy, which I think leadership positions breeds in that leader ship a singular us over them mentality.

I think the shift from independence to interdependence is what we now need

Expand full comment
Victor Hale's avatar

Call them what they are without any veneer: fascist collaborators.

Expand full comment
Loki Excelsior Smith's avatar

I like it, except it implies a balance of power between state and citizen, which it def is not. More like CUCKerators? Lol, finding the right term is gonna take a minute, and will likely happen organically, as language tends to do.

Expand full comment