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Does Irving Janis' description of Groupthink sound familiar? It's not a new idea. Hitler used it. Stalin used it. Mao Tse Tung used it. Jim Jones used it to convince 913 followers to drink poisoned Kool-Aid in Guyana in 1978. Kim Jong-Il is using it today in North Korea. It has been a mainstay of cults and repressive political regimes throughout history. And it is happening today, right in front of our eyes. Guess by whom...?
In the most horrific applications, enforcement of Groupthink is brutal. A person that challenged the Groupthink of Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Kim Jong-Il, or Saddam Hussein was lucky if they were quickly and painlessly murdered. But the enforcement of Groupthink isn't always so obvious. A dissenter may be marginalized within the group or ostracized from the group. Stereotypes and ad hominem attacks are common methods used to attempt to silence those outside the group. The response to dissent, real or imagined, can range from a dirty look all the way to a bullet to the back of the head but the goal is the same: enforce Groupthink.
It would be inaccurate to claim that the Left has a patent on Groupthink. Right-wing extremist groups depend on it as well. Religious cults and extremist groups of every variation use it. But the political far-Left's Groupthink, in and outside of the United States, is pervasive and has infected the news media and all levels of government.
Think I'm just a paranoid alarmist? Two words: Political Correctness.
Although ridiculed shortly after the concept was first described in the 1980's, Political Correctness (PC) is not a joke. It is real and it affects every one of us. Even someone that isn't a news junkie should easily be able to recall cases in which a careless slip of the tongue ruined someone's life. Even a perceived violation of PC can ruin your life. Here is an infamous example.
In January 1999, David Howard was forced to resign his job in the D.C. mayor's office. His offence? He used the word "niggardly" in a private conversation regarding funding.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines niggardly as "grudgingly mean about spending or granting." The Barnhard Dictionary of Etymology traces the origins of 'niggardly' to the 1300's, and to the words 'nig' and 'ignon', meaning "miser" in Middle English. No racial connotations associated with the word. The well known racial slur doesn't enter the lexicon until the 1500's, from the same root as the French negre and Spanish negro, words for the color black.
Even though entirely unrelated, "niggardly" resembles the "n-word" whose very utterance is verboten (unless one happens to be a member of the group). But David Howard is white so he was granted no quarter. Mr. Howard learned that the consequences of using a word that even sounds like a racial slur can be severe. Fortunately for Mr. Howard there was a public uproar over the event and he was eventually reinstated.
By the way, David Howard was described as "active in the gay community." It helps to have politically influential friends that know how to get the media involved. The "controversy" was absurd and Howard's friends were right to alert the media. But how many others tagged with the "Scarlet R" have associates that wield such influence? David Howard got his job back but others lack the resources to fight back.
Am I just a member of the VRWC picking on well-intentioned "progressives"? Here's a test: cite an example of Right-wing Political Correctness. Got one? Didn't think so. The Rosemary's Baby known as Political Correctness was born of the Left alone. PC is thought control on an Orwellian scale. It's not something that could happen here; it has already happened here and grows day by day.
Political Correctness is Thought Control
Groupthink is, plain and simple, Socialism. The rights of the group outweigh the rights of the individual. This includes the right to disagree with the group, even in thought. Opinions that do not conform with Groupthink must be obliterated. Those who dissent must be re-educated or ostracized or silenced. Groupthink has zero tolerance for dissent.
Does it bother anyone else that the people that scream loudest about "free speech" are the often same people that advocate speech codes? The same people that routinely shout down opponents? (James Carville shouting down John O'Neill on CNN's Crossfire comes to mind.) The same people that will sometimes stoop to intimidation or even violence to silence opponents? The people that label George Bush a fascist. Does that sound like an "out-group stereotype" to you?
Think I'm exaggerating? Search Google with the string +"George Bush" +fascist and you'll see what I mean. I just love how the crowd that worships "diversity" is so intolerant of diverse opinions.
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." (George Orwell, Animal Farm)
The Thought Police aren't coming. They are already here. But Big Brother isn't who you thought we would be...
In the most horrific applications, enforcement of Groupthink is brutal. A person that challenged the Groupthink of Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Kim Jong-Il, or Saddam Hussein was lucky if they were quickly and painlessly murdered. But the enforcement of Groupthink isn't always so obvious. A dissenter may be marginalized within the group or ostracized from the group. Stereotypes and ad hominem attacks are common methods used to attempt to silence those outside the group. The response to dissent, real or imagined, can range from a dirty look all the way to a bullet to the back of the head but the goal is the same: enforce Groupthink.
It would be inaccurate to claim that the Left has a patent on Groupthink. Right-wing extremist groups depend on it as well. Religious cults and extremist groups of every variation use it. But the political far-Left's Groupthink, in and outside of the United States, is pervasive and has infected the news media and all levels of government.
Think I'm just a paranoid alarmist? Two words: Political Correctness.
Although ridiculed shortly after the concept was first described in the 1980's, Political Correctness (PC) is not a joke. It is real and it affects every one of us. Even someone that isn't a news junkie should easily be able to recall cases in which a careless slip of the tongue ruined someone's life. Even a perceived violation of PC can ruin your life. Here is an infamous example.
In January 1999, David Howard was forced to resign his job in the D.C. mayor's office. His offence? He used the word "niggardly" in a private conversation regarding funding.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines niggardly as "grudgingly mean about spending or granting." The Barnhard Dictionary of Etymology traces the origins of 'niggardly' to the 1300's, and to the words 'nig' and 'ignon', meaning "miser" in Middle English. No racial connotations associated with the word. The well known racial slur doesn't enter the lexicon until the 1500's, from the same root as the French negre and Spanish negro, words for the color black.
Even though entirely unrelated, "niggardly" resembles the "n-word" whose very utterance is verboten (unless one happens to be a member of the group). But David Howard is white so he was granted no quarter. Mr. Howard learned that the consequences of using a word that even sounds like a racial slur can be severe. Fortunately for Mr. Howard there was a public uproar over the event and he was eventually reinstated.
By the way, David Howard was described as "active in the gay community." It helps to have politically influential friends that know how to get the media involved. The "controversy" was absurd and Howard's friends were right to alert the media. But how many others tagged with the "Scarlet R" have associates that wield such influence? David Howard got his job back but others lack the resources to fight back.
Am I just a member of the VRWC picking on well-intentioned "progressives"? Here's a test: cite an example of Right-wing Political Correctness. Got one? Didn't think so. The Rosemary's Baby known as Political Correctness was born of the Left alone. PC is thought control on an Orwellian scale. It's not something that could happen here; it has already happened here and grows day by day.
Political Correctness is Thought Control
Groupthink is, plain and simple, Socialism. The rights of the group outweigh the rights of the individual. This includes the right to disagree with the group, even in thought. Opinions that do not conform with Groupthink must be obliterated. Those who dissent must be re-educated or ostracized or silenced. Groupthink has zero tolerance for dissent.
Does it bother anyone else that the people that scream loudest about "free speech" are the often same people that advocate speech codes? The same people that routinely shout down opponents? (James Carville shouting down John O'Neill on CNN's Crossfire comes to mind.) The same people that will sometimes stoop to intimidation or even violence to silence opponents? The people that label George Bush a fascist. Does that sound like an "out-group stereotype" to you?
Think I'm exaggerating? Search Google with the string +"George Bush" +fascist and you'll see what I mean. I just love how the crowd that worships "diversity" is so intolerant of diverse opinions.
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." (George Orwell, Animal Farm)
The Thought Police aren't coming. They are already here. But Big Brother isn't who you thought we would be...
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