He who thus dominates over you has only two eyes, only two hands, only one body,
no more than is possessed by the least man among the infinite numbers dwelling in
your cities; he has indeed nothing more than the power that you confer upon him to destroy you.
Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy upon you, if you do not provide them yourselves?
How can he have so many arms to beat you with, if he does not borrow them from you?
The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own?
How does he have any power over you except through you?
How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you? What could he do to you if
you yourselves did not connive with the thief you plunders you, if you were not the accomplices
of the murderer who kills you, if you were not traitors to yourselves?
You yield your bodies unto hard labour in order that he may indulge in his delights and wallow in his filthy pleasures; you weak yourself in order to make him stronger and the mightier to hold you in check. From all these indignities, such as the very beasts of the field would not endure, you can deliver yourselves if you try, not by taking action, but merely by willing to be free.
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed....A people enslaves itself, cuts its own throat, when having a choice between being vassals and being free men,it deserts its liberties and takes on the yoke, gives consent to its own misery,or, rather, apparently welcomes it." --- Ettiene de La Boetie, 1552, French philosopher.
As you countdown to the end of another year, reflect again. It is a tragic quirk of human nature that allow billions all over the world to repeatedly and consistently subject themselves to brutish domination by the tyrannical few. The answer is partly due to violent coercion. But, if individuals with empowered mind and empowered networks refused to cooperate and allow themselves to be abused or used as instruments of state terror, tyrants would fall, immediatelly. A TYRant is just an 'ant' at its end.
That is not a mere slogan but, if you go into it really deeply, you will discover how significant your actions are, how what you are affects the world in which you live, which is the world of your relationships, however small, however limited.
And, if we can fundamentally alter, bring about a radical revolution in ourselves, inwardly, then there is a possibility of creating a different world, a different set of values.
no more than is possessed by the least man among the infinite numbers dwelling in
your cities; he has indeed nothing more than the power that you confer upon him to destroy you.
Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy upon you, if you do not provide them yourselves?
How can he have so many arms to beat you with, if he does not borrow them from you?
The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own?
How does he have any power over you except through you?
How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you? What could he do to you if
you yourselves did not connive with the thief you plunders you, if you were not the accomplices
of the murderer who kills you, if you were not traitors to yourselves?
You yield your bodies unto hard labour in order that he may indulge in his delights and wallow in his filthy pleasures; you weak yourself in order to make him stronger and the mightier to hold you in check. From all these indignities, such as the very beasts of the field would not endure, you can deliver yourselves if you try, not by taking action, but merely by willing to be free.
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed....A people enslaves itself, cuts its own throat, when having a choice between being vassals and being free men,it deserts its liberties and takes on the yoke, gives consent to its own misery,or, rather, apparently welcomes it." --- Ettiene de La Boetie, 1552, French philosopher.
As you countdown to the end of another year, reflect again. It is a tragic quirk of human nature that allow billions all over the world to repeatedly and consistently subject themselves to brutish domination by the tyrannical few. The answer is partly due to violent coercion. But, if individuals with empowered mind and empowered networks refused to cooperate and allow themselves to be abused or used as instruments of state terror, tyrants would fall, immediatelly. A TYRant is just an 'ant' at its end.
In 1552, French philosopher
Etienne de la Boetie wrote:
He who dominates over you has
only two eyes, only two hands, only one body, no more than is
possessed by the least…among the infinite numbers dwelling
in your cities; he has indeed nothing more than the power you
confer on him to destroy you. How has he acquired enough eyes to
spy upon you, if you do not provide them yourselves? How can he
have so many arms to beat you with, if he does not borrow them
from you? The feet that trample down your cities, where does he
get them if they are not your own? How does he have any power
over you, except through you? What could he do to you if you
yourselves did not connive with the thief who plunders you? If
you were not accomplices of the murderer who kills you? If you
were not traitors to yourselves?
It is indeed a tragic quirk of
human nature that allows millions all over the world to
repeatedly and consistently subject themselves to brutish
domination by the tyrannical few. The answer is partly due to
violent coercion. But as de la Boetie expounded, if individuals
refused to cooperate and allow themselves to be used as
instruments of state terror, tyrants would fall.
Another
reason why masses often become putty in the hands of dictators is
the use and misuse of information to shape public opinion. The
use of the mass media to constantly exalt the rulers
(statesmen-like photographs are strategically placed here,
effusive write-ups prominently published there) and to create
larger-than-life images of the leaders is a tried and tested
means of mind-control. The constant droning of the official line
and the downplaying, or complete censorship, of dissenting views
for years upon years all contribute to shaping the thought
processes of the people.
The
resultant effect is so pervasive and deep-seated that even the
victims are led to believe that it is their inability and
deficiency that has placed them in the situation they find
themselves. In other words, they buy into the delusion that being
in a state of subjugation is the natural order of things and,
worse, that they are powerless to change the ruler-ruled
relationship. This is exactly the problem that besets us in
Singapore.
The biggest struggle is not
against the PAP; it is against what the PAP has done to our
minds.
Unlearning learned helplessness
Yet
propaganda, too, has its weaknesses. The erstwhile Soviet Union,
mighty as it once was, could only keep the truth out and its
people in for less than 75 years. Autocrats are acutely aware of
how precarious the use of state violence and propaganda can be;
hence the need to eradicate sources that provide dissenting
information. This is where we need to start: To recondition the
Singaporean mind into realising that no one is ever completely
powerless. The ability to break the chains in our minds that lock
us into thinking we are helpless is itself a power that each of
us wields. We must not allow ourselves to believe that PAP
domination is irrevocable and that events determined by the
ruling few are inevitable and unalterable. I mentioned earlier
that learned helplessness is an induced state of mind, and
because it is an induced state of mind, it can also be unlearned.
I am not
saying that structures are not in place to prevent us from
actively seeking change; I recognise this in earlier paragraphs.
What I am saying is that the first step to liberating ourselves
from PAP oppression is to recognise that we are not powerless. It
is important to acknowledge our mental captivity and recognise we
are not imprisoned for our thoughts as much as we are imprisoned
by them. This first step to overcoming the state of
learned helplessness so crippling to our efforts to achieve
democracy in Singapore is crucial.
One way
to do this is to understand where power comes from and how it can
be used. The most common perception of power is that wielded by
the state, that is, the use of force by a government through the
police and the military. But there are other sources of power
that do not belong to the government, that is, power that can be
exercised by citizens.
How
Singaporeans employ such power and what initiatives we take to
free ourselves is a matter which I will take up in subsequent
chapters. For now, it is important to remember that as long as we
remain captive to our delusions, we will continue to be the eyes
and hands that support the system that de la Boetie so eloquently
described. Political factors change and so must our
mindsets. The confluence of circumstances and how we respond to
them can make all the difference. History
is strewn with cases where the masses overcome dictatorial
regimes by refusing to go along with the wishes of the rulers.
When this happens in Singapore, the delusion that
the PAP has so skillfully created will disappear like mist in the
midday sun.
THE USE OF KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. When power becomes gracious and descends into the visible .... the plot has been stopped, many extremely dangerous mass murderers ... and in countless books); and many, many other resources often cited. .... It is a cartel operating against the public interest.
PHILOSOPHERS HITHERTO SERVED SECRET ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
BUT THE THING IS TO REDEEM 'HUMANITY'.
BUT THE THING IS TO REDEEM 'HUMANITY'.
You take the white pill and the story ends.
You believe whatever you want to believe.
You take the red pill and you'll experience
how deep the conversation goes.
What you are matters infinitely
What the individual is, the society is. What you are matters infinitely.That is not a mere slogan but, if you go into it really deeply, you will discover how significant your actions are, how what you are affects the world in which you live, which is the world of your relationships, however small, however limited.
And, if we can fundamentally alter, bring about a radical revolution in ourselves, inwardly, then there is a possibility of creating a different world, a different set of values.
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