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watchingtheweasels's avatar

It's far worse than that. There have been an entire series of color revolutions where a set of elite puppet masters manipulated people into "rising up like lions" only for them to meet the new boss, same as - or in many cases worse than - the old boss. France 1789, Russia 1917, Arab "Spring" 2010, Ukraine 2014, and the list goes on. There's a saying, "those who refuse to be governed from within shall be governed from without" and we've spent the last century learning that lesson.

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Annie Gottlieb's avatar

All true as far as it goes, but will you please address the following?

The few times this has actually happened, a few talented, motivated, charismatic leaders have risen to the top or the forefront of the mass movement. Others do not have that particular passion or interest or talent; they do not want to be burdened with power. They simply want to live their lives in non abusive conditions.

The leaders take over the palace, put on the deposed leader’s finery, loot his (usually) treasuries … and become him. it may take a few years, but meet the new boss, sane as the old boss. If not worse.

This seems to be an archetype in the collective human psyche even deeper than propaganda. You’ve said it yourself: mass enlightenment or forget it. What are the odds?

Put psilocybin in the water supply? (Only mostly tongue-in-cheek.)

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