The purpose of humiliation is dehumanisation, so that inhumane things can be perpetrated with a clear conscience. It is therefore necessary, for those who are enthusiastically conforming to the COVID restrictions, to actively avoid understanding the protestors. Understanding would erode the psychological mechanism that enables them to convince themselves of the virtue of mandates and, more importantly, of their own virtue in conforming - and seeking to coerce others to conform - to cruel and unnecessary measures.
Now the narrative threatens to get out of their control - it is beginning to break through, not only in the public domain but, more crucially, in the psychological domain. The smugness and condescension of the elites turns to fury and 'good people' call for the violence of the state to be unleashed on those who are making it difficult for them to maintain their self deception. They double down on publicly humiliating the dissenters, calling them 'white supremacists', 'hateful', 'Trump supporters' and a raft of other equally absurd things. The speaker of Parliament has the lawn sprinklers turned on them and, in a seeming parody of Guantanamo Bay, attempts to break their spirits with bad music played at volume. This perpetuates the "cycle of humiliation", further enraging the dissenters and strengthening their resolve.
The trouble for the elites is, this drama is playing out in the physical world, not on Twitter. As former leader of New Zealand's ACT party, Rodney Hyde wrote - https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/the-protestors-have-won - "Once a significant chunk [of the people] defy the government, that’s it. It doesn’t take a majority, just a good chunk. And the mandates have mobilised a good chunk and then some. The politicians can rant and rage and hold meetings. But that’s all they can do".
It's beginning to look as if the final humiliation will be that of the 'leaders' who let things get this bad.
The purpose of humiliation is dehumanisation, so that inhumane things can be perpetrated with a clear conscience. It is therefore necessary, for those who are enthusiastically conforming to the COVID restrictions, to actively avoid understanding the protestors. Understanding would erode the psychological mechanism that enables them to convince themselves of the virtue of mandates and, more importantly, of their own virtue in conforming - and seeking to coerce others to conform - to cruel and unnecessary measures.
Now the narrative threatens to get out of their control - it is beginning to break through, not only in the public domain but, more crucially, in the psychological domain. The smugness and condescension of the elites turns to fury and 'good people' call for the violence of the state to be unleashed on those who are making it difficult for them to maintain their self deception. They double down on publicly humiliating the dissenters, calling them 'white supremacists', 'hateful', 'Trump supporters' and a raft of other equally absurd things. The speaker of Parliament has the lawn sprinklers turned on them and, in a seeming parody of Guantanamo Bay, attempts to break their spirits with bad music played at volume. This perpetuates the "cycle of humiliation", further enraging the dissenters and strengthening their resolve.
The trouble for the elites is, this drama is playing out in the physical world, not on Twitter. As former leader of New Zealand's ACT party, Rodney Hyde wrote - https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/the-protestors-have-won - "Once a significant chunk [of the people] defy the government, that’s it. It doesn’t take a majority, just a good chunk. And the mandates have mobilised a good chunk and then some. The politicians can rant and rage and hold meetings. But that’s all they can do".
It's beginning to look as if the final humiliation will be that of the 'leaders' who let things get this bad.