Fear and ignorance are powerful, self reinforcing mechanisms of personal and group control.
Fascism tends to take hold when it’s clear to the masses that the institutions that support society are no longer functioning properly. The fear and anxiety that this induces puts people in a “burn it down” framework. This is fertile ground for paternalistic authoritarians to seize power, seeking to do just that.
Paternalisitc authoritarians claim to have all the answers, they place blame for societal ills on marginal people, and the masses willingly hand over power to the authoritarians. Fascism never ends well.
Aristotle said, “Anyone can be angry, but to be angry at the right entity, to the right degree, for the right reasons, that is not easy, and not everyone can do that.”
People are right to be angry. The institutions, built on yesterday’s mental models are not working. We need new mental models, that better model our world, to provide guidance and structure to our world. The “main insecurities” of food, shelter, education, and health, are becoming less attainable for most. They are rightfully angry to see these staples of life become distant.
Rapid reform is needed. Burning the place down will just make things exponentially worse. Society has a thinking problem. There is a leadership vacuum. Social bonds are fraying, and the money elite are further at odds with the average person. There are many things that require transformation. Allowing authoritarians to wield power will not just hinder progress, but it will lead to rapid regression and suffering few can imagine.
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