Once we had game shows to evaluate and reward our knowledge of trivia, and competitive sports to reward our physical ability. Then came the reality show. The conventional wisdom is that audiences flock to reality shows because they enjoy the prurient sight of other people being humiliated. Thus conditioned, we have evolved into a mob psychology that calls to mind the Salem witch hunts of 1692, of public humiliation and a required period in the village stocks.

We no longer debate facts, we debate the relative worth of those who take a differing view of the facts to our own.

Prince Harry, in a private video made three years ago, referred to a friend as a ‘Paki’ and is now to be sent for re-education, disingenuously referred to as “diversity awareness training”, but which might be more accurately described as Multicultural brainwashing. The known facts, which should also include his time working tirelessly in Africa, and supporting African charities, were buried deeply under the welter of accusations hurled by both sides – those who supported Harry’s period in the stocks were denounced as politically correct, those who argued against were denounced as racist. His actions were judged meaningless when compared to his utterance of an ideologically impure word, and he was found guilty of the heinous act of failing to be sufficiently politically correct.

The Madeleine McCann case first awakened my interest in the Government’s ‘Media Monitoring Unit’; one of the reasons put forward in cyber world for the secondment of Clarence Mitchell from this unit to a position as Press Spokesman for the McCann parents, was that it was an experiment to see how far public interest in a news worthy matter could be subverted by persuading the audience to divide into two teams, labelling and abusing their opponents rather than discussing the incontrovertible fact that three babies had been left alone in an unsafe environment. If that was the motivation, it has been singularly successful, there is only one major web site where a balanced discussion of the facts continues; the remainder of McCann cyberspace has disintegrate into ‘safe havens’ for splinter groups to discuss with those of like opinion, free from the ritual denunciation as either ‘trolls’, child abusers, or child neglecters. If you are taking the time to label and abuse your ‘enemy’, then you’re not talking about the evidence – you’re talking about your opponent.

That the Government wishes to sideline intelligent debate can scarcely be denied following the ‘Dolly Chronicles’ of the past few weeks. A web site set up with the backing of major government figures, ostensibly to promote dialogue with the ruling political party morphed within days into a set piece of political ideology reminiscent of life within the GDR between 1950 and 1990. Opponents were denounced as racist, calls for economic sanctions were made, followed by the familiar cry of ‘off to the stocks with him’. We should not be surprised, it is after all the beliefs and teachings of those same people who applauded the Soviet Empire, the drawing of the iron curtain, and the thought control imposed on half of Europe for the better part of a century, which have brought us to where we are. It is their prize winning students who are now running our lives and dictating our language.

It is interesting that ‘Dolly’ Draper is a psychologist, for a basic value of the science of psychology is promoting human freedom of responsible action, based on awareness of available options, and supporting an individual’s rights to exercise them. Whatever we mean by “mind control” stands in direct opposition to this.

Philip Zimbardo, former president of the American Psychological Association:

“Mind control is the process by which individual or collective freedom of choice and action is compromised by agents or agencies that modify or distort perception, motivation, affect, cognition and/or behavioural outcomes. It is neither magical nor mystical, but a process that involves a set of basic social psychological principles.”

These foes of freedom of speech and accountability employ subtle means of silencing dissent, sowing division, and promoting intolerance and bigotry. From the 1930s on, there are many historical instances of state power dominating individual beliefs and values. In Stalin’s Moscow show trials, his adversaries publicly confessed to their treasons. In Mao Zedong’s China, dissidents publicly confessed their impure thoughts.

There is a disarming pantomime quality to relegation to the village stocks at the moment. Who can really take ‘Dolly’ seriously, or feel threatened by Carol Thatcher’s use of the Gollywog appellation? We dismiss it as histrionics of the politically correct.

Beware, once we get used to denouncing advertisers on Guido’s web site as supporters of racism, we will have forgotten that we should have been talking about how to hold the thieves and brigands currently in Parliament to account for their misuse of our tax payments.

Saul February 20, 2009 at 22:21

Potty Time.

Gloria Smudd
February 20, 2009 at 22:12

What time is it, Eccles?

Saul February 20, 2009 at 22:07

When I saw Henry Crun I couldn’t resist inserting one of my favourite
lines…

Neddie Seagoon went to Henry Crun’s shipping office to book a passage to
Guatemala to search for Fred Nurke. For a good three minutes, Henry appeared
to be taking down Neddie’s details, asking him to spell everything, usually
more than once, and even falling asleep before finally saying, “It’s no good,
I’ll have to get a pencil and some paper and write all this down.”

Coco February 19, 2009 at 23:57

Henry Crun ………………. I think you are right. And no doubt we will be forced to
have a drip of anti-fats as well ……….. Just to make sure we don’t go putting
too much fat in our arteries ……………..

I wonder how soon we will have this perfect society of healthy,
non-smoking, non-drinking and non-pie-eating individuals who plugh the land
and start doffing their caps at their betters again?

Gloria Smudd
February 19, 2009 at 21:40

And I am a member of the Can’t Unnerstand Nuffink Thesedays Symposium.

janes February 19, 2009 at 18:33

By the way Henry Crun I am a member of the Carry Unnecessary Noxious
Tobacco group.

janes February 19, 2009 at 18:30

Robinson Crusoe (in 1700 and something) says he cured himself of the ague
by mixing water, rum and green tobacco. Now, I’m almost, but not completely,
convinced that I should give up smoking and run the risk of living longer.
But, d’ya think it would have the same effect if I ate tobacco and start
drinking rum whilst still smoking?

Henry
Crun February 19, 2009 at 09:46

Coco, I think your first post has it all wrong.

In 20 years time it will be socially unacceptable to go to the pub. Units
of alcohol will be dispensed by the NHS to keep us within the weekly
recommended limit as per the Clinical Unit for Not Treating the Sick
guidelines.

Saul February 19, 2009 at 04:53

All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way.
People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes,
and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome.

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary
act.

George Orwell

Coco February 18, 2009 at 23:36

The language changes really bug me sometimes janes. In fact – I find them
really offensive. Even more offensive than the grocer’s apostrophe!

And I hate it when people start reclaiming words ……….. as if they owned
them in the first place. Words are for sharing amongst all – even expletives.
I often think that expletives are not used nearly enough in the English
language.

janes February 18, 2009 at 23:21

Quite so!

Ch February 18, 2009 at 23:20

More equal …

Good night

janes February 18, 2009 at 23:18

Thought police, disappearing people from history, enemies becoming friends
and vice versa in the blink of an eye, constant monitoring of everything we do
and everywhere we go, re-education for ridiculous transgressions, language
changing without consultation, and the lottery. Oh, and some animals being
more important than others. Yes, Orwell was indeed a visionary.

Coco February 18, 2009 at 22:18

I think Orwell got the year right! It was his publishers who didn’t want to
frighten us to death!
I think it’s 2012 really!

Ch February 18, 2009 at 22:08

Orwell was right, though he got the year wrong

Coco February 18, 2009 at 21:26

Free-thinking individuals will be a thing of the past within 20 years!

They will not think like their parents and they certainly won’t think like
their grandparents.

In fact …………… they will probably not be able to even fucking well think
straight!

What these ridiculous PC laws have absolutely ensured is that the whole
population will be operating on super-ego!

Check to see if there is a racial minority in the pub.
Check to see if
there is any person of a particular creed in the pub that could be offended by
something as petty as a Teddy bear called Mohammed.
Check everybody’s
sexuality in the pub.
Check everybody’s marital and family situation in the
pub.
Check everybody’s past family history before even mentioning
wife-battery, incest, prison records etc. (Just in case we could possibly
offend anybody in any way at all.)
Check everybody’s job in the pub ……….
(Just in case you are sat amongst the Thought Police.)

Order drink from bar. Check. No smoking ban. Take drink outside bar into
designated smoking zone. Check. – Fuck this! – We are off home to our own
house to make our own entertainment amongst people we feel safe with …………. and
to drink our much cheaper supermarket booze.

The Government would prefer for us to stay in our little hovels and not
cause conflict, harrassment or debate about anything to do with anything about
anything ………… ever.

Job done! – No gangs of three or more people gathering together to bemoan
their lot or to sit and chat creating a better society ……….. Except on the
internet!!! Yeah the internet was the last bastion for the half-sane that are
left!

But the Government already have that boxed off and in the bag …………… Because
they propose to keep all our fucking emails on file forever and ever.