The Makings of Totalism

Steven Barrie-Anthony

But why in the world do people pay
attention to such lunatics?
These variables, which I am  borrowing from Lifton and reinterpreting, were present in Bin Laden’s case, in Koresh’s case, and in the background of every instance of totalistic violence committed in recorded history.  They are:1) Milieu control, the complete absence of civil liberties, total control of  communication, etc.
2) Mystical manipulation, an overinterpretation of certain details ofexperience to induce a mystical belief in the correctness of the ideology.
3) The cult of confession, the emphasis on complete lack of privacy, the obligation to inform on yourself and repent any minor deviation.
4) The sacred science, the given ideologyis considered objectively correct, there is no possibility of differing interpretation.   It is considered persuasive to any reasonable person because it fits the facts of the world.  So people who deviate from it are considered irrational, they’re going against what their own intellect (heart/soul/etc.) is telling them.5) The demand for purity, people areexpected to have an all or nothing attitude towards the ideology.  They have to live their whole lives, down to every detail, in conformity with the ideology, and any deviation is regarded as equivalent to being evil.

6) Loading the language, the emphasison thought-terminating clichés, i.e.

communication only occurs with clichés and  verbal formulas that discourage original thought.  They talk in jargon and slogans.7) Doctrine over person, the given doctrine applies to every situation—any time there’s an inconsistency between what a person thinks and what the doctrine says, the person should be sacrificed to the doctrine.

8) Dispensing of existence, the rights and claims of nonbelievers don’tmerit consideration.  If somebody is a nonbeliever, they’re considered in the grip of Satan and you can kill them without feeling any guilt — in fact, you’re obligated to do so.  (This applies to all rights, from the lesser rights to the right to live.)

Notice the overlap in the variables, with the « Dumbing Down »characteristics of John Taylor Gatto, describing American education.