There are five stages you go through, when cracking your pro-State brainwashing.
1. Denial
Here are some examples of denial:
The economy is getting better!Most people haven't progressed past the "denial" stage. If you challenge them, they will get hostile and defensive.
Inflation is low!
Ben Bernanke is doing a good job, managing the economy.
Taxation is not theft!
Government protects my freedom!
There's nothing wrong with the IRS.
There's nothing wrong with the Federal Reserve.
If you're a brainwashed zombie pro-State troll, it's a lot like being a drug addict! It's hard to admit that nearly everything you know about economics and politics is a lie.
2. Anger
Many people get stuck here. They'll be obsessed over a specific Statist who injured them. It may be a policeman, bureaucrat, judge, politician, or abusive boss.
Many people commit "suicide by cop" when they're in the anger phase. Jared Lougner and Joe Stack got stuck at the "anger" phase.
If you violently resist when a State thug abuses you, then you're going to get killed. You're throwing your life away for nothing. However, if everyone resisted at the same time, the State would collapse.
It's a type of equilibrium. If almost nobody resists evil, then anyone who resists is eliminated. If everyone resists evil, then everyone is immediately freed.
3. Bargaining
In the bargaining phase, you think that you can somehow convince State thugs to leave you alone.
Here's some examples of people stuck in the bargaining phase.
If I say or do the right thing, then my abusive jerk boss will start appreciating me!If you're fighting the State according to State rules, then you're stuck in the bargaining phase. If you think the current form of government can be reformed, then you're stuck in the bargaining phase.
If only we vote for the right politicians, then things will get better!
If I say the magic words, then the judge will let me go!
If I file the right paperwork with the State, then I get my freedom back!
I'm going to get a fair trial!
If only we can get this law changed, then things will get better!
If I work hard, obey all the laws, and pay taxes, then everything will work out right!
If only we pass the right reforms, then the collapse can be averted!
If only judges and politicians respected the Constitution!
Most "tax protesters" are stuck in the bargaining phase. For some bizarre reason, they expect to convince the judge. For some bizarre reason, they expect to get a fair trial.
I also never understood why some people believe "There's some magic paperwork I can file with the State to get my freedom back." It isn't that easy.
If you're campaigning for a specific politician, you're stuck in the bargaining phase. If you think your vote matters, you're stuck in the bargaining phase. If you're looking for legal technicalities against State evil, you're stuck in the bargaining phase.
4. Depression
In this stage, you realize it's all one big scam. The odds seem overwhelmingly stacked against you.
Here are some quotes from people stuck in the Depression phase.
I know that the IRS is evil. I report all my income because I don't want to be kidnapped/imprisoned.I'm still partially stuck in this phase. I know the State is one big scam. Except for blogging, I'm not doing anything freedom-oriented.
It's hopeless. The police have virtually unlimited resources.
The mainstream media tell nothing but lies. How can I educate people about the truth in the face of such well-organized evil?
Most people react with hostility, when I challenge their pro-State brainwashing. Why bother trying?
I'm going to be a good slave because there are no alternatives. I'd rather have limited freedom, than be in prison or murdered.
However, I have valid excuses for waiting. I'm still somewhat recovering from my illness. In a few years, there will be more time for anti-State beliefs to spread, and it will be less risky.
5. Acceptance
This is when you're fully cracked your pro-State brainwashing.
I accept that the current form of government has degenerated into one huge criminal conspiracy. I accept that collapse is inevitable.
I accept that the police have superior resources. If I'm careful, I may be able to pursue freedom without too much personal risk.
I accept that the police try to spy on nearly every group of people.
I accept that the Constitution is not a valid contract. The Constitution was written by insider lawyers seeking to consolidate and expand their power.
I accept that I probably won't get a fair trial, if I'm falsely accused of a crime.
I accept that voting is a fake choice. If there's a really attractive candidate on the ballot, I might waste an hour voting. I'm not holding my breath waiting for insiders to get their act together.
I accept that agorism is the best strategy for personal freedom that I've seen. I'm openminded to other possibilities.
It is a type of progression, when you crack your pro-State brainwashing. There aren't just false logical beliefs. There also are false emotional beliefs.
In addition to logical pro-State brainwashing, people are conditioned to think and act and feel like slaves. That's the reason there's so much hostility when you try to explain the truth to someone, rather than them saying "You're right! I never thought about it that way before! Taxation really is theft!"
It's very much like recovering from addiction, when you crack your pro-State brainwashing. Once you're fully aware of the truth, there's still a lot of work towards getting actual freedom.
2 comments:
"If almost nobody resists evil, then anyone who resist is eliminated. If everyone resists evil, then everyone is immediately freed."
Yes, a variation on the prisoner's dilemma. The state spends a lot of time using psychology and sociology to study the behavior of people in groups, then structure society in such a way that there is no chance that their power structures can get upset. They know it would be risky if there was a civil war or revolution, so the populace is enticed to become their own wardens and make sure that crabs that cry to get out of the bucket are pulled back down or selected next for eating. For example, if the military is sent to Kent State to deal with peaceful protestors then it is is quite natural they will kill their own, who they have been socialized to be the enemy when we distinguish between "civilians" and the military-police state that supports the existing corporate power structures, and believes the Bible commands them to do so and they will be rewarded in heaven for this: "All must submit to the governing authorities."
Great post. For me, I blew through the first 3 stages when I was a kid, then was stuck in stage 4 for most of my adult life. I've been in stage 5 for about 10 years now. 9/11 did it for me. I knew it was a scam from the get-go. I figured if government (whether US or Israel) was so evil as to murder thousands of innocent people in cold blood for political gain, it needed to be utterly abolished from the earth. It proved that not only was government not here to protect like it claims, but it was tremendously evil as well.
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