Status Updates From Anatomy of the State

I got a few books to celebrate graduation.

“ The greatest danger to the State
is independent intellectual criticism; there is no
better way to stifle that criticism than to attack
any isolated voice, any raiser of new doubts, as a
profane violator of the wisdom of his ancestors.
Another potent ideological force is to deprecate
the individual and exalt the collectivity of society.”

“ Since most men tend to love their
homeland, the identification of that land and
its people with the State was a means of mak-
ing natural patriotism work to the State’s advan-
tage. If “Ruritania” was being attacked by “Walldavia,” the first task of the State and its intellectuals was to convince the people of Ruritania that the attack was really upon them and not simply upon the ruling caste. “

..."But always, after a greater or smaller time lag, the State has moved into these new areas to cripple and confiscate social power once more."

"While social power is over nature, State power is over man. Through history, man's productive and creative forces have, time and again, carved out new ways of transforming nature for man's benefit. These have been the times when social power has spurted ahead of State power, and when the degree of state encroachment society has considerably lessened." ...

"In war, State power is pushed to its ultimate. And, under the slogans of defense and emergency, it can impose a tyranny upon the public, such as might openly resisted in time of peace. War thus provides many benefits to a State, and indeed every modern war has brought to waring peoples a permanent legacy of increased State burdens upon society."

"When a private citizen is robbed, a worthy man is deprived of the fruits of his industry and thrift. When the government is robbed, the worst that happens is that certain rogues and loafers have less money to play with than they had before. The notion that they have earned that money is never entertained."

"Furthermore, an attack on conspiracy theories means that the subjects will become more gullible in believing the general welfare reasons that are always put forth by the State for engaging in any of its despotic actions. A conspiracy theory can unsettle the system by causing the public to doubt the State's ideological propaganda"

"The greatest danger to the state is independent intellectual criticism. There is no better way to stifle that criticism than to attack any isolated voice, any raiser of new doubts, as a profane violator of the wisdom of his ancestors."