Soviet style pressure and tension release methods used in the U.S.

This post is inspired by the latest nonsense from US government officials.

Many believe that soviet system was based on a brutal force, however, it’s only partially true. On the soft methods side, besides their propaganda, soviets were great manipulators of humans’ behavior through signaling acceptable social norms, and ridiculing those that don’t conform. Such approach creates two dimensional pressure system – the state calls certain behavior as bad, but legal – vertical, top down pressure pressure from the state, and horizontal – when people use state given models to pressure other citizens. For example, if the gas is expensive and cars are in short supply – the state would ridicule those that used private vehicles to travel somewhere close. People pick this up very quickly, and those who didn’t have cars were ridiculing those that have, very often through berating sarcasm – “our people don’t go to the bakery by car”. Of course “our people” meant regular soviet comrade who couldn’t even dream about the car. This particular phrase about going to the bakery even ended up in a movie, and became almost a proverb that is used till this day. People will say that when they see someone “wasting” something (cause they are poor, and they need to release their anger somehow). A normal person would think – that’s none of my business how someone prefers to travel.

Why and how it worked on Soviets? With the state’s inability to solve a particular problem became evident, the state would blame “bourgeoisie”, basically anybody who had more than an average person. People that are not happy about that problem (whether the problem is real or not) were scared to criticize the government, so they applied pressure horizontally by ridiculing and ostracizing others. Since the entire soviet idea was built on class struggle, but the classes were supposedly eliminated, those that simply have more, even just a bit, became a new class. Basically- if most of the people struggle from deprivation, than everyone who’s not struggling is an enemy.

The US (and all major western countries) has mastered this tactics, making it less evident and a lot more effective. “Opinions” of what’s right and wrong are pushed not only by state officials, but also through “independent media”, science research, etc. You’re not happy with climate change? Here’s the research that shows how private jets emit more CO2 that private cars, just don’t look at US war machine, the biggest emitter in the world. Not happy with pollution? Here’s the list of private corporations that had incidents causing pollution, but ignore the slap on a wrist penalties creating pay for play system where leaving a mess costs less than cleaning it up. Pissed off with TSA, bad air traffic control, route closures due to whatever the fuck it’s this time? Release your tension on people wearing pajamas during travel, the state has nothing to do with that either. Not happy about [whatever]? Here, watch this news host or a government official handle this (calls people chumps, incels, extremist, “fake news”, socialist, etc).

When I immigrated to the U.S., this wasn’t as apparent to me, but I feel like it’s been in overdrive for the last 10 or so years. And then the same fucking politicians and news heads call for unity and blame division for all the problems the state suppose to solve, yet they can’t, because they don’t have enough seats in Congress/Parliament, the other party doesn’t want “bipartisan” solution, etc, and it’s all of course because your neighbor wears a maga hat, or has LGBT flag outside their door.

And people fall for it. People fall for it every time. Because they don’t see how they are being manipulated.

This Duffy guy, who probably didn’t fly commercial in a while, and doesn’t have to stand in the TSA line, tells you to hate people that wear pajamas. When I was trying to find an article for a screenshot, I came across 5-6 articles that softly or strongly agree with this stupid idea that people must dress up for travel. Don’t fall for this bullshit. And next time you’re about to ridicule someone for their opinion, think if that’s truly what you think, or if the conclusion was planted into your mind by someone else.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend boys and girls.