--- a/email/pop3andsmtpmtm/smtpservermtm/test/data/imsk25.out	Mon May 03 12:29:07 2010 +0300
+++ b/email/pop3andsmtpmtm/smtpservermtm/test/data/imsk25.out	Fri Jun 25 15:47:40 2010 +0530
@@ -1,4966 +1,4966 @@
-EHLO []
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.9 
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-1>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This msg should be sent 4 times=20
-  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
-
-  should not appear in the msg header.
-
- -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
-the 'To' & 'Cc'
-  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
-the one to=20
-  whom the mail is addressed to.
-
-
-End of message.
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.9 
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-2>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This msg should be sent 4 times=20
-  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
-
-  should not appear in the msg header.
-
- -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
-the 'To' & 'Cc'
-  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
-the one to=20
-  whom the mail is addressed to.
-
-
-End of message.
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.9 
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-3>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This msg should be sent 4 times=20
-  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
-
-  should not appear in the msg header.
-
- -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
-the 'To' & 'Cc'
-  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
-the one to=20
-  whom the mail is addressed to.
-
-
-End of message.
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.9 
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-4>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This msg should be sent 4 times=20
-  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
-
-  should not appear in the msg header.
-
- -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
-the 'To' & 'Cc'
-  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
-the one to=20
-  whom the mail is addressed to.
-
-
-End of message.
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: <recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-Subject: Test message No.8 - Long message (206KB)
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-5>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-INTRODUCTION
-
-1. The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for =
-the human race. They have=20
-greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in "advanced" =
-countries, but they have=20
-destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human =
-beings to indignities, have led to=20
-widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical =
-suffering as well) and have inflicted=20
-severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology =
-will worsen the situation. It=20
-will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict =
-greater damage on the natural world, it=20
-will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological =
-suffering, and it may lead to increased=20
-physical suffering even in "advanced" countries.=20
-
-2. The industrial-technological system may survive or it may break down. If =
-it survives, it MAY eventually=20
-achieve a low level of physical and psychological suffering, but only after =
-passing through a long and very=20
-painful period of adjustment and only at the cost of permanently reducing =
-human beings and many other=20
-living organisms to engineered products and mere cogs in the social =
-machine. Furthermore, if the system=20
-survives, the consequences will be inevitable: There is no way of reforming =
-or modifying the system so as=20
-to prevent it from depriving people of dignity and autonomy.=20
-
-3. If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. =
-But the bigger the system grows=20
-the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to =
-break down it had best break down=20
-sooner rather than later.=20
-
-4. We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system. This =
-revolution may or may not make=20
-use of violence: it may be sudden or it may be a relatively gradual process =
-spanning a few decades. We=20
-can't predict any of that. But we do outline in a very general way the =
-measures that those who hate the=20
-industrial system should take in order to prepare the way for a revolution =
-against that form of society. This=20
-is not to be a POLITICAL revolution. Its object will be to overthrow not =
-governments but the economic=20
-and technological basis of the present society.=20
-
-5. In this article we give attention to only some of the negative =
-developments that have grown out of the=20
-industrial-technological system. Other such developments we mention only =
-briefly or ignore altogether.=20
-This does not mean that we regard these other developments as unimportant. =
-For practical reasons we have=20
-to confine our discussion to areas that have received insufficient public =
-attention or in which we have=20
-something new to say. For example, since there are well-developed =
-environmental and wilderness=20
-movements, we have written very little about environmental degradation or =
-the destruction of wild nature,=20
-even though we consider these to be highly important.=20
-
-THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN LEFTISM
-
-6. Almost everyone will agree that we live in a deeply troubled society. =
-One of the most widespread=20
-manifestations of the craziness of our world is leftism, so a discussion of =
-the psychology of leftism can=20
-serve as an introduction to the discussion of the problems of modern =
-society in general.=20
-
-7. But what is leftism? During the first half of the 20th century leftism =
-could have been practically=20
-identified with socialism. Today the movement is fragmented and it is not =
-clear who can properly be called=20
-a leftist. When we speak of leftists in this article we have in mind mainly =
-socialists, collectivists,=20
-"politically correct" types, feminists, gay and disability activists, =
-animal rights activists and the like. But=20
-not everyone who is associated with one of these movements is a leftist. =
-What we are trying to get at in=20
-discussing leftism is not so much a movement or an ideology as a =
-psychological type, or rather a collection=20
-of related types. Thus, what we mean by "leftism" will emerge more clearly =
-in the course of our discussion=20
-of leftist psychology (Also, see paragraphs 227-230.)=20
-
-8. Even so, our conception of leftism will remain a good deal less clear =
-than we would wish, but there=20
-doesn't seem to be any remedy for this. All we are trying to do is indicate =
-in a rough and approximate way=20
-the two psychological tendencies that we believe are the main driving force =
-of modern leftism. We by no=20
-means claim to be telling the WHOLE truth about leftist psychology. Also, =
-our discussion is meant to=20
-apply to modern leftism only. We leave open the question of the extent to =
-which our discussion could be=20
-applied to the leftists of the 19th and early 20th century.=20
-
-9. The two psychological tendencies that underlie modern leftism we call =
-"feelings of inferiority" and=20
-"oversocialization." Feelings of inferiority are characteristic of modern =
-leftism as a whole, while=20
-oversocialization is characteristic only of a certain segment of modern =
-leftism; but this segment is highly=20
-influential.=20
-
-FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY
-
-10. By "feelings of inferiority" we mean not only inferiority feelings in =
-the strictest sense but a whole=20
-spectrum of related traits: low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, =
-depressive tendencies, defeatism,=20
-guilt, self-hatred, etc. We argue that modern leftists tend to have such =
-feelings (possibly more or less=20
-repressed) and that these feelings are decisive in determining the =
-direction of modern leftism.=20
-
-11. When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said =
-about him (or about groups with=20
-whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low =
-self-esteem. This tendency is=20
-pronounced among minority rights advocates, whether or not they belong to =
-the minority groups whose=20
-rights they defend. They are hypersensitive about the words used to =
-designate minorities. The terms=20
-"negro," "oriental," "handicapped" or "chick" for an African, an Asian, a =
-disabled person or a woman=20
-originally had no derogatory connotation. "Broad" and "chick" were merely =
-the feminine equivalents of=20
-"guy," "dude" or "fellow." The negative connotations have been attached to =
-these terms by the activists=20
-themselves. Some animal rights advocates have gone so far as to reject the =
-word "pet" and=20
-insist on its replacement by "animal companion." Leftist anthropologists go =
-to great lengths to avoid saying=20
-anything about primitive peoples that could conceivably be interpreted as =
-negative. They want to replace=20
-the word "primitive" by "nonliterate." They seem almost paranoid about =
-anything that might suggest that=20
-any primitive culture is inferior to our own. (We do not mean to imply that =
-primitive cultures ARE inferior=20
-to ours. We merely point out the hypersensitivity of leftish =
-anthropologists.)=20
-
-12. Those who are most sensitive about "politically incorrect" terminology =
-are not the average black=20
-ghetto-dweller, Asian immigrant, abused woman or disabled person, but a =
-minority of activists, many of=20
-whom do not even belong to any "oppressed" group but come from privileged =
-strata of society. Political=20
-correctness has its stronghold among university professors, who have secure =
-employment with comfortable=20
-salaries, and the majority of whom are heterosexual, white males from =
-middle-class families.=20
-
-13. Many leftists have an intense identification with the problems of =
-groups that have an image of being=20
-weak (women), defeated (American Indians), repellent (homosexuals), or =
-otherwise inferior. The leftists=20
-themselves feel that these groups are inferior. They would never admit it =
-to themselves that they have such=20
-feelings, but it is precisely because they do see these groups as inferior =
-that they identify with their=20
-problems. (We do not suggest that women, Indians, etc., ARE inferior; we =
-are only making a point about=20
-leftist psychology).=20
-
-14. Feminists are desperately anxious to prove that women are as strong as =
-capable as men. Clearly they=20
-are nagged by a fear that women may NOT be as strong and as capable as men. =
-
-
-15. Leftists tend to hate anything that has an image of being strong, good =
-and successful. They hate=20
-America, they hate Western civilization, they hate white males, they hate =
-rationality. The reasons that=20
-leftists give for hating the West, etc. clearly do not correspond with =
-their real motives. They SAY they hate=20
-the West because it is warlike, imperialistic, sexist, ethnocentric and so =
-forth, but where these same faults=20
-appear in socialist countries or in primitive cultures, the leftist finds =
-excuses for them, or at best he=20
-GRUDGINGLY admits that they exist; whereas he ENTHUSIASTICALLY points out =
-(and often greatly=20
-exaggerates) these faults where they appear in Western civilization. Thus =
-it is clear that these faults are not=20
-the leftist's real motive for hating America and the West.
- He hates America and the West because they are strong and successful. =
-
-
-16. Words like "self-confidence," "self-reliance," "initiative", =
-"enterprise," "optimism," etc. play little role=20
-in the liberal and leftist vocabulary. The leftist is anti-individualistic, =
-pro-collectivist. He wants society to=20
-solve everyone's needs for them, take care of them. He is not the sort of =
-person who has an inner sense of=20
-confidence in his own ability to solve his own problems and satisfy his own =
-needs. The leftist is=20
-antagonistic to the concept of competition because, deep inside, he feels =
-like a loser.=20
-
-17. Art forms that appeal to modern leftist intellectuals tend to focus on =
-sordidness, defeat and despair, or=20
-else they take an orgiastic tone, throwing off rational control as if there =
-were no hope of accomplishing=20
-anything through rational calculation and all that was left was to immerse =
-oneself in the sensations of the=20
-moment.=20
-
-18. Modern leftist philosophers tend to dismiss reason, science, objective =
-reality and to insist that=20
-everything is culturally relative. It is true that one can ask serious =
-questions about the foundations of=20
-scientific knowledge and about how, if at all, the concept of objective =
-reality can be defined. But it is=20
-obvious that modern leftist philosophers are not simply cool-headed =
-logicians systematically analyzing the=20
-foundations of knowledge. They are deeply involved emotionally in their =
-attack on truth and reality. They=20
-attack these concepts because of their own psychological needs. For one =
-thing, their attack is an outlet for=20
-hostility, and, to the extent that it is successful, it satisfies the drive =
-for power. More importantly, the leftist=20
-hates science and rationality because=20
-they classify certain beliefs as true (i.e., successful, superior) and =
-other beliefs as false (i.e. failed, inferior).=20
-The leftist's feelings of inferiority run so deep that he cannot tolerate =
-any classification of some things as=20
-successful or superior and other things as failed or inferior. This also =
-underlies the rejection by many=20
-leftists of the concept of mental illness and of the utility of IQ tests. =
-Leftists are antagonistic to genetic=20
-explanations of human abilities or behavior because such explanations tend =
-to make some persons appear=20
-superior or inferior to others. Leftists prefer to give society the credit =
-or blame for an individual's ability or=20
-lack of it. Thus if a person is "inferior" it is not his fault, but =
-society's, because he has not been brought up=20
-properly.=20
-
-19. The leftist is not typically the kind of person whose feelings of =
-inferiority make him a braggart, an=20
-egotist, a bully, a self-promoter, a ruthless competitor. This kind of =
-person has not wholly lost faith in=20
-himself. He has a deficit in his sense of power and self-worth, but he can =
-still conceive of himself as having=20
-the capacity to be strong, and his efforts to make himself strong produce =
-his unpleasant behavior. [1] But=20
-the leftist is too far gone for that. His feelings of inferiority are so =
-ingrained that he cannot conceive of=20
-himself as individually strong and valuable. Hence the collectivism of the =
-leftist. He can feel strong only as=20
-a member of a large organization or a mass movement with which he =
-identifies himself.=20
-
-20. Notice the masochistic tendency of leftist tactics. Leftists protest by =
-lying down in front of vehicles,=20
-they intentionally provoke police or racists to abuse them, etc. These =
-tactics may often be effective, but=20
-many leftists use them not as a means to an end but because they PREFER =
-masochistic tactics. Self-hatred=20
-is a leftist trait.=20
-
-21. Leftists may claim that their activism is motivated by compassion or by =
-moral principle, and moral=20
-principle does play a role for the leftist of the oversocialized type. But =
-compassion and moral principle=20
-cannot be the main motives for leftist activism. Hostility is too prominent =
-a component of leftist behavior;=20
-so is the drive for power. Moreover, much leftist behavior is not =
-rationally calculated to be of benefit to the=20
-people whom the leftists claim to be trying to help. For example, if one =
-believes that affirmative action is=20
-good for black people, does it make sense to demand affirmative action in =
-hostile or dogmatic terms?=20
-Obviously it would be more productive to take a diplomatic and conciliatory =
-approach that would make at=20
-least verbal and symbolic concessions to white people who think that =
-
-affirmative action discriminates against them. But leftist activists do not =
-take such an approach because it=20
-would not satisfy their emotional needs. Helping black people is not their =
-real goal. Instead, race problems=20
-serve as an excuse for them to express their own hostility and frustrated =
-need for power. In doing so they=20
-actually harm black people, because the activists' hostile attitude toward =
-the white majority tends to=20
-intensify race hatred.=20
-
-22. If our society had no social problems at all, the leftists would have =
-to INVENT problems in order to=20
-provide themselves with an excuse for making a fuss.=20
-
-23. We emphasize that the foregoing does not pretend to be an accurate =
-description of everyone who might=20
-be considered a leftist. It is only a rough indication of a general =
-tendency of leftism.=20
-
-OVERSOCIALIZATION
-
-24. Psychologists use the term "socialization" to designate the process by =
-which children are trained to=20
-think and act as society demands. A person is said to be well socialized if =
-he believes in and obeys the=20
-moral code of his society and fits in well as a functioning part of that =
-society. It may seem senseless to say=20
-that many leftists are over-socialized, since the leftist is perceived as a =
-rebel. Nevertheless, the position can=20
-be defended. Many leftists are not such rebels as they seem.=20
-
-25. The moral code of our society is so demanding that no one can think, =
-feel and act in a completely moral=20
-way. For example, we are not supposed to hate anyone, yet almost everyone =
-hates somebody at some time=20
-or other, whether he admits it to himself or not. Some people are so highly =
-socialized that the attempt to=20
-think, feel and act morally imposes a severe burden on them. In order to =
-avoid feelings of guilt, they=20
-continually have to deceive themselves about their own motives and find =
-moral explanations for feelings=20
-and actions that in reality have a non-moral origin. We use the term =
-"oversocialized" to describe such=20
-people. [2]=20
-
-26. Oversocialization can lead to low self-esteem, a sense of =
-powerlessness, defeatism, guilt, etc. One of=20
-the most important means by which our society socializes children is by =
-making them feel ashamed of=20
-behavior or speech that is contrary to society's expectations. If this is =
-overdone, or if a particular child is=20
-especially susceptible to such feelings, he ends by feeling ashamed of =
-HIMSELF. Moreover the thought=20
-and the behavior of the oversocialized person are more restricted by =
-society's expectations than are those of=20
-the lightly socialized person. The majority of people engage in a =
-significant amount of naughty behavior.=20
-They lie, they commit petty thefts, they break traffic laws, they goof off =
-at work, they hate someone, they=20
-say spiteful things or they use some underhanded trick to get ahead of the =
-
-other guy. The oversocialized person cannot do these things, or if he does =
-do them he generates in himself=20
-a sense of shame and self-hatred. The oversocialized person cannot even =
-experience, without guilt,=20
-thoughts or feelings that are contrary to the accepted morality; he cannot =
-think "unclean" thoughts. And=20
-socialization is not just a matter of morality; we are socialized to =
-confirm to many norms of behavior that=20
-do not fall under the heading of morality. Thus the oversocialized person =
-is kept on a psychological leash=20
-and spends his life running on rails that society has laid down for him. In =
-many oversocialized people this=20
-results in a sense of constraint and powerlessness that can be a severe =
-hardship. We suggest that=20
-oversocialization is among the more serious cruelties that human beings =
-inflict on one another.=20
-
-27. We argue that a very important and influential segment of the modern =
-left is oversocialized and that=20
-their oversocialization is of great importance in determining the direction =
-of modern leftism. Leftists of the=20
-oversocialized type tend to be intellectuals or members of the upper-middle =
-class. Notice that university=20
-intellectuals (3) constitute the most highly socialized segment of our =
-society and also the most left-wing=20
-segment.=20
-
-28. The leftist of the oversocialized type tries to get off his =
-psychological leash and assert his autonomy by=20
-rebelling. But usually he is not strong enough to rebel against the most =
-basic values of society. Generally=20
-speaking, the goals of today's leftists are NOT in conflict with the =
-accepted morality. On the contrary, the=20
-left takes an accepted moral principle, adopts it as its own, and then =
-accuses mainstream society of=20
-violating that principle. Examples: racial equality, equality of the sexes, =
-helping poor people, peace as=20
-opposed to war, nonviolence generally, freedom of expression, kindness to =
-animals. More fundamentally,=20
-the duty of the individual to serve society and the duty of society to take =
-care of the individual. All these=20
-have been deeply rooted values of our society (or at least of its middle =
-and=20
-upper classes (4) for a long time. These values are explicitly or =
-implicitly expressed or presupposed in most=20
-of the material presented to us by the mainstream communications media and =
-the educational system.=20
-Leftists, especially those of the oversocialized type, usually do not rebel =
-against these principles but justify=20
-their hostility to society by claiming (with some degree of truth) that =
-society is not living up to these=20
-principles.=20
-
-29. Here is an illustration of the way in which the oversocialized leftist =
-shows his real attachment to the=20
-conventional attitudes of our society while pretending to be in rebellion =
-against it. Many leftists push for=20
-affirmative action, for moving black people into high-prestige jobs, for =
-improved education in black=20
-schools and more money for such schools; the way of life of the black =
-"underclass" they regard as a social=20
-disgrace. They want to integrate the black man into the system, make him a =
-business executive, a lawyer, a=20
-scientist just like upper-middle-class white people. The leftists will =
-reply that the last thing they want is to=20
-make the black man into a copy of the white man; instead, they want to =
-preserve African American culture.=20
-But in what does this preservation of African American culture consist? =
-
-It can hardly consist in anything more than eating black-style food, =
-listening to black-style music, wearing=20
-black-style clothing and going to a black-style church or mosque. In other =
-words, it can express itself only=20
-in superficial matters. In all ESSENTIAL respects more leftists of the =
-oversocialized type want to make the=20
-black man conform to white, middle-class ideals. They want to make him =
-study technical subjects, become=20
-an executive or a scientist, spend his life climbing the status ladder to =
-prove that black people are as good=20
-as white. They want to make black fathers "responsible." they want black =
-gangs to become nonviolent, etc.=20
-But these are exactly the values of the industrial-technological system. =
-The system couldn't care less what=20
-kind of music a man listens to, what kind of clothes he wears or what =
-
-religion he believes in as long as he studies in school, holds a =
-respectable job, climbs the status ladder, is a=20
-"responsible" parent, is nonviolent and so forth. In effect, however much =
-he may deny it, the oversocialized=20
-leftist wants to integrate the black man into the system and make him adopt =
-its values.=20
-
-30. We certainly do not claim that leftists, even of the oversocialized =
-type, NEVER rebel against the=20
-fundamental values of our society. Clearly they sometimes do. Some =
-oversocialized leftists have gone so=20
-far as to rebel against one of modern society's most important principles =
-by engaging in physical violence.=20
-By their own account, violence is for them a form of "liberation." In other =
-words, by committing violence=20
-they break through the psychological restraints that have been trained into =
-them. Because they are=20
-oversocialized these restraints have been more confining for them than for =
-others; hence their need to break=20
-free of them. But they usually justify their rebellion in terms of =
-mainstream values. If they engage in=20
-violence they claim to be fighting against racism or the like.=20
-
-31. We realize that many objections could be raised to the foregoing =
-thumb-nail sketch of leftist=20
-psychology. The real situation is complex, and anything like a complete =
-description of it would take=20
-several volumes even if the necessary data were available. We claim only to =
-have indicated very roughly=20
-the two most important tendencies in the psychology of modern leftism. =
-
-
-32. The problems of the leftist are indicative of the problems of our =
-society as a whole. Low self-esteem,=20
-depressive tendencies and defeatism are not restricted to the left. Though =
-they are especially noticeable in=20
-the left, they are widespread in our society. And today's society tries to =
-socialize us to a greater extent than=20
-any previous society. We are even told by experts how to eat, how to =
-exercise, how to make love, how to=20
-raise our kids and so forth.=20
-
-THE POWER PROCESS
-
-33. Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that =
-we will call the "power=20
-process." This is closely related to the need for power (which is widely =
-recognized) but is not quite the=20
-same thing. The power process has four elem ents. The three most clear-cut =
-of these we call goal, effort=20
-and attainment of goal. (Everyone needs to have goals whose attainment =
-requires effort, and needs to=20
-succeed in attaining at least some of his goals.) The fourth element is =
-more difficult to define and may not=20
-be necessary for everyone . We call it autonomy and will discuss it l ater =
-(paragraphs 42-44).=20
-
-34. Consider the hypothetical case of a man who can have anything he wants =
-just by wishing for it. Such a=20
-man has power, but he will develop serious psychological problems. At first =
-he will have a lot of fun, but=20
-by and by he will become acutely bor ed and demoralized. Eventually he may =
-becom e clinically=20
-depressed. History shows that leisured aristocracies tend to become =
-decadent. This is not true of fighting=20
-aristocracies that have to struggle to maintain their power. But leisured, =
-secure aristocracies that have no=20
-need to exert themselve s usually become bored, hedonistic and demor =
-alized, even though they have=20
-power. This shows that power is not enough. One must have goals toward =
-which to exercise one's power.=20
-
-35. Everyone has goals; if nothing else, to obtain the physical necessities =
-of life: food, water and whatever=20
-clothing and shelter are made necessary by the climate. But the leisured =
-aristocrat obtains these things=20
-without effort. Hence his boredom and demoralization.=20
-
-36. Nonattainment of important goals results in death if the goals are =
-physical necessities, and in frustration=20
-if nonattainment of the goals is compatible with survival. Consistent =
-failure to attain goals throughout life=20
-results in defeatism, low se lf-esteem or depression.=20
-
-37. Thus, in order to avoid serious psychological problems, a human being =
-needs goals whose attainment=20
-requires effort, and he must have a reasonable rate of success in attaining =
-his goals.=20
-
-SURROGATE ACTIVITIES
-
-38. But not every leisured aristocrat becomes bored and demoralized. For =
-example, the emperor Hirohito,=20
-instead of sinking into decadent hedonism, devoted himself to marine =
-biology, a field in which he became=20
-distinguished. When people do not have t o exert themselves to satisfy =
-their physical needs they often set=20
-up artificial goals for themselves. In many cases they then pursue these =
-goals with the same energy and=20
-emotional involvement that they otherwise would have put into the search =
-for physical necessities. Thus the=20
-aristocrats of the Roman Empire had their literary pretentions; many =
-European aristocrats a few centuries=20
-ago invested tremendous time and energy in hunting, though they certainly =
-didn't need the meat; other=20
-aristocracies have competed for status through elaborate displays of =
-wealth;=20
-and a few aristocrats, like Hiroh ito, have turned to science.=20
-
-39. We use the term "surrogate activity" to designate an activity that is =
-directed toward an artificial goal=20
-that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work =
-toward, or let us say, merely=20
-for the sake of the "fulfillment" th at they get from pursuing the goal. =
-Here is a rule of thumb for the=20
-identification of surrogate activities. Given a person who devotes much =
-time and energy to the pursuit of=20
-goal X, ask yourself this: If he had to devote most of his time and energy =
-to satisfying his biological needs,=20
-and if that effort required him to use his physical and mental facilities =
-in a varied and interesting way,=20
-would he feel seriously deprived because he did not attain goal X? If the =
-answer is no, then the person's=20
-pursuit of a goal X is a surrogate activity. Hirohito's studies=20
-in marine biology clearly constituted a surrogate activity, since it is =
-pretty certain that if Hirohito had had=20
-to spend his time working at interesting non-scientific tasks in order to =
-obtain the necessities of life, he=20
-would not have felt deprived because he didn't know all about the anatomy =
-and life-cycles of marine=20
-animals. On the other hand the pursuit of sex and love (for example) is not =
-a surrogate activity, because=20
-most people, even if their existence were otherwise satisfactory, would =
-feel deprived if they passed their=20
-lives without ever having a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. =
-(But pursuit of an excessive=20
-amount of sex, more than one really needs, can be a surrogate activity.) =
-
-
-40. In modern industrial society only minimal effort is necessary to =
-satisfy one's physical needs. It is=20
-enough to go through a training program to acquire some petty technical =
-skill, then come to work on time=20
-and exert very modest effort needed to hold a job. The only requirements =
-are a moderate amount of=20
-intelligence, and most of all, simple OBEDIENCE. If one has those, society =
-takes care of one from cradle=20
-to grave. (Yes, there is an underclass that cannot take physical =
-necessities for granted, but we are speaking=20
-here of mainstream society.) Thus it is not surprising that modern society =
-is full of surrogate activities.=20
-These include scientific work, athletic achievement, humanitarian work, =
-artistic and literary creation,=20
-climbing the corporate ladder, acquisition of money and material goods far =
-
-beyond the point at which they cease to give any additional physical =
-satisfaction, and social activism when=20
-it addresses issues that are not important for the activist personally, as =
-in the case of white activists who=20
-work for the rights of nonwhite minorities. These are not always pure =
-surrogate activities, since for many=20
-people they may be motivated in part by needs other than the need to have =
-some goal to pursue. Scientific=20
-work may be motivated in part by a drive for prestige, artistic creation by =
-a need to express feelings,=20
-militant social activism by hostility. But for most people who pursue them, =
-these activities are in large part=20
-surrogate activities. For example, the majority of scientists will probably =
-agree that the "fulfillment" they=20
-get from their work is more important than the money and prestige they =
-earn.=20
-
-41. For many if not most people, surrogate activities are less satisfying =
-than the pursuit of real goals ( that=20
-is, goals that people would want to attain even if their need for the power =
-process were already fulfilled).=20
-One indication of this is the fact that, in many or most cases, people who =
-are deeply involved in surrogate=20
-activities are never satisfied, never at rest. Thus the money-maker =
-constantly strives for more and more=20
-wealth. The scientist no sooner solves one problem than he moves on to the =
-next. The long-distance runner=20
-drives himself to run always farther and faster. Many people who pursue =
-surrogate activities will say that=20
-they get far more fulfillment from these activities than they do from the =
-"mundane" business of satisfying=20
-their biological needs, but that it is because in our society the effort =
-
-needed to satisfy the biological needs has been reduced to triviality. More =
-importantly, in our society=20
-people do not satisfy their biological needs AUTONOMOUSLY but by =
-functioning as parts of an immense=20
-social machine. In contrast, people generally have a great deal of autonomy =
-in pursuing their surrogate=20
-activities. have a great deal of autonomy in pursuing their surrogate =
-activities.=20
-
-AUTONOMY
-
-42. Autonomy as a part of the power process may not be necessary for every =
-individual. But most people=20
-need a greater or lesser degree of autonomy in working toward their goals. =
-Their efforts must be=20
-undertaken on their own initiative and must be under their own direction =
-and control. Yet most people do=20
-not have to exert this initiative, direction and control as single =
-individuals. It is usually enough to act as a=20
-member of a SMALL group. Thus if half a dozen people discuss a goal among =
-themselves and make a=20
-successful joint effort to attain that goal, their need for the power =
-process will be served. But if they work=20
-under rigid orders handed down from above that leave them no room for =
-autonomous decision and=20
-initiative, then their need for the power process will not be served. =
-
-The same is true when decisions are made on a collective bases if the group =
-making the collective decision=20
-is so large that the role of each individual is insignificant [5]=20
-
-43. It is true that some individuals seem to have little need for autonomy. =
-Either their drive for power is=20
-weak or they satisfy it by identifying themselves with some powerful =
-organization to which they belong.=20
-And then there are unthinking, animal types who seem to be satisfied with a =
-purely physical sense of=20
-power(the good combat soldier, who gets his sense of power by developing =
-fighting skills that he is quite=20
-content to use in blind obedience to his superiors).=20
-
-44. But for most people it is through the power process-having a goal, =
-making an AUTONOMOUS effort=20
-and attaining t the goal-that self-esteem, self-confidence and a sense of =
-power are acquired. When one does=20
-not have adequate opportunity to go throughout the power process the =
-consequences are (depending on the=20
-individual and on the way the power process is disrupted) boredom, =
-demoralization, low self-esteem,=20
-inferiority feelings, defeatism, depression, anxiety, guilt, frustration, =
-hostility, spouse or child abuse,=20
-insatiable hedonism, abnormal sexual behavior, sleep disorders, eating =
-disorders, etc. [6]=20
-
-SOURCES OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS
-
-45. Any of the foregoing symptoms can occur in any society, but in modern =
-industrial society they are=20
-present on a massive scale. We aren't the first to mention that the world =
-today seems to be going crazy.=20
-This sort of thing is not normal for human societies. There is good reason =
-to believe that primitive man=20
-suffered from less stress and frustration and was better satisfied with his =
-way of life than modern man is. It=20
-is true that not all was sweetness and light in primitive societies. Abuse =
-of women and common among the=20
-Australian aborigines, transexuality was fairly common among some of the =
-American Indian tribes. But is=20
-does appear that GENERALLY SPEAKING the kinds of problems that we have =
-listed in the preceding=20
-paragraph were far less common among primitive peoples than they are in =
-modern society.=20
-
-46. We attribute the social and psychological problems of modern society to =
-the fact that that society=20
-requires people to live under conditions radically different from those =
-under which the human race evolved=20
-and to behave in ways that conflict with the patterns of behavior that the =
-human race developed while=20
-living under the earlier conditions. It is clear from what we have already =
-written that we consider lack of=20
-opportunity to properly experience the power process as the most important =
-of the abnormal conditions to=20
-which modern society subjects people. But it is not the only one. Before =
-dealing with disruption of the=20
-power process as a source of social problems we will discuss some of the =
-other sources.=20
-
-47. Among the abnormal conditions present in modern industrial society are =
-excessive density of=20
-population, isolation of man from nature, excessive rapidity of social =
-change and the break-down of natural=20
-small-scale communities such as the extended family, the village or the =
-tribe.=20
-
-48. It is well known that crowding increases stress and aggression. The =
-degree of crowding that exists=20
-today and the isolation of man from nature are consequences of =
-technological progress. All pre-industrial=20
-societies were predominantly rural. The industrial Revolution vastly =
-increased the size of cities and the=20
-proportion of the population that lives in them, and modern agricultural =
-technology has made it possible for=20
-the Earth to support a far denser population than it ever did before. =
-(Also, technology exacerbates the=20
-effects of crowding because it puts increased disruptive powers in people's =
-hands. For example, a variety of=20
-noise-making devices: power mowers, radios, motorcycles, etc. If the use of =
-these devices is unrestricted,=20
-people who want peace and quiet are frustrated by the noise.=20
-If their use is restricted, people who use the devices are frustrated by =
-the regulations... But if these=20
-machines had never been invented there would have been no conflict and no =
-frustration generated by=20
-them.)=20
-
-49. For primitive societies the natural world (which usually changes only =
-slowly) provided a stable=20
-framework and therefore a sense of security. In the modern world it is =
-human society that dominates nature=20
-rather than the other way around, and modern society changes very rapidly =
-owing to technological change.=20
-Thus there is no stable framework.=20
-
-50. The conservatives are fools: They whine about the decay of traditional =
-values, yet they enthusiastically=20
-support technological progress and economic growth. Apparently it never =
-occurs to them that you can't=20
-make rapid, drastic changes in the technology and the economy of a society =
-with out causing rapid changes=20
-in all other aspects of the society as well, and that such rapid changes =
-inevitably break down traditional=20
-values.=20
-
-51.The breakdown of traditional values to some extent implies the breakdown =
-of the bonds that hold=20
-together traditional small-scale social groups. The disintegration of =
-small-scale social groups is also=20
-promoted by the fact that modern conditions often require or tempt =
-individuals to move to new locations,=20
-separating themselves from their communities. Beyond that, a technological =
-society HAS TO weaken=20
-family ties and local communities if it is to function efficiently. In =
-modern society an individual's loyalty=20
-must be first to the system and only secondarily to a small-scale =
-community, because if the internal=20
-loyalties of small-scale small-scale communities were stronger than loyalty =
-to the system, such=20
-communities would pursue their own advantage at the expense of the system. =
-
-
-52. Suppose that a public official or a corporation executive appoints his =
-cousin, his friend or his co-
-religionist to a position rather than appointing the person best qualified =
-for the job. He has permitted=20
-personal loyalty to supersede his loyalty to the system, and that is =
-"nepotism" or "discrimination," both of=20
-which are terrible sins in modern society. Would-be industrial societies =
-that have done a poor job of=20
-subordinating personal or local loyalties to loyalty to the system are =
-usually very inefficient. (Look at Latin=20
-America.) Thus an advanced industrial society can tolerate only those =
-small-scale communities that are=20
-emasculated, tamed and made into tools of the system. [7]=20
-
-53. Crowding, rapid change and the breakdown of communities have been =
-widely recognized as sources of=20
-social problems. but we do not believe they are enough to account for the =
-extent of the problems that are=20
-seen today.=20
-
-54. A few pre-industrial cities were very large and crowded, yet their =
-inhabitants do not seem to have=20
-suffered from psychological problems to the same extent as modern man. In =
-America today there still are=20
-uncrowded rural areas, and we find there the same problems as in urban =
-areas, though the problems tend to=20
-be less acute in the rural areas. Thus crowding does not seem to be the =
-decisive factor.=20
-
-55. On the growing edge of the American frontier during the 19th century, =
-the mobility of the population=20
-probably broke down extended families and small-scale social groups to at =
-least the same extent as these=20
-are broken down today. In fact, many nuclear families lived by choice in =
-such isolation, having no=20
-neighbors within several miles, that they belonged to no community at all, =
-yet they do not seem to have=20
-developed problems as a result.=20
-
-56.Furthermore, change in American frontier society was very rapid and =
-deep. A man might be born and=20
-raised in a log cabin, outside the reach of law and order and fed largely =
-on wild meat; and by the time he=20
-arrived at old age he might be working at a regular job and living in an =
-ordered community with effective=20
-law enforcement. This was a deeper change that that which typically occurs =
-in the life of a modern=20
-individual, yet it does not seem to have led to psychological problems. In =
-fact, 19th century American=20
-society had an optimistic and self-confident tone, quite unlike that of =
-today's society. [8]=20
-
-57. The difference, we argue, is that modern man has the sense (largely =
-justified) that change is IMPOSED=20
-on him, whereas the 19th century frontiersman had the sense (also largely =
-justified) that he created change=20
-himself, by his own choice. Thus a pioneer settled on a piece of land of =
-his own choosing and made it into=20
-a farm through his own effort. In those days an entire county might have =
-only a couple of hundred=20
-inhabitants and was a far more isolated and autonomous entity than a modern =
-county is. Hence the pioneer=20
-farmer participated as a member of a relatively small group in the creation =
-of a new, ordered community.=20
-One may well question whether the creation of this community was an =
-improvement, but at any rate it=20
-satisfied the pioneer's need for the power process.=20
-
-58. It would be possible to give other examples of societies in which there =
-has been rapid change and/or=20
-lack of close community ties without he kind of massive behavioral =
-aberration that is seen in today's=20
-industrial society. We contend that the most important cause of social and =
-psychological problems in=20
-modern society is the fact that people have insufficient opportunity to go =
-through the power process in a=20
-normal way. We don't mean to say that modern society is the only one in =
-which the power process has been=20
-disrupted. Probably most if not all civilized societies have interfered =
-with the power ' process to a greater or=20
-lesser extent. But in modern industrial society the problem has become =
-particularly acute. Leftism, at least=20
-in its recent=20
-(mid-to-late -20th century) form, is in part a symptom of deprivation with =
-respect to the power process.=20
-
-DISRUPTION OF THE POWER PROCESS IN MODERN SOCIETY
-
-59. We divide human drives into three groups: (1) those drives that can be =
-satisfied with minimal effort; (2)=20
-those that can be satisfied but only at the cost of serious effort; (3) =
-those that cannot be adequately satisfied=20
-no matter how much effort one makes. The power process is the process of =
-satisfying the drives of the=20
-second group. The more drives there are in the third group, the more there =
-is frustration, anger, eventually=20
-defeatism, depression, etc.=20
-
-60. In modern industrial society natural human drives tend to be pushed =
-into the first and third groups, and=20
-the second group tends to consist increasingly of artificially created =
-drives.=20
-
-61. In primitive societies, physical necessities generally fall into group =
-2: They can be obtained, but only at=20
-the cost of serious effort. But modern society tends to guaranty the =
-physical necessities to everyone [9] in=20
-exchange for only minimal effort, hence physical needs are pushed into =
-group 1. (There may be=20
-disagreement about whether the effort needed to hold a job is "minimal"; =
-but usually, in lower- to middle-
-level jobs, whatever effort is required is merely that of obedience. You =
-sit or stand where you are told to sit=20
-or stand and do what you are told to do in the way you are told to do it. =
-Seldom do you have to exert=20
-yourself seriously, and in any case you have hardly any autonomy in work, =
-so that the need for the power=20
-process is not well served.)=20
-
-62. Social needs, such as sex, love and status, often remain in group 2 in =
-modern society, depending on the=20
-situation of the individual. [10] But, except for people who have a =
-particularly strong drive for status, the=20
-effort required to fulfill the social drives is insufficient to satisfy =
-adequately the need for the power process.=20
-
-63. So certain artificial needs have been created that fall into group 2, =
-hence serve the need for the power=20
-process. Advertising and marketing techniques have been developed that make =
-many people feel they need=20
-things that their grandparents never desired or even dreamed of. It =
-requires serious effort to earn enough=20
-money to satisfy these artificial needs, hence they fall into group 2. (But =
-see paragraphs 80-82.) Modern=20
-man must satisfy his need for the power process largely through pursuit of =
-the artificial needs created by=20
-the advertising and marketing industry [11], and through surrogate =
-activities.=20
-
-64. It seems that for many people, maybe the majority, these artificial =
-forms of the power process are=20
-insufficient. A theme that appears repeatedly in the writings of the social =
-critics of the second half of the=20
-20th century is the sense of purposelessness that afflicts many people in =
-modern society. (This=20
-purposelessness is often called by other names such as "anomic" or =
-"middle-class vacuity.") We suggest=20
-that the so-called "identity crisis" is actually a search for a sense of =
-purpose, often for commitment to a=20
-suitable surrogate activity. It may be that existentialism is in large part =
-a response to the purposelessness of=20
-modern life. [12] Very widespread in modern society is the search for =
-"fulfillment." But we think that for=20
-the majority of people an activity whose main goal is fulfillment=20
-(that is, a surrogate activity) does not bring completely satisfactory =
-fulfillment. In other words, it does not=20
-fully satisfy the need for the power process. (See paragraph 41.) That need =
-can be fully satisfied only=20
-through activities that have some external goal, such as physical =
-necessities, sex, love, status, revenge, etc.=20
-
-65. Moreover, where goals are pursued through earning money, climbing the =
-status ladder or functioning=20
-as part of the system in some other way, most people are not in a position =
-to pursue their goals=20
-AUTONOMOUSLY. Most workers are someone else's employee as, as we pointed =
-out in paragraph 61,=20
-must spend their days doing what they are told to do in the way they are =
-told to do it. Even most people=20
-who are in business for themselves have only limited autonomy. It is a =
-chronic complaint of small-business=20
-persons and entrepreneurs that their hands are tied by excessive government =
-regulation. Some of these=20
-regulations are doubtless unnecessary, but for the most part government =
-regulations are essential and=20
-inevitable parts of our extremely complex society. A large portion of small =
-business today operates on the=20
-franchise system.=20
-It was reported in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago that many of the =
-franchise-granting companies=20
-require applicants for franchises to take a personality test that is =
-designed to EXCLUDE those who have=20
-creativity and initiative, because such persons are not sufficiently docile =
-to go along obediently with the=20
-franchise system. This excludes from small business many of the people who =
-most need autonomy.=20
-
-66. Today people live more by virtue of what the system does FOR them or TO =
-them than by virtue of=20
-what they do for themselves. And what they do for themselves is done more =
-and more along channels laid=20
-down by the system. Opportunities tend to be those that the system =
-provides, the opportunities must be=20
-exploited in accord with the rules and regulations [13], and techniques =
-prescribed by experts must be=20
-followed if there is to be a chance of success.=20
-
-67. Thus the power process is disrupted in our society through a deficiency =
-of real goals and a deficiency=20
-of autonomy in pursuit of goals. But it is also disrupted because of those =
-human drives that fall into group=20
-3: the drives that one cannot adequately satisfy no matter how much effort =
-one makes. One of these drives=20
-is the need for security. Our lives depend on decisions made by other =
-people; we have no control over these=20
-decisions and usually we do not even know the people who make them. ("We =
-live in a world in which=20
-relatively few people - maybe 500 or 1,00 - make the important decisions" - =
-Philip B. Heymann of Harvard=20
-Law School, quoted by Anthony Lewis, New York Times, April 21, 1995.) Our =
-lives depend on whether=20
-safety standards at a nuclear power plant are properly maintained;=20
-on how much pesticide is allowed to get into our food or how much pollution =
-into our air; on how skillful=20
-(or incompetent) our doctor is; whether we lose or get a job may depend on =
-decisions made by government=20
-economists or corporation executives; and so forth. Most individuals are =
-not in a position to secure=20
-themselves against these threats to more [than] a very limited extent. The =
-individual's search for security is=20
-therefore frustrated, which leads to a sense of powerlessness.=20
-
-68. It may be objected that primitive man is physically less secure than =
-modern man, as is shown by his=20
-shorter life expectancy; hence modern man suffers from less, not more than =
-the amount of insecurity that is=20
-normal for human beings. but psychological security does not closely =
-correspond with physical security.=20
-What makes us FEEL secure is not so much objective security as a sense of =
-confidence in our ability to=20
-take care of ourselves. Primitive man, threatened by a fierce animal or by =
-hunger, can fight in self-defense=20
-or travel in search of food. He has no certainty of success in these =
-efforts, but he is by no means helpless=20
-against the things that threaten him. The modern individual on the other =
-hand is threatened by many things=20
-against which he is helpless;=20
-nuclear accidents, carcinogens in food, environmental pollution, war, =
-increasing taxes, invasion of his=20
-privacy by large organizations, nation-wide social or economic phenomena =
-that may disrupt his way of=20
-life.=20
-
-69. It is true that primitive man is powerless against some of the things =
-that threaten him; disease for=20
-example. But he can accept the risk of disease stoically. It is part of the =
-nature of things, it is no one's fault,=20
-unless is the fault of some imaginary, impersonal demon. But threats to the =
-modern individual tend to be=20
-MAN-MADE. They are not the results of chance but are IMPOSED on him by =
-other persons whose=20
-decisions he, as an individual, is unable to influence. Consequently he =
-feels frustrated, humiliated and=20
-angry.=20
-
-70. Thus primitive man for the most part has his security in his own hands =
-(either as an individual or as a=20
-member of a SMALL group) whereas the security of modern man is in the hands =
-of persons or=20
-organizations that are too remote or too large for him to be able =
-personally to influence them. So modern=20
-man's drive for security tends to fall into groups 1 and 3; in some areas =
-(food, shelter, etc.) his security is=20
-assured at the cost of only trivial effort, whereas in other areas he =
-CANNOT attain security. (The foregoing=20
-greatly simplifies the real situation, but it does indicate in a rough, =
-general way how the condition of=20
-modern man differs from that of primitive man.)=20
-
-71. People have many transitory drives or impulses that are necessary =
-frustrated in modern life, hence fall=20
-into group 3. One may become angry, but modern society cannot permit =
-fighting. In many situations it=20
-does not even permit verbal aggression. When going somewhere one may be in =
-a hurry, or one may be in a=20
-mood to travel slowly, but one generally has no choice but to move with the =
-flow of traffic and obey the=20
-traffic signals. One may want to do one's work in a different way, but =
-usually one can work only according=20
-to the rules laid down by one's employer. In many other ways as well, =
-modern man is strapped down by a=20
-network of rules and regulations (explicit or implicit) that frustrate many =
-of his impulses and thus interfere=20
-with the power process. Most of these regulations cannot be disposed with, =
-
-because the are necessary for the functioning of industrial society. =
-
-
-72. Modern society is in certain respects extremely permissive. In matters =
-that are irrelevant to the=20
-functioning of the system we can generally do what we please. We can =
-believe in any religion we like (as=20
-long as it does not encourage behavior that is dangerous to the system). We =
-can go to bed with anyone we=20
-like (as long as we practice "safe sex"). We can do anything we like as =
-long as it is UNIMPORTANT. But=20
-in all IMPORTANT matters the system tends increasingly to regulate our =
-behavior.=20
-
-73. Behavior is regulated not only through explicit rules and not only by =
-the government. Control is often=20
-exercised through indirect coercion or through psychological pressure or =
-manipulation, and by=20
-organizations other than the government, or by the system as a whole. Most =
-large organizations use some=20
-form of propaganda [14] to manipulate public attitudes or behavior. =
-Propaganda is not limited to=20
-"commercials" and advertisements, and sometimes it is not even consciously =
-intended as propaganda by=20
-the people who make it. For instance, the content of entertainment =
-programming is a powerful form of=20
-propaganda. An example of indirect coercion: There is no law that says we =
-have to go to work every day=20
-and follow our employer's orders. Legally there is=20
-nothing to prevent us from going to live in the wild like primitive people =
-or from going into business for=20
-ourselves. But in practice there is very little wild country left, and =
-there is room in the economy for only a=20
-limited number of small business owners. Hence most of us can survive only =
-as someone else's employee.=20
-
-74. We suggest that modern man's obsession with longevity, and with =
-maintaining physical vigor and=20
-sexual attractiveness to an advanced age, is a symptom of unfulfillment =
-resulting from deprivation with=20
-respect to the power process. The "mid-life crisis" also is such a symptom. =
-So is the lack of interest in=20
-having children that is fairly common in modern society but almost =
-unheard-of in primitive societies.=20
-
-75. In primitive societies life is a succession of stages. The needs and =
-purposes of one stage having been=20
-fulfilled, there is no particular reluctance about passing on to the next =
-stage. A young man goes through the=20
-power process by becoming a hunter, hunting not for sport or for =
-fulfillment but to get meat that is=20
-necessary for food. (In young women the process is more complex, with =
-greater emphasis on social power;=20
-we won't discuss that here.) This phase having been successfully passed =
-through, the young man has no=20
-reluctance about settling down to the responsibilities of raising a family. =
-(In contrast, some modern people=20
-indefinitely postpone having children because they are too busy seeking =
-some kind of "fulfillment." We=20
-suggest that the=20
-fulfillment they need is adequate experience of the power process -- with =
-real goals instead of the artificial=20
-goals of surrogate activities.) Again, having successfully raised his =
-children, going through the power=20
-process by providing them with the physi cal necessities, the primitive man =
-feels tha t his work is done and=20
-he is prepared to accept old age (if he survives that long) and death. Many =
-modern people, on the other=20
-hand, are disturbed by the prospect of death, as is shown by the amount of =
-effort they expend trying to=20
-maintain their physical condition, appearance and health. We argue t hat =
-this is due to unfulfillment=20
-resulting from the fact that they have never put their physical powers to =
-any use, have never gone through=20
-the power process using their bodies in a serious way.=20
-It is not the primitive man, who has used his body daily for practical =
-purposes, who fears the deteriora tion=20
-of age, but the modern man, who has never had a practical use for his body =
-beyond walking from his car to=20
-his house. It is the man whose need for the power process has been =
-satisfied during his life who is best=20
-prepared to accept the end of that life .=20
-
-76. In response to the arguments of this section someone will say, "Society =
-must find a way to give people=20
-the opportunity to go through the power process." For such people the value =
-of the opportunity is destroyed=20
-by the very fact that society gives i t to them. What they need is to find =
-or make their own opportunities. As=20
-long as the system GIVES them their opportunities it still has them on a =
-leash. To attain autonomy they=20
-must get off that leash. Manifesto Contents=20
-
-
-
-HOW SOME PEOPLE ADJUST
-
-77. Not everyone in industrial-technological society suffers from =
-psychological problems. Some people=20
-even profess to be quite satisfied with society as it is. We now discuss =
-some of the reasons why people=20
-differ so greatly in their response to modern society.=20
-
-78. First, there doubtless are differences in the strength of the drive for =
-power. Individuals with a weak=20
-drive for power may have relatively little need to go through the power =
-process, or at least relatively little=20
-need for autonomy in the power pro cess. These are docile types who would =
-have been happy as plantation=20
-darkies in the Old South. (We don't mean to sneer at "plantation darkies" =
-of the Old South. To their credit,=20
-most of the slaves were NOT content with their servitude. We do sneer at =
-people who ARE content with=20
-servitude.)=20
-
-79. Some people may have some exceptional drive, in pursuing which they =
-satisfy their need for the power=20
-process. For example, those who have an unusually strong drive for social =
-status may spend their whole=20
-lives climbing the status ladder without ev er getting bored with that =
-game.=20
-
-80. People vary in their susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
-techniques. Some people are so=20
-susceptible that, even if they make a great deal of money, they cannot =
-satisfy their constant craving for the=20
-shiny new toys that the marketing industry dangles before their eyes. So =
-they always f eel hard-pressed=20
-financially even if their income is large, and their cravings are =
-frustrated.=20
-
-81. Some people have low susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
-techniques. These are the people=20
-who aren't interested in money. Material acquisition does not serve their =
-need for the power process.=20
-
-82. People who have medium susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
-techniques are able to earn=20
-enough money to satisfy their craving for goods and services, but only at =
-the cost of serious effort (putting=20
-in overtime, taking a second job, earning p romotions, etc.) Thus material =
-acquisition s erves their need for=20
-the power process. But it does not necessarily follow that their need is =
-fully satisfied. They may have=20
-insufficient autonomy in the power process (their work may consist of =
-following orders) and some of their=20
-drives may be frustrated (e.g., security, aggression). (We are guilt y of =
-oversimplification in paragraphs 80-
-82 because we have assumed that the desire for material acquisition is =
-entirely a creation of the advertising=20
-and marketing industry. Of course it's not that simple.=20
-
-83. Some people partly satisfy their need for power by identifying =
-themselves with a powerful organization=20
-or mass movement. An individual lacking goals or power joins a movement or =
-an organization, adopts its=20
-goals as his own, then works toward these goals. When some of the goals are =
-attained, the individual, even=20
-though his personal efforts have played only an insignificant part in the =
-attainment of the goals, feels=20
-(through his identification with the movement or organization) as if he had =
-gone through the power=20
-process. This phenomenon was e xploited by the fascists, nazis and communis =
-ts. Our society uses it, too,=20
-though less crudely. Example: Manuel Noriega was an irritant to the U.S. =
-(goal: punish Noriega). The U.S.=20
-invaded Panama (effort) and punished Noriega (attainment of goal).=20
-The U.S. went through the power process and many Ame ricans, because of =
-their identification with the=20
-U.S., experienced the power process vicariously. Hence the widespread =
-public approval of the Panama=20
-invasion; it gave people a sense of power. [15] We see the same phenomenon =
-in armies, corporations,=20
-political parties, humanitarian organizations, rel igious or ideological =
-movements. In particul ar, leftist=20
-movements tend to attract people who are seeking to satisfy their need for =
-power. But for most people=20
-identification with a large organization or a mass movement does not fully =
-satisfy the need for power.=20
-
-84. Another way in which people satisfy their need for the power process is =
-through surrogate activities. As=20
-we explained in paragraphs 38-40, a surrogate activity that is directed =
-toward an artificial goal that the=20
-individual pursues for the sake of t he "fulfillment" that he gets from =
-pursuing the goal, not because he=20
-needs to attain the goal itself. For instance, there is no practical motive =
-for building enormous muscles,=20
-hitting a little ball into a hole or acquiring a complete series of postage =
-stamps. Yet many people in our=20
-society devote t hemselves with passion to bodybuilding, golf or stamp =
-collecting. Some people are more=20
-"other-directed" than others, and therefore will more readily attack =
-importance to a surrogate activity=20
-simply because the people around them treat it as important=20
-or because society tells them it is important. T hat is why some people get =
-very serious abou t essentially=20
-trivial activities such as sports, or bridge, or chess, or arcane scholarly =
-pursuits, whereas others who are=20
-more clear-sighted never see these things as anything but the surrogate =
-activities that they are, and=20
-consequently never attach enou gh importance to them to satisfy their need =
-for the power process in that=20
-way. It only remains to point out that in many cases a person's way of =
-earning a living is also a surrogate=20
-activity. Not a PURE surrogate activity, since part of the motive for the =
-activity is to gain the physical=20
-necessitie s and (for some people) social status and th e luxuries that =
-advertising makes them want. But=20
-many people put into their=20
-work far more effort than is necessary to earn whatever money and status =
-they require, and this extra effort=20
-constitutes a surrogate activity. This extra effort, together with the =
-emotional investment that accompanies=20
-it, i s one of the most potent forces acting toward the continual =
-development and perfecting of the system,=20
-with negative consequences for individual freedom (see paragraph 131). =
-Especially, for the most creative=20
-scientists and engineers, work tends to be large ly a surrogate activity. =
-This point is so im portant that is=20
-deserves a separate discussion, which we shall give in a moment (paragraphs =
-87-92).=20
-
-85. In this section we have explained how many people in modern society do =
-satisfy their need for the=20
-power process to a greater or lesser extent. But we think that for the =
-majority of people the need for the=20
-power process is not fully satisfied. In th e first place, those who have =
-an insatiable drive for status, or who=20
-get firmly "hooked" or a surrogate activity, or who identify strongly =
-enough with a movement or=20
-organization to satisfy their need for power in that way, are exceptional =
-personalities. Others are not fully=20
-satisfied with surrogate activities or by identification with an org =
-anization (see paragraphs 41, 64). In the=20
-second place, too much control is imposed by the system through explicit =
-regulation or through=20
-socialization,=20
-which results in a deficiency of autonomy, and in frustration due to the =
-impossibility of attaining cer tain=20
-goals and the necessity of restraining too many impulses.=20
-
-86. But even if most people in industrial-technological society were well =
-satisfied, we (FC) would still be=20
-opposed to that form of society, because (among other reasons) we consider =
-it demeaning to fulfill one's=20
-need for the power process through surr ogate activities or through =
-identification w ith an organization,=20
-rather then through pursuit of real goals.=20
-
-THE MOTIVES OF SCIENTISTS
-
-87. Science and technology provide the most important examples of surrogate =
-activities. Some scientists=20
-claim that they are motivated by "curiosity," that notion is simply absurd. =
-Most scientists work on highly=20
-specialized problem that are not the obje ct of any normal curiosity. For =
-example, is an astronomer, a=20
-mathematician or an entomologist curious about the properties of =
-isopropyltrimethylmethane? Of course=20
-not. Only a chemist is curious about such a thing, and he is curious about =
-it only because chemistry is his=20
-surrogate activity. Is the c hemist curious about the appropriate classif =
-ication of a new species of beetle?=20
-No. That question is of interest only to the entomologist, and he is =
-interested in it only because entomology=20
-is his surrogate activity.=20
-If the chemist and the entomologist had to exert themselves seriously to =
-obtain th e physical necessities,=20
-and if that effort e xercised their abilities in an interesting way but in =
-some nonscientific pursuit, then they=20
-couldn't giver a damn about isopropyltrimethylmethane or the classification =
-of beetles. Suppose that lack of=20
-funds for postgraduate education had led the chemist t o become an =
-insurance broker instead of a ch emist.=20
-In that case he would have been very interested in insurance matters but =
-would have cared nothing about=20
-isopropyltrimethylmethane. In any case it is not normal to put into the =
-satisfaction of mere curiosity the=20
-amount of time and effort that scient ists put into their work. The =
-"curiosity" ex planation for the scientists'=20
-motive just doesn't stand up.=20
-
-88. The "benefit of humanity" explanation doesn't work any better. Some =
-scientific work has no=20
-conceivable relation to the welfare of the human race - most of archaeology =
-or comparative linguistics for=20
-example. Some other areas of science present obvio usly dangerous =
-possibilities. Yet scientists in these=20
-areas are just as enthusiastic about their work as those who develop =
-vaccines or study air pollution.=20
-Consider the case of Dr. Edward Teller, who had an obvious emotional =
-involvement in promoting nuclear=20
-power plants. Did this involvement stem f rom a desire to benefit humanity? =
-If so, the n why didn't Dr.=20
-Teller get emotional about other "humanitarian" causes? If he was such a =
-humanitarian then why did he=20
-help to develop the H-bomb? As with many other scientific achievements, =
-
-it is very much open to question whether nuclear power plants ac tually do =
-benefit humanity. Does the=20
-cheap e lectricity outweigh the accumulating waste and risk of accidents? =
-Dr. Teller saw only one side of=20
-the question. Clearly his emotional involvement with nuclear power arose =
-not from a desire to "benefit=20
-humanity" but from a personal fulfillment he got from his work and from =
-seeing it put to practical use.=20
-
-89. The same is true of scientists generally. With possible rare =
-exceptions, their motive is neither curiosity=20
-nor a desire to benefit humanity but the need to go through the power =
-process: to have a goal (a scientific=20
-problem to solve), to make an eff ort (research) and to attain the goal =
-(solut ion of the problem.) Science is=20
-a surrogate activity because scientists work mainly for the fulfillment =
-they get out of the work itself.=20
-
-90. Of course, it's not that simple. Other motives do play a role for many =
-scientists. Money and status for=20
-example. Some scientists may be persons of the type who have an insatiable =
-drive for status (see paragraph=20
-79) and this may provide much of the motivation for their work. No doubt =
-the majo rity of scientists, like=20
-the majority of the general population, are more or less susceptible to =
-advertising and marketing techniques=20
-and need money to satisfy their craving for goods and services. Thus =
-science is not a PURE surrogate=20
-activity. But it is in large part a surrogate activity.=20
-
-91. Also, science and technology constitute a mass power movement, and many =
-scientists gratify their need=20
-for power through identification with this mass movement (see paragraph =
-83).=20
-
-92. Thus science marches on blindly, without regard to the real welfare of =
-the human race or to any other=20
-standard, obedient only to the psychological needs of the scientists and of =
-the government officials and=20
-corporation executives who provide the fu nds for research.=20
-
-THE NATURE OF FREEDOM
-
-93. We are going to argue that industrial-technological society cannot be =
-reformed in such a way as to=20
-prevent it from progressively narrowing the sphere of human freedom. But =
-because "freedom" is a word=20
-that can be interpreted in many ways, we must fi rst make clear what kind =
-of freedom we are c oncerned=20
-with.=20
-
-94. By "freedom" we mean the opportunity to go through the power process, =
-with real goals not the=20
-artificial goals of surrogate activities, and without interference, =
-manipulation or supervision from anyone,=20
-especially from any large organization. Freed om means being in control =
-(either as an indi vidual or as a=20
-member of a SMALL group) of the life-and-death issues of one's existence; =
-food, clothing, shelter and=20
-defense against whatever threats there may be in one's environment. Freedom =
-means having power; not the=20
-power to control other people but the power to control the circumstances of =
-on e's own life. One does not=20
-have freedom if anyone else (especially a large organization) has power =
-over one, no matter how=20
-benevolently, tolerantly and permissively that power may be exercised. =
-
-It is important not to confuse freedom with mere permissivene ss (see =
-paragraph 72).=20
-
-95. It is said that we live in a free society because we have a certain =
-number of constitutionally guaranteed=20
-rights. But these are not as important as they seem. The degree of personal =
-freedom that exists in a society=20
-is determined more by the economi c and technological structure of the =
-society than by its laws or its form=20
-of government. [16] Most of the Indian nations of New England were =
-monarchies, and many of the cities=20
-of the Italian Renaissance were controlled by dictators. But in reading =
-about these societies one gets the=20
-impression that they allowed far more personal freedom than out society =
-does. In part this was because=20
-they lacked efficient mechanisms for enforcing the ruler's will: There were =
-no modern, well-organized=20
-police forces, no rapid long-distance communications,=20
-no surveillance cameras, no dossiers of information abou t the lives of =
-average citizens. Hence it wa s=20
-relatively easy to evade control.=20
-
-96. As for our constitutional rights, consider for example that of freedom =
-of the press. We certainly don't=20
-mean to knock that right: it is very important tool for limiting =
-concentration of political power and for=20
-keeping those who do have political po wer in line by publicly exposing any =
-misbeha vior on their part.=20
-But freedom of the press is of very little use to the average citizen as an =
-individual. The mass media are=20
-mostly under the control of large organizations that are integrated into =
-the system. Anyone who has a little=20
-money can have some thing printed, or can distribute it on the I nternet or =
-in some such way, but what he=20
-has to say will be swamped by the vast volume of material put out by the =
-media, hence it will have no=20
-practical effect.=20
-To make an impression on society with words is therefore almost impossible =
-for most individual s and=20
-small groups. Take us (FC) for example . If we had never done anything =
-violent and had submitted the=20
-present writings to a publisher, they probably would not have been =
-accepted. If they had been accepted and=20
-published, they probably would not have attracted many readers, because =
-it's more fun to watch the=20
-entertainment put out by the me dia than to read a sober essay. Even if =
-these writings had had many=20
-readers, most of these readers would soon have forgotten what they had read =
-as their minds were flooded=20
-by the mass of material to which the media expose them. In order to get our =
-message before the public with=20
-some chance of makin g a lasting impression, we've had to kill people. =
-
-
-97. Constitutional rights are useful up to a point, but they do not serve =
-to guarantee much more than what=20
-could be called the bourgeois conception of freedom. According to the =
-bourgeois conception, a "free" man=20
-is essentially an element of a social ma chine and has only a certain set =
-of prescrib ed and delimited=20
-freedoms; freedoms that are designed to serve the needs of the social =
-machine more than those of the=20
-individual. Thus the bourgeois's "free" man has economic freedom because =
-that promotes growth and=20
-progress; he has freedom of the press b ecause public criticism restrains =
-misbehavio r by political leaders;=20
-he has a rights to a fair trial because imprisonment at the whim of the =
-powerful would be bad for the=20
-system. This was clearly the attitude of Simon Bolivar.=20
-To him, people deserved liberty only if they used it to promote progress =
-(progress as conceived by the=20
-bourgeois). Ot her bourgeois thinkers have taken a similar view of freedom =
-as a mere means to collective=20
-ends. Chester C. Tan, "Chinese Political Thought in the Twentieth Century," =
-page 202, explains the=20
-philosophy of the Kuomintang leader Hu Han-min: "An individual is granted =
-rights because he is a=20
-member of soc iety and his community life requires such rights. By =
-community Hu meant the whole=20
-society of the nation." And on page 259 Tan states that according to Carsum =
-Chang (Chang Chun-mai,=20
-head of the State Socialist Party in China) freedom had to be used in the =
-interest of the state and of the=20
-people as a whole. But what kind of freedom does one have if one can use it =
-only as someone else=20
-prescribes?=20
-FC's conception of freedom is not that of Bolivar, Hu, Chang or other =
-bourgeois theorists. The trouble with=20
-such theorists is that they have made the develop ment and application of =
-social theories thei r surrogate=20
-activity. Consequently the theories are designed to serve the needs of the =
-theorists more than the needs of=20
-any people who may be unlucky enough to live in a society on which the =
-theories are imposed.=20
-
-98. One more point to be made in this section: It should not be assumed =
-that a person has enough freedom=20
-just because he SAYS he has enough. Freedom is restricted in part by =
-psychological control of which=20
-people are unconscious, and moreover many peopl e's ideas of what =
-constitutes freedom are go verned=20
-more by social convention than by their real needs. For example, it's =
-likely that many leftists of the=20
-oversocialized type would say that most people, including themselves are =
-socialized too little rather than=20
-too much, yet the oversocialized lefti st pays a heavy psychological price =
-for his high level of socialization.=20
-
-SOME PRINCIPLES OF HISTORY
-
-99. Think of history as being the sum of two components: an erratic =
-component that consists of=20
-unpredictable events that follow no discernible pattern, and a regular =
-component that consists of long-term=20
-historical trends. Here we are concerned with the long-term trends. =
-
-
-100. FIRST PRINCIPLE. If a SMALL change is made that affects a long-term =
-historical trend, then the=20
-effect of that change will almost always be transitory - the trend will =
-soon revert to its original state.=20
-(Example: A reform movement designed to clean up political corruption in a =
-society rarely has more than a=20
-short-term effect; sooner or later the reformers relax and corruption =
-creeps back in. The level of political=20
-corruption in a given society tends to remain constant, or to change only =
-slowly with the evolution of the=20
-society. Normally, a p olitical cleanup will be permanent only if a =
-ccompanied by widespread social=20
-changes; a SMALL change in the society won't be enough.) If a small change =
-in a long-term historical=20
-trend appears to be permanent, i
-t is only because the change acts in the direction in which the trend is =
-already moving, s o that the trend is=20
-not altered but only pus hed a step ahead.=20
-
-101. The first principle is almost a tautology. If a trend were not stable =
-with respect to small changes, it=20
-would wander at random rather than following a definite direction; in other =
-words it would not be a long-
-term trend at all.=20
-
-102. SECOND PRINCIPLE. If a change is made that is sufficiently large to =
-alter permanently a long-term=20
-historical trend, than it will alter the society as a whole. In other =
-words, a society is a system in which all=20
-parts are interrelated, and you can't permanently change any important part =
-witho ut change all the other=20
-parts as well.=20
-
-103. THIRD PRINCIPLE. If a change is made that is large enough to alter =
-permanently a long-term trend,=20
-then the consequences for the society as a whole cannot be predicted in =
-advance. (Unless various other=20
-societies have passed through the same change and have all experienced the =
-same consequenc es, in which=20
-case one can predict on empirical grounds that another society that passes =
-through the same change will be=20
-like to experience similar consequences.)=20
-
-104. FOURTH PRINCIPLE. A new kind of society cannot be designed on paper. =
-That is, you cannot plan=20
-out a new form of society in advance, then set it up and expect it to =
-function as it was designed to.=20
-
-105. The third and fourth principles result from the complexity of human =
-societies. A change in human=20
-behavior will affect the economy of a society and its physical environment; =
-the economy will affect the=20
-environment and vice versa, and the changes in the economy and the =
-environment will affec t human=20
-behavior in complex, unpredictable ways; and so forth. The network of =
-causes and effects is far too=20
-complex to be untangled and understood.=20
-
-106. FIFTH PRINCIPLE. People do not consciously and rationally choose the =
-form of their society.=20
-Societies develop through processes of social evolution that are not under =
-rational human control.=20
-
-107. The fifth principle is a consequence of the other four.=20
-
-108. To illustrate: By the first principle, generally speaking an attempt =
-at social reform either acts in the=20
-direction in which the society is developing anyway (so that it merely =
-accelerates a change that would have=20
-occurred in any case) or else it o nly has a transitory effect, so that the =
-soc iety soon slips back into its old=20
-groove. To make a lasting change in the direction of development of any =
-important aspect of a society,=20
-reform is insufficient and revolution is required. (A revolution does not =
-necessarily involve an armed=20
-uprising or the overthrow of a government.) By the second p rinciple, a =
-revolution never changes only one=20
-aspect of a society; and by the third principle changes occur that were =
-never expected or desired by the=20
-revolutionaries.=20
-By the fourth principle, when revolutionaries or utopians set up a new kind =
-of society, it never works out as=20
-planned.=20
-
-109. The American Revolution does not provide a counterexample. The =
-American "Revolution" was not a=20
-revolution in our sense of the word, but a war of independence followed by =
-a rather far-reaching political=20
-reform. The Founding Fathers did not change t he direction of development =
-of American soci ety, nor did=20
-they aspire to do so. They only freed the development of American society =
-from the retarding effect of=20
-British rule. Their political reform did not change any basic trend, but =
-only pushed American political=20
-culture along its natural direction of development. British society, of =
-which A merican society was an off-
-shoot, had been moving for a long time in the direction of representative =
-democracy. And prior to the War=20
-of Independence the Americans were already practicing a significant =
-
-degree of representative democracy in the colonial ass emblies. The =
-political system established by the=20
-Constitution was modeled on the British system and on the colonial =
-assemblies. With major alteration, to=20
-be sure - there is no doubt that the Founding Fathers took a very important =
-step. But it was a step along the=20
-road the English-speaking world was already traveling. The proof is that =
-Britai n and all of its colonies that=20
-were populated predominantly by people of British descent ended up with =
-systems of representative=20
-democracy essentially similar to that of the United States. If the Founding =
-Fathers had lost their nerve and=20
-declined to sign the Declaration of Independence, our way of life today =
-would not have been significantly=20
-different.=20
-Maybe we would have had somewhat closer ties to Britain, and would have had =
-a Parliament and Prime=20
-Minister instead of a Congress and President. No big deal. Thus the =
-American Revolution provides not a=20
-counterexample to our principles but a go od illustration of them.=20
-
-110. Still, one has to use common sense in applying the principles. They =
-are expressed in imprecise=20
-language that allows latitude for interpretation, and exceptions to them =
-can be found. So we present these=20
-principles not as inviolable laws but as rule s of thumb, or guides to =
-thinking, that may provide a partial=20
-antidote to naive ideas about the future of society. The principles should =
-be borne constantly in mind, and=20
-whenever one reaches a conclusion that conflicts with them one should =
-carefully reexamine one's thinking=20
-and retain the conclusio n only if one has good, solid reasons for do ing =
-so.=20
-
-INDUSTRIAL-TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY CANNOT BE REFORMED
-
-111. The foregoing principles help to show how hopelessly difficult it =
-would be to reform the industrial=20
-system in such a way as to prevent it from progressively narrowing our =
-sphere of freedom. There has been=20
-a consistent tendency, going back at least to the Industrial Revolution for =
-technology to strengthen the=20
-system at a high cost in individual freedom and local autonomy. Hence any =
-change designed to protect=20
-freedom from technology would be contrary to a fundamental trend in the =
-development of our society.=20
-
-Consequently, such a change either would be a transitory one -- soon =
-swamped by the tide of history -- or,=20
-if large enough to be permanent would alter the nature of our whole =
-society. This by the first and second=20
-principles. Moreover, since society wo uld be altered in a way that could =
-not be pr edicted in advance (third=20
-principle) there would be great risk. Changes large enough to make a =
-lasting difference in favor of freedom=20
-would not be initiated because it would realized that they would gravely =
-disrupt the system. So any=20
-attempts at reform w ould be too timid to be effective. Even if c hanges =
-large enough to make a lasting=20
-difference were initiated, they would be retracted when their disruptive =
-effects became apparent. Thus,=20
-permanent changes=20
-in favor of freedom could be brought about only by persons prepared to =
-accept radical, dangero us and=20
-unpredictable alteration of the entir e system. In other words, by =
-revolutionaries, not reformers.=20
-
-112. People anxious to rescue freedom without sacrificing the supposed =
-benefits of technology will suggest=20
-naive schemes for some new form of society that would reconcile freedom =
-with technology. Apart from the=20
-fact that people who make suggestions sel dom propose any practical means =
-by which the new form of=20
-society could be set up in the first place, it follows from the fourth =
-principle that even if the new form of=20
-society could be once established, it either would collapse or would give =
-results very different from those=20
-expected.=20
-
-113. So even on very general grounds it seems highly improbably that any =
-way of changing society could=20
-be found that would reconcile freedom with modern technology. In the next =
-few sections we will give more=20
-specific reasons for concluding that freedo m and technological progress =
-are incompatibl e.=20
-
-
-
-RESTRICTION OF FREEDOM IS UNAVOIDABLE IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
-
-
-
-114. As explained in paragraph 65-67, 70-73, modern man is strapped down by =
-a network of rules and=20
-regulations, and his fate depends on the actions of persons remote from him =
-whose decisions he cannot=20
-influence. This is not accidental or a result of t he arbitrariness of =
-arrogant bureaucrats. I t is necessary and=20
-inevitable in any technologically advanced society. The system HAS TO =
-regulate human behavior closely=20
-in order to function. At work, people have to do what they are told to do, =
-otherwise production would be=20
-thrown into chaos. Bureaucra cies HAVE TO be run according to rigid rules . =
-To allow any substantial=20
-personal discretion to lower-level bureaucrats would disrupt the system and =
-lead to charges of unfairness=20
-due to differences in the way individual bureaucrats exercised their =
-discretion.=20
-It is true that some restrictions on our freedom could be eliminated, but =
-GENERALLY S PEAKING the=20
-regulation of our lives by large organizations is necessary for the =
-functioning of industrial-technological=20
-society. The result is a sense of powerlessness on the part of the average =
-person. It may be, however, that=20
-formal regulations will ten d increasingly to be replaced by psychologic al =
-tools that make us want to do=20
-what the system requires of us. (Propaganda [14], educational techniques, =
-"mental health" programs, etc.)=20
-
-115. The system HAS TO force people to behave in ways that are increasingly =
-remote from the natural=20
-pattern of human behavior. For example, the system needs scientists, =
-mathematicians and engineers. It can't=20
-function without them. So heavy pressure is put on children to excel in =
-these fields. It isn't natural for an=20
-adolescent human being to spend the bulk of his time sitting at a desk =
-absorbed in study. A normal=20
-adolescent wants to spend his time in active contact with the real world. =
-Among primitive peoples the=20
-things that children are trained to do are in natural harmony with natural =
-h uman impulses. Among the=20
-American Indians, for example, boys were trained in active outdoor pursuits =
--- just the sort of things that=20
-boys like. But in our society children are pushed into studying technical =
-subjects,=20
-which most do grudgingly.=20
-
-117. In any technologically advanced society the individual's fate MUST =
-depend on decisions that he=20
-personally cannot influence to any great extent. A technological society =
-cannot be broken down into small,=20
-autonomous communities, because production de pends on the cooperation of =
-very large numbe rs of=20
-people. When a decision affects, say, a million people, then each of the =
-affected individuals has, on the=20
-average, only a one-millionth share in making the decision. What usually =
-happens in practice is that=20
-decisions are made by public officials or corporation executives, or by =
-technical spe cialists, but even when=20
-the public votes on a decision the number of voters ordinarily is too large =
-for the vote of any one individual=20
-to be significant. [17]=20
-Thus most individuals are unable to influence measurably the major =
-decisions that affect their l ives. Their=20
-is no conceivable way to remedy this in a technologically advanced society. =
-The system tries to "solve" this=20
-problem by using propaganda to make people WANT the decisions that have =
-been made for them, but even=20
-if this "solution" were completely successful in making people feel better, =
-it would be demeaning.=20
-
-118 Conservatives and some others advocate more "local autonomy." Local =
-communities once did have=20
-autonomy, but such autonomy becomes less and less possible as local =
-communities become more=20
-enmeshed with and dependent on large-scale systems like public utilities, =
-computer networks, highway=20
-syste ms, the mass communications media, the modern health care system. =
-Also operating against=20
-autonomy is the fact that technology applied in one location often affects =
-people at other locations far=20
-away. Thus pesticide or chemical use near a creek may contam inate the =
-water supply hundreds of miles=20
-dow nstream, and the greenhouse effect affects the whole world.=20
-
-119. The system does not and cannot exist to satisfy human needs. Instead, =
-it is human behavior that has to=20
-be modified to fit the needs of the system. This has nothing to do with the =
-political or social ideology that=20
-may pretend to guide the technolog ical system. It is the fault of =
-technology, because the system is guided=20
-not by ideology but by technical necessity. [18] Of course the system does =
-satisfy many human needs, but=20
-generally speaking it does this only to the extent that it is to the =
-advantage of the system to do it. It is the=20
-needs of the system that are paramount, not those of the human being. For =
-example, the system provides=20
-people with food because the system couldn't function if everyone starved; =
-
-it attends to people's psychological needs whenever it can CONVENIENTLY do =
-so, because it couldn't=20
-function if too many people be came depressed or rebellious. But the system =
-, for good, solid, practical=20
-reasons, must exert constant pressure on people to mold their behavior to =
-the needs of the system. Too=20
-much waste accumulating? The government, the media, the educational system, =
-environmentalists,=20
-everyone inundates us with a mass of propaganda about recycling. Need mo re =
-technical personnel? A=20
-chorus of voices exhorts kids to study science. No one stops to ask whether =
-it is inhumane to force=20
-adolescents to spend the bulk of their time studying subjects most of them =
-hate. When skilled workers are=20
-put out of a job by tec hnical advances and have to undergo "retrain ing," =
-no one asks=20
-whether it is humiliating for them to be pushed around in this way. It is =
-simply taken for granted that=20
-everyone must bow to technical necessity and for good reason: If human =
-needs were put before technical=20
-necessity there would be econo mic problems, unemployment, shortages or wor =
-se. The concept of "mental=20
-health" in our society is defined largely by the extent to which an =
-individual behaves in accord with the=20
-needs of the system and does so without showing signs of stress.=20
-
-120. Efforts to make room for a sense of purpose and for autonomy within =
-the system are no better than a=20
-joke. For example, one company, instead of having each of its employees =
-assemble only one section of a=20
-catalogue, had each assemble a whole catalog ue, and this was supposed to =
-give them a sen se of purpose=20
-and achievement. Some companies have tried to give their employees more =
-autonomy in their work, but for=20
-practical reasons this usually can be done only to a very limited extent, =
-and in any case employees are=20
-never given autonomy as to ultima te goals -- their "autonomous" efforts =
-can n ever be directed toward=20
-goals that they select personally, but only toward their employer's goals, =
-such as the survival and growth of=20
-the company. Any company would=20
-soon go out of business if it permitted its employees to act otherwise. =
-Similarly, in any enterprise within a=20
-socialist system, worker s must direct their efforts toward the goals of =
-the enterprise, otherwise the=20
-enterprise will not serve its purpose as part of the system. Once again, =
-for purely technical reasons it is not=20
-possible for most individuals or small groups to have much autono my in =
-industrial society. Even the=20
-small-bus iness owner commonly has only limited autonomy. Apart from the =
-necessity of government=20
-regulation, he is restricted by the fact that he must fit into the economic =
-system and conform to its=20
-requirements. For instance, when someone develops a new technology , the =
-small-business person often=20
-has to use that technology whether he wants to or not, in order to remain =
-competitive.=20
-
-
-
-THE 'BAD' PARTS OF TECHNOLOGY CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE 'GOOD' =
-PARTS
-
-
-
-121. A further reason why industrial society cannot be reformed in favor of =
-freedom is that modern=20
-technology is a unified system in which all parts are dependent on one =
-another. You can't get rid of the=20
-"bad" parts of technology and retain only the "g ood" parts. Take modern =
-medicine, for exampl e. Progress=20
-in medical science depends on progress in chemistry, physics, biology, =
-computer science and other fields.=20
-Advanced medical treatments require expensive, high-tech equipment that can =
-be made available only by a=20
-technologically progressive, econ omically rich society. Clearly you can't =
-hav e much progress in medicine=20
-without the whole technological system and everything that goes with it. =
-
-
-122. Even if medical progress could be maintained without the rest of the =
-technological system, it would by=20
-itself bring certain evils. Suppose for example that a cure for diabetes is =
-discovered. People with a genetic=20
-tendency to diabetes will then be able to survive and reproduce as well as =
-an yone else. Natural selection=20
-against genes for diabetes will cease and such genes will spread throughout =
-the population. (This may be=20
-occurring to some extent already, since diabetes, while not curable, can be =
-controlled through the use of=20
-insulin.) The s ame thing will happen with many other diseas es =
-susceptibility to which is affected by=20
-genetic degradation of the population. The only solution will be some sort =
-of eugenics program or=20
-extensive genetic engineering of human beings,=20
-so that man in the future will no longer be a creation of nature, or of =
-chance, or of God (depending on your=20
-rel igious or philosophical opinions), but a manufactured product.=20
-
-123. If you think that big government interferes in your life too much NOW, =
-just wait till the government=20
-starts regulating the genetic constitution of your children. Such =
-regulation will inevitably follow the=20
-introduction of genetic engineering of hum an beings, because the =
-consequences of unreg ulated genetic=20
-engineering would be disastrous. [19]=20
-
-124. The usual response to such concerns is to talk about "medical ethics." =
-But a code of ethics would not=20
-serve to protect freedom in the face of medical progress; it would only =
-make matters worse. A code of=20
-ethics applicable to genetic engineering wo uld be in effect a means of =
-regulating the g enetic constitution=20
-of human beings. Somebody (probably the upper-middle class, mostly) would =
-decide that such and such=20
-applications of genetic engineering were "ethical" and others were not, so =
-that in effect they would be=20
-imposing their own values on th e genetic constitution of the population at =
-large. Even if a code of ethics=20
-were chosen on a completely democratic basis, the majority would be =
-imposing their own values on any=20
-minorities who might have a=20
-different idea of what constituted an "ethical" use of genetic engineering. =
-The only code of e thics that=20
-would truly protect freedom would be one that prohibited ANY genetic =
-engineering of human beings, and=20
-you can be sure that no such code will ever be applied in a technological =
-society. No code that reduced=20
-genetic engineering to a minor role could stand up for long, because the =
-temptatio n presented by the=20
-immense power of biotechn ology would be irresistible, especially since to =
-the majority of people many of=20
-its applications will seem obviously and unequivocally good (eliminating =
-physical and mental diseases,=20
-giving people the abilities they need to get along in today's world). In =
-evitably, genetic engineering will be=20
-used e xtensively, but only in ways consistent with the needs of the =
-industrial-technological system. [20]=20
-
-TECHNOLOGY IS A MORE POWERFUL SOCIAL FORCE THAN THE ASPIRATION FOR=20
-FREEDOM
-
-125. It is not possible to make a LASTING compromise between technology and =
-freedom, because=20
-technology is by far the more powerful social force and continually =
-encroaches on freedom through=20
-REPEATED compromises. Imagine the case of two neighbors, each of whom at =
-the outset owns the same=20
-amount of land, but one of whom is more powerful than the other. The =
-powerful one demands a piece of=20
-the other's land. The weak one refuses. The powerful one says, "OK, let's =
-compromise. Give me half of=20
-what I asked." The weak one has little choice but to give in. Some time =
-later the powerful neighbor demand=20
-s another piece of land, again there is a compromise, and so forth. By =
-forcing a long series of compromises=20
-on the weaker man, the powerful one eventually gets all of his land. So it =
-goes in the conflict between=20
-technology and freedom.=20
-
-126. Let us explain why technology is a more powerful social force than the =
-aspiration for freedom.=20
-
-127. A technological advance that appears not to threaten freedom often =
-turns out to threaten freedom often=20
-turns out to threaten it very seriously later on. For example, consider =
-motorized transport. A walking man=20
-formerly could go where he pleased, g o at his own pace without observing =
-any traf fic regulations, and=20
-was independent of technological support-systems. When motor vehicles were =
-introduced they appeared to=20
-increase man's freedom. They took no freedom away from the walking man, no =
-one had to have an=20
-automobile if he didn't want one, and anyone who did choose to buy an =
-automobile could travel much=20
-faster than the walking man. But the introduction of motorized transport =
-soon changed society in such a=20
-way as to restrict greatly man's freedom of locomotion. When automobiles =
-became numerous,=20
-it became necessary to regulate their use e xtensively. In a car, =
-especially in densely populated areas, one=20
-cannot just go where one likes at one's own pace one's movement is governed =
-by the flow of traffic and by=20
-various traffic laws. One is tied down by various obligations: license =
-requirements, driver test, renewing=20
-registration, insuran ce, maintenance required for safety, monthly payments =
-on purchase price. Moreover,=20
-the use of motorized transport is no longer optional. Since the =
-introduction of motorized transport the=20
-arrangement of our cities has changed in such a way that the majority of =
-people no longer live within=20
-walking di stance of their place of employment, shoppin g areas and =
-recreational opportunities, so that they=20
-HAVE TO depend on the automobile for transportation.=20
-Or else they must use public transportation, in which case they have even =
-less control over their own=20
-movement than when driving a car. Even the wal ker's freedom is now greatly =
-restricted. In the city he=20
-continually has to stop and wait for traffic lights that are designed =
-mainly to serve auto traffic. In the=20
-country, motor traffic makes it dangerous and unpleasant to walk along the =
-highway. (Note the important=20
-point we have illustrated with t he case of motorized transport: When a new =
-i tem of technology is=20
-introduced as an option that an individual can accept or not as he chooses, =
-it does not necessarily REMAIN=20
-optional. In many cases the new technology changes society in such a way =
-that people eventually find=20
-themselves FORCED to use i t.)=20
-
-128. While technological progress AS A WHOLE continually narrows our sphere =
-of freedom, each new=20
-technical advance CONSIDERED BY ITSELF appears to be desirable. =
-Electricity, indoor plumbing, rapid=20
-long-distance communications . . . how could one argue against any of these =
-things, or against any other of=20
-the innumerable technical advances that have made modern society? It would =
-have been absurd to resist the=20
-introduction of the telephone, for example. It offered many advantages and =
-no disadvantages. Yet as we=20
-explained in paragraphs 59-76, all th ese technical advances taken together =
-have c reated world in which=20
-the average man's fate is no longer in his own hands or in the hands of his =
-neighbors and friends, but in=20
-those of politicians, corporation executives and remote, anonymous =
-technicians=20
-and bureaucrats whom he as an individual has no power to influence. [21] =
-The same process wi ll continue=20
-in the future. Take genetic engineering, for example. Few people will =
-resist the introduction of a genetic=20
-technique that eliminates a hereditary disease It does no apparent harm and =
-prevents much suffering. Yet a=20
-large number of genetic impr ovements taken together will make the human =
-being into an engineered=20
-product rather than a free creation of chance (or of God, or whatever, =
-depending on your religious beliefs).=20
-
-129 Another reason why technology is such a powerful social force is that, =
-within the context of a given=20
-society, technological progress marches in only one direction; it can never =
-be reversed. Once a technical=20
-innovation has been introduced, people us ually become dependent on it, =
-unless it is r eplaced by some still=20
-more advanced innovation. Not only do people become dependent as =
-individuals on a new item of=20
-technology, but, even more, the system as a whole becomes dependent on it. =
-(Imagine what would happen=20
-to the system today if computers, for example, were eliminated.) Thus the =
-system can move in only one=20
-direction, toward greater technologization. Technology repeatedly forces =
-freedom to take a step back --=20
-short of the overthrow of the whole technological system.=20
-
-130. Technology advances with great rapidity and threatens freedom at many =
-different points at the same=20
-time (crowding, rules and regulations, increasing dependence of individuals =
-on large organizations,=20
-propaganda and other psychological techniques, g enetic engineering, =
-invasion of privacy thro ugh=20
-surveillance devices and computers, etc.) To hold back any ONE of the =
-threats to freedom would require a=20
-long different social struggle. Those who want to protect freedom are =
-overwhelmed by the sheer number of=20
-new attacks and the rapidity with which t hey develop, hence they become =
-pathetic and no longer resist. To=20
-fight each of the threats separately would be futile. Success can be hoped =
-for only by fighting the=20
-technological system as a whole; but that is revolution not reform. =
-
-
-131. Technicians (we use this term in its broad sense to describe all those =
-who perform a specialized task=20
-that requires training) tend to be so involved in their work (their =
-surrogate activity) that when a conflict=20
-arises between their technical work and freedom, they almost always decide =
-in fa vor of their technical=20
-work. This is obvious in the case of scientists, but it also appears =
-elsewhere: Educators, humanitarian=20
-groups, conservation organizations do not hesitate to use propaganda or =
-other psychological techniques to=20
-help them achieve thei r laudable ends. Corporations and government =
-agencies, when they find it useful, do=20
-not hesitate to collect information about individuals without regard to =
-their privacy. Law enforcement=20
-agencies are=20
-frequently inconvenienced by the constitutional rights of suspects and =
-often of completely innocent=20
-persons, and they do whatever they can do l egally (or sometimes illegally) =
-to restrict or circumvent those=20
-rights. Most of these educators, government officials and law officers =
-believe in freedom, privacy and=20
-constitutional rights, but when these conflict with their work, they =
-usually feel that t heir work is more=20
-important.=20
-
-132. It is well known that people generally work better and more =
-persistently when striving for a reward=20
-than when attempting to avoid a punishment or negative outcome. Scientists =
-and other technicians are=20
-motivated mainly by the rewards they get throu gh their work. But those who =
-oppose technilo giccal=20
-invasions of freedom are working to avoid a negative outcome, consequently =
-there are a few who work=20
-persistently and well at this discouraging task. If reformers ever achieved =
-a signal victory that seemed to set=20
-up a solid barrier against further e rosion of freedom through =
-technological prog ress, most would tend to=20
-relax and turn their attention to more agreeable pursuits. But the =
-scientists would remain busy in their=20
-laboratories, and technology as it progresses would find ways,=20
-in spite of any barriers, to exert more and more control over individuals =
-and make them always more=20
-depend ent on the system.=20
-
-133. No social arrangements, whether laws, institutions, customs or ethical =
-codes, can provide permanent=20
-protection against technology. History shows that all social arrangements =
-are transitory; they all change or=20
-break down eventually. But technologic al advances are permanent within the =
-context of a given=20
-civilization. Suppose for example that it were possible to arrive at some =
-social arrangements that would=20
-prevent genetic engineering from being applied to human beings, or prevent =
-it from being applied in such a=20
-ways as to threaten freedom and dignity. Still, the technology would remain =
-waiting. Sooner or later the=20
-social arrangement would break down. Probably sooner, given that pace of =
-change in our society. Then=20
-genetic engineering would begin to invade our=20
-sphere of freedom, and this invasion would be irreversible (short of a =
-breakdo wn of technological=20
-civilization itself). An y illusions about achieving anything permanent =
-through social arrangements should=20
-be dispelled by what is currently happening with environmental legislation. =
-A few years ago it seemed that=20
-there were secure legal barriers preventing at least SOME of the w orst =
-forms of environmental=20
-degradation. A c hange in the political wind, and those barriers begin to =
-crumble.=20
-
-134. For all of the foregoing reasons, technology is a more powerful social =
-force than the aspiration for=20
-freedom. But this statement requires an important qualification. It appears =
-that during the next several=20
-decades the industrial-technological syst em will be undergoing severe =
-stresses due to economic and=20
-environmental problems, and especially due to problems of human behavior =
-(alienation, rebellion, hostility,=20
-a variety of social and psychological difficulties). We hope that the =
-stresses through which the system is=20
-likely to pass will cause it to break down, or at least weaken it suff =
-iciently so that a revolution occurs and=20
-is successful, then at that particular moment the aspiration for freedom =
-will have proved more powerful=20
-than technology.=20
-
-135. In paragraph 125 we used an analogy of a weak neighbor who is left =
-destitute by a strong neighbor=20
-who takes all his land by forcing on him a series of compromises. But =
-suppose now that the strong=20
-neighbor gets sick, so that he is unable to defend himself. The weak =
-neighbor can force the str ong one to=20
-give him his land back, or he can kill him. If he lets the strong man =
-survive and only forces him to give his=20
-land back, he is a fool, because when the strong man gets well he will =
-again take all the land for himself.=20
-The only sensible alternat ive for the weaker man is to kill the strong one =
-while he has the chance. In the=20
-same way, while the industrial system is sick we must destroy it. If we =
-compromise with it and let it=20
-recover from its sickness, it will eventually wipe out all of our freedom. =
-
-
-SIMPLER SOCIAL PROBLEMS HAVE PROVED INTRACTABLE
-
-136. If anyone still imagines that it would be possible to reform the =
-system in such a way as to protect=20
-freedom from technology, let him consider how clumsily and for the most =
-part unsuccessfully our society=20
-has dealt with other social problems that a re far more simple and =
-straightforward. Amon g other things, the=20
-system has failed to stop environmental degradation, political corruption, =
-drug trafficking or domestic=20
-abuse.=20
-
-137. Take our environmental problems, for example. Here the conflict of =
-values is straightforward:=20
-economic expedience now versus saving some of our natural resources for our =
-grandchildren [22] But on=20
-this subject we get only a lot of blather and obfus cation from the people =
-who have power, and n othing=20
-like a clear, consistent line of action, and we keep on piling up =
-environmental problems that our=20
-grandchildren will have to live with. Attempts to resolve the environmental =
-issue consist of struggles and=20
-compromises between different factions, som e of which are ascendant at one =
-moment, othe rs at another=20
-moment. The line of struggle changes with the shifting currents of public =
-opinion. This is not a rational=20
-process, or is it one that is likely to lead to a timely and successful =
-solution to the problem.=20
-Major social problems, if they get "so lved" at all, are rarely or never =
-solved thr ough any rational,=20
-comprehensive plan. They just work themselves out through a process in =
-which various competing groups=20
-pursing their own usually short-term) self-interest [23] arrive (mainly by =
-luck) at some more or less stable=20
-modus vivendi. In fact, t he principles we formulated in paragraphs 10 =
-0-106 make it seem doubtful that=20
-rational, long-term social planning can EVER be successful. 138. Thus it is =
-clear that the human race has at=20
-best a very limited capacity for solving even relatively straightforward =
-social problems. How then is it=20
-going to solve the far more difficult and subtle problem of reconciling =
-freedom with technology?=20
-Technology presents clear-cut material advantages,=20
-whereas freedom is an abstraction that means different things to different =
-people, and its loss is easily=20
-obscured by propaganda and fancy talk.=20
-
-139. And note this important difference: It is conceivable that our =
-environmental problems (for example)=20
-may some day be settled through a rational, comprehensive plan, but if this =
-happens it will be only because=20
-it is in the long-term interest of the system to solve these problems. But =
-it is NOT in the interest of the=20
-system to preserve freedom or small-group autonomy. On the contrary, it is =
-in the interest of the system to=20
-bring human behavior under control to the greatest possible extent. Thus, =
-while practical considerations=20
-may eventually force the system to take a rational, prudent approach to =
-environmental problems, equally=20
-practical considerations will force the system to regulate human behavior =
-ever more closely (preferably by=20
-indirect means that will disguise the encroachment on freedom.)=20
-This isn't just our opinion. Eminent social scientists (e.g. James Q. =
-Wilson) have stressed the importance of=20
-"socializing" people more effectively.
-
-
-
-REVOLUTION IS EASIER THAN REFORM
-
-140. We hope we have convinced the reader that the system cannot be =
-reformed in a such a way as to=20
-reconcile freedom with technology. The only way out is to dispense with the =
-industrial-technological=20
-system altogether. This implies revolution, not necessarily an armed =
-uprising, but certainly a radical and=20
-fundamental change in the nature of society.=20
-
-141. People tend to assume that because a revolution involves a much =
-greater change than reform does, it is=20
-more difficult to bring about than reform is. Actually, under certain =
-circumstances revolution is much=20
-easier than reform. The reason is that a revolutionary movement can inspire =
-an intensity of commitment=20
-that a reform movement cannot inspire. A reform movement merely offers to =
-solve a particular social=20
-problem A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems at one stroke =
-and create a whole new=20
-world; it provides the kind of ideal for which people will take great risks =
-and make great sacrifices. For this=20
-reasons it would be much easier to overthrow the whole technological system =
-than to put effective,=20
-permanent restraints on the development of application of any one segment =
-of technology, s
-uch as genetic engineering, but under suitable conditions large numbers of =
-people may devote themselves=20
-passionately=20
-to a revolution against the industrial-technological system. As we noted in =
-paragraph 132, reformers=20
-seeking to limite certain aspects of technology would be working to avoid a =
-negative outcome. But=20
-revolutionaries work to gain a powerful reward -- fulfillment of their =
-revolutionary vision -- and therefore=20
-work harder and more persistently than reformers do.=20
-
-142. Reform is always restrainde by the fear of painful consequences if =
-changes go too far. But once a=20
-revolutionary fever has taken hold of a society, people are willing to =
-undergo unlimited hardships for the=20
-sake of their revolution. This was clearly shown in the French and Russian =
-Revolutions. It may be that in=20
-such cases only a minority of the population is really committed to the =
-revolution, but this minority is=20
-sufficiently large and active so that it becomes the dominant force in =
-society. We will have more to say=20
-about revolution in paragraphs 180-205.=20
-
-
-
-CONTROL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
-
-143. Since the beginning of civilization, organized societies have had to =
-put pressures on human beings of=20
-the sake of the functioning of the social organism. The kinds of pressures =
-vary greatly from one society to=20
-another. Some of the pressures are physical (poor diet, excessive labor, =
-environmental pollution), some are=20
-psychological (noise, crowding, forcing humans behavior into the mold that =
-society requires). In the past,=20
-human nature has been approximately constant, or at any rate has varied =
-only within certain bounds.=20
-Consequently, societies have been able to push people only up to certain =
-limits. When the limit of human=20
-endurance has been passed, things start going rong: rebellion, or crime, or =
-corruption, or evasion of work,=20
-or depression and other mental problems,=20
-or an elevated death rate, or a declining birth rate or something else, so =
-that either the society breaks down,=20
-or its functioning becomes too inefficient and it is (quickly or gradually, =
-through conquest, attrition or=20
-evolution) replaces by some more efficient form of society.
-
-[25]=20
-
-144. Thus human nature has in the past put certain limits on the =
-development of societies. People coud be=20
-pushed only so far and no farther. But today this may be changing, because =
-modern technology is=20
-developing way of modifying human beings.
-
-145. Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that amke them =
-terribley unhappy, then gives=20
-them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. Science fiction? It is =
-already happening to some extent in=20
-our own society. It is well known that the rate of clinical depression had =
-been greatly increasing in recent=20
-decades. We believe that this is due to disruption fo the power process, as =
-explained in paragraphs 59-76.=20
-But even if we are wrong, the increasing rate of depression is certainly =
-the result of SOME conditions that=20
-exist in today's society. Instead of removing the conditions that make =
-people depressed, modern society=20
-gives them antidepressant drugs. In effect, antidepressants area a means of =
-modifying an individual's=20
-internal state in such a way as to=20
-enable him to toelrate social conditions that he would otherwise find =
-intolerable. (Yes, we know that=20
-depression is often of purely genetic origin. We are referring here to =
-those cases in which environment=20
-plays the predominant role.)=20
-
-146. Drugs that affect the mind are only one example of the methods of =
-controlling human behavior that=20
-modern society is developing. Let us look at some of the other methods. =
-
-
-147. To start with, there are the techniques of surveillance. Hidden video =
-cameras are now used in most=20
-stores and in many other places, computers are used to collect and process =
-vast amounts of information=20
-about individuals. Information so obtained greatly increases the =
-effectiveness of physical coercion (i.e., law=20
-enforcement).[26] Then there are the methods of propaganda, for which the =
-mass communication media=20
-provide effective vehicles. Efficient techniques have been developed for =
-winning elections, selling=20
-products, influencing public opinion. The entertainment industry serves as =
-an important psychological tool=20
-of the system, possibly even when it is dishing out large amounts of sex =
-and violence. Entertainment=20
-provides modern man with an essential means of escape.=20
-While absorbed in television, videos, etc., he can forget stress, anxiety, =
-frustration, dissatisfaction. Many=20
-primitive peoples, when they don't have work to do, are quite content to =
-sit for hours at a time doing=20
-nothing at all, because they are at peace with themselves and their world. =
-But most modern people must be=20
-contantly occupied or entertained, otherwise the get "bored," i.e., they =
-get fidgety, uneasy, irritable.=20
-
-148. Other techniques strike deeper that the foregoing. Education is no =
-longer a simple affair of paddling a=20
-kid's behind when he doesn't know his lessons and patting him on the head =
-when he does know them. It is=20
-becoming a scientific technique for controlling the child's development. =
-Sylvan Learning Centers, for=20
-example, have had great success in motivating children to study, and =
-psychological techniques are also=20
-used with more or less success in many conventional schools. "Parenting" =
-techniques that are taught to=20
-parents are designed to make children accept fundamental values of the =
-system and behave in ways that the=20
-system finds desirable. "Mental health" programs, "intervention" =
-techniques, psychotherapy and so forth=20
-are ostensibly designed to benefit individuals,=20
-but in practice they usually serve as methods for inducing individuals to =
-think and behave as the system=20
-requires. (There is no contradiction here; an individual whose attitudes or =
-behavior bring him into conflict=20
-with the system is up against a force that is too powerful for him to =
-conquer or escape from, hence he is=20
-likely to suffer from stress, frustration, defeat. His path will be much =
-easier if he thinks and behaves as the=20
-system requires. In that sense the system is acting for the benefit of the =
-individual when it brainwashes him=20
-into conformity.) Child abuse in its gross and obvious forms is disapproved =
-in most if not all cultures.=20
-Tormenting a child for a trivial reason or no reason at all is something =
-that appalls almost everyone.=20
-But many psychologists interpret the concept of abuse much more broadly. Is =
-spanking, when used as part=20
-of a rational and consistent system of discipline, a form of abuse? The =
-question will ultimately be decided=20
-by whether or not spanking tends to produce behavior that makes a person =
-fit in well with the existing=20
-system of society. In practice, the word "abuse" tends to be interpreted to =
-include any method of child-
-rearing that produces behavior inconvenient for the system. Thus, when they =
-go beyond the prevention of=20
-obvious, senseless cruelty, programs for preventing "child abuse" are =
-directed toward the control of human=20
-behavior of the system.=20
-
-149. Presumably, research will continue to increas the effectiveness of =
-psychological techniques for=20
-controlling human behavior. But we think it is unlikely that psychological =
-techniques alone will be=20
-sufficient to adjust human beings to the kind of society that technology is =
-creating. Biological methods=20
-probably will have to be used. We have already mentiond the use of drugs in =
-this connection. Neurology=20
-may provide other avenues of modifying the human mind. Genetic engineering =
-of human beings is already=20
-beginning to occur in the form of "gene therapy," and there is no reason to =
-assume the such methods will=20
-not eventually be used to modify those aspects of the body that affect =
-mental funtioning.=20
-
-150. As we mentioned in paragraph 134, industrial society seems likely to =
-be entering a period of severe=20
-stress, due in part to problems of human behavior and in part to economic =
-and environmental problems.=20
-And a considerable proportion of the system's economic and environmental =
-problems result from the way=20
-human beings behave. Alienation, low self-esteem, depression, hostility, =
-rebellion; children who won't=20
-study, youth gangs, illegal drug use, rape, child abuse , other crimes, =
-unsafe sex, teen pregnancy,=20
-population growth, political corruption, race hatred, ethnic rivalry, =
-bitter ideological conflict (i.e., pro-
-choice vs. pro-life), political extremism, terrorism, sabotage, =
-anti-government groups, hate groups. All=20
-these threaten the very survival of the system.=20
-The system will be FORCED to use every practical means of controlling human =
-behavior.=20
-
-151. The social disruption that we see today is certainly not the result of =
-mere chance. It can only be a=20
-result fo the conditions of life that the system imposes on people. (We =
-have argued that the most important=20
-of these conditions is disruption of the power process.) If the systems =
-succeeds in imposing sufficient=20
-control over human behavior to assure itw own survival, a new watershed in =
-human history will have=20
-passed. Whereas formerly the limits of human endurance have imposed limits =
-on the development of=20
-societies (as we explained in paragraphs 143, 144), =
-industrial-technological society will be able to pass=20
-those limits by modifying human beings, whether by psychological methods or =
-biological methods or both.=20
-In the future, social systems will not be adjusted to suit the needs of =
-human beings.=20
-Instead, human being will be adjusted to suit the needs of the =
-system.
-
-[27] 152. Generally speaking, technological control over human behavior =
-will probably not be introduced=20
-with a totalitarian intention or even through a conscious desire to =
-restrict human freedom. [28] Each new=20
-step in the assertion of control over the human mind will be taken as a =
-rational response to a problem that=20
-faces society, such as curing alcoholism, reducing the crime rate or =
-inducing young people to study science=20
-and engineering. In many cases, there will be humanitarian justification. =
-For example, when a psychiatrist=20
-prescribes an anti-depressant for a depressed patient, he is clearly doing =
-that individual a favor. It would be=20
-inhumane to withhold the drug from someone who needs it. When parents send =
-their children to Sylvan=20
-Learning Centers to have them manipulated into becoming enthusiastic about =
-their studies,=20
-they do so from concern for their children's welfare. It may be that some =
-of these parents wish that one=20
-didn't have to have specialized training to get a job and that their kid =
-didn't have to be brainwashed into=20
-becoming a computer nerd. But what can they do? They can't change society, =
-and their child may be=20
-unemployable if he doesn't have certain skills. So they send him to Sylvan. =
-
-
-153. Thus control over human behavior will be introduced not by a =
-calculated decision of the authorities=20
-but through a process of social evolution (RAPID evolution, however). The =
-process will be impossible to=20
-resist, because each advance, considered by itself, will appear to be =
-beneficial, or at least the evil involved=20
-in making the advance will appear to be beneficial, or at least the evil =
-involved in making the advance will=20
-seem to be less than that which would result from not making it (see =
-paragraph 127). Propaganda for=20
-example is used for many good purposes, such as discouraging child abuse or =
-race hatred. [14] Sex=20
-education is obviously useful, yet the effect of sex education (to the =
-extent that it is successful) is to take=20
-the shaping of sexual attitudes=20
-away from the family and put it into the hands of the state as represented =
-by the public school system.=20
-
-154. Suppose a biological trait is discovered that increases the likelihood =
-that a child will grow up to be a=20
-criminal and suppose some sort of gene therapy can remove this trait. [29] =
-Of course most parents whose=20
-children possess the trait will have them undergo the therapy. It would be =
-inhumane to do otherwise, since=20
-the child would probably have a miserable life if he grew up to be a =
-criminal. But many or most primitive=20
-societies have a low crime rate in comparison with that of our society, =
-even though they have neither high-
-tech methods of child-rearing nor harsh systems of punishment. Since there =
-is no reason to suppose that=20
-more modern men than primitive men have innate predatory tendencies, the =
-high crime rate of our society=20
-must be due to the pressures that modern conditions put on people,=20
-to which many cannot or will not adjust. Thus a treatment designed to =
-remove potential criminal tendencies=20
-is at least in part a way of re-engineering people so that they suit the =
-requirements of the system.=20
-
-155. Our society tends to regard as a "sickness" any mode of thought or =
-behavior that is inconvenient for=20
-the system, and this is plausible because when an individual doesn't fit =
-into the system it causes pain to the=20
-individual as well as problems for the system. Thus the manipulation of an =
-individual to adjust him to the=20
-system is seen as a "cure" for a "sickness" and therefore as good.=20
-
-156. In paragraph 127 we pointed out that if the use of a new item of =
-technology is INITIALLY optional, it=20
-does not necessarily REMAIN optional, because the new technology tends to =
-change society in such a way=20
-that it becomes difficult or impossible for an individual to function =
-without using that technology. This=20
-applies also to the technology of human behavior. In a world in which most =
-children are put through a=20
-program to make them enthusiastic about studying, a parent will almost be =
-forced to put his kid through=20
-such a program, because if he does not, then the kid will grow up to be, =
-comparatively speaking, an=20
-ignoramus and therefore unemployable. Or suppose a biological treatment is =
-discovered that, without=20
-undesirable side-effects,=20
-will greatly reduce the psychological stress from which so many people =
-suffer in our society. If large=20
-numbers of people choose to undergo the treatment, then the general level =
-of stress in society will be=20
-reduced, so that it will be possible for the system to increase the =
-stress-producing pressures. In fact,=20
-something like this seems to have happened already with one of our =
-society's most important psychological=20
-tools for enabling people to reduce (or at least temporarily escape from) =
-stress, namely, mass entertainment=20
-(see paragraph 147). Our use of mass entertainment is "optional": No law =
-requires us to watch television,=20
-listen to the radio, read magazines. Yet mass entertainment is a means of =
-escape and stress-reduction on=20
-which most of us have become dependent.=20
-Everyone complains about the trashiness of television, but almost everyone =
-watches it. A few have kicked=20
-the TV habit, but it would be a rare person who could get along today =
-without using ANY form of mass=20
-entertainment. (Yet until quite recently in human history most people got =
-along very nicely with no other=20
-entertainment than that which each local community created for itself.) =
-Without the entertainment industry=20
-the system probably would not have been able to get away with putting as =
-much stress-producing pressure=20
-on us as it does.=20
-
-157. Assuming that industrial society survives, it is likely that =
-technology will eventually acquire=20
-something approaching complete control over human behavior. It has been =
-established beyond any rational=20
-doubt that human thought and behavior have a largely biological basis. As =
-experimenters have=20
-demonstrated, feelings such as hunger, pleasure, anger and fear can be =
-turned on and off by electrical=20
-stimulation of appropriate parts of the brain. Memories can be destroyed by =
-damaging parts of the brain or=20
-they can be brought to the surface by electrical stimulation. =
-Hallucinations can be induced or moods=20
-changed by drugs. There may or may not be an immaterial human soul, but if =
-there is one it clearly is less=20
-powerful that the biological mechanisms of human behavior.=20
-For if that were not the case then researchers would not be able so easily =
-to manipulate human feelings and=20
-behavior with drugs and electrical currents.=20
-
-158. It presumably would be impractical for all people to have electrodes =
-inserted in their heads so that=20
-they could be controlled by the authorities. But the fact that human =
-thoughts and feelings are so open to=20
-biological intervention shows that the problem of controlling human =
-behavior is mainly a technical=20
-problem; a problem of neurons, hormones and complex molecules; the kind of =
-problem that is accessible to=20
-scientific attack. Given the outstanding record of our society in solving =
-technical problems, it is=20
-overwhelmingly probable that great advances will be made in the control of =
-human behavior.=20
-
-159. Will public resistance prevent the introduction of technological =
-control of human behavior? It=20
-certainly would if an attempt were made to introduce such control all at =
-once. But since technological=20
-control will be introduced through a long sequence of small advances, there =
-will be no rational and=20
-effective public resistance. (See paragraphs 127,132, 153.)=20
-
-160. To those who think that all this sounds like science fiction, we point =
-out that yesterday's science=20
-fiction is today's fact. The Industrial Revolution has radically altered =
-man's environment and way of life,=20
-and it is only to be expected that as technology is increasingly applied to =
-the human body and mind, man=20
-himself will be altered as radically as his environment and way of life =
-have been.=20
-
-
-
-HUMAN RACE AT A CROSSROADS
-
-161. But we have gotten ahead of our story. It is one thing to develop in =
-the laboratory a series of=20
-psychological or biological techniques for manipulating human behavior and =
-quite another to integrate=20
-these techniques into a functioning social system. The latter problem is =
-the more difficult of the two. For=20
-example, while the techniques of educational psychology doubtless work =
-quite well in the "lab schools"=20
-where they are developed, it is not necessarily easy to apply them =
-effectively throughout our educational=20
-system. We all know what many of our schools are like. The teachers are too =
-busy taking knives and guns=20
-away from the kids to subject them to the latest techniques for making them =
-into computer nerds. Thus, in=20
-spite of all its technical advances relating=20
-to human behavior the system to date has not been impressively successful =
-in controlling human beings.=20
-The people whose behavior is fairly well under the control of the system =
-are those of the type that might be=20
-called "bourgeois." But there are growing numbers of people who in one way =
-or another are rebels against=20
-the system: welfare leaches, youth gangs cultists, satanists, nazis, =
-radical environmentalists, militiamen,=20
-etc..=20
-
-162. The system is currently engaged in a desperate struggle to overcome =
-certain problems that threaten its=20
-survival, among which the problems of human behavior are the most =
-important. If the system succeeds in=20
-acquiring sufficient control over human behavior quickly enough, it will =
-probably survive. Otherwise it=20
-will break down. We think the issue will most likely be resolved within the =
-next several decades, say 40 to=20
-100 years.=20
-
-163. Suppose the system survives the crisis of the next several decades. By =
-that time it will have to have=20
-solved, or at least brought under control, the principal problems that =
-confront it, in particular that of=20
-"socializing" human beings; that is, making people sufficiently docile so =
-that their behavior no longer=20
-threatens the system. That being accomplished, it does not appear that =
-there would be any further obstacle=20
-to the development of technology, and it would presumably advance toward =
-its logical conclusion, which is=20
-complete control over everything on Earth, including human beings and all =
-other important organisms. The=20
-system may become a unitary, monolithic organization, or it may be more or =
-less fragmented and consist of=20
-a number of organizations coexisting=20
-in a relationship that includes elements of both cooperation and =
-competition, just as today the government,=20
-the corporations and other large organizations both cooperate and compete =
-with one another. Human=20
-freedom mostly will have vanished, because individuals and small groups =
-will be impotent vis-a-vis large=20
-organizations armed with supertechnology and an arsenal of advanced =
-psychological and biological tools=20
-for manipulating human beings, besides instruments of surveillance and =
-physical coercion. Only a small=20
-number of people will have any real power, and even these probably will =
-have only very limited freedom,=20
-because their behavior too will be regulated; just as today our politicians =
-and corporation executives can=20
-retain their positions of power only as long=20
-as their behavior remains within certain fairly narrow limits.=20
-
-164. Don't imagine that the systems will stop developing further techniques =
-for controlling human beings=20
-and nature once the crisis of the next few decades is over and increasing =
-control is no longer necessary for=20
-the system's survival. On the contrary, once the hard times are over the =
-system will increase its control over=20
-people and nature more rapidly, because it will no longer be hampered by =
-difficulties of the kind that it is=20
-currently experiencing. Survival is not the principal motive for extending =
-control. As we explained in=20
-paragraphs 87-90, technicians and scientists carry on their work largely as =
-a surrogate activity; that is, they=20
-satisfy their need for power by solving technical problems. They will =
-continue to do this with unabated=20
-enthusiasm,=20
-and among the most interesting and challenging problems for them to solve =
-will be those of understanding=20
-the human body and mind and intervening in their development. For the "good =
-of humanity," of course.=20
-
-165. But suppose on the other hand that the stresses of the coming decades =
-prove to be too much for the=20
-system. If the system breaks down there may be a period of chaos, a "time =
-of troubles" such as those that=20
-history has recorded: at various epochs in the past. It is impossible to =
-predict what would emerge from such=20
-a time of troubles, but at any rate the human race would be given a new =
-chance. The greatest danger is that=20
-industrial society may begin to reconstitute itself within the first few =
-years after the breakdown. Certainly=20
-there will be many people (power-hungry types especially) who will be =
-anxious to get the factories running=20
-again.=20
-
-166. Therefore two tasks confront those who hate the servitude to which the =
-industrial system is reducing=20
-the human race. First, we must work to heighten the social stresses within =
-the system so as to increase the=20
-likelihood that it will break down or be weakened sufficiently so that a =
-revolution against it becomes=20
-possible. Second, it is necessary to develop and propagate an ideology that =
-opposes technology and the=20
-industrial society if and when the system becomes sufficiently weakened. =
-And such an ideology will help=20
-to assure that, if and when industrial society breaks down, its remnants =
-will be smashed beyond repair, so=20
-that the system cannot be reconstituted. The factories should be destroyed, =
-technical books burned, etc.=20
-
-
-
-HUMAN SUFFERING
-
-167. The industrial system will not break down purely as a result of =
-revolutionary action. It will not be=20
-vulnerable to revolutionary attack unless its own internal problems of =
-development lead it into very serious=20
-difficulties. So if the system breaks down it will do so either =
-spontaneously, or through a process that is in=20
-part spontaneous but helped along by revolutionaries. If the breakdown is =
-sudden, many people will die,=20
-since the world's population has become so overblown that it cannot even =
-feed itself any longer without=20
-advanced technology. Even if the breakdown is gradual enough so that =
-reduction of the population can=20
-occur more through lowering of the birth rate than through elevation of the =
-death rate, the process of de-
-industrialization probably will=20
-be very chaotic and involve much suffering. It is naive to think it likely =
-that technology can be phased out=20
-in a smoothly managed orderly way, especially since the technophiles will =
-fight stubbornly at every step. Is=20
-it therefore cruel to work for the breakdown of the system? Maybe, but =
-maybe not. In the first place,=20
-revolutionaries will not be able to break the system down unless it is =
-already in deep trouble so that there=20
-would be a good chance of its eventually breaking down by itself anyway; =
-and the bigger the system=20
-grows, the more disastrous the consequences of its breakdown will be; so it =
-may be that revolutionaries, by=20
-hastening the onset of the breakdown will be reducing the extent of the =
-disaster.=20
-
-168. In the second place, one has to balance the struggle and death against =
-the loss of freedom and dignity.=20
-To many of us, freedom and dignity are more important than a long life or =
-avoidance of physical pain.=20
-Besides, we all have to die some time, and it may be better to die fighting =
-for survival, or for a cause, than=20
-to live a long but empty and purposeless life.=20
-
-169. In the third place, it is not all certain that the survival of the =
-system will lead to less suffering than the=20
-breakdown of the system would. The system has already caused, and is =
-continuing to cause , immense=20
-suffering all over the world. Ancient cultures, that for hundreds of years =
-gave p eople a satisfactory=20
-relationship with each other and their environment, have been shattered by =
-contact with industrial society,=20
-and the result has been a whole catalogue of economic, environmental, =
-social and psychological problems.=20
-One of the effects o f the intrusion of industrial society has be en that =
-over much of the world traditional=20
-controls on population have been thrown out of balance. Hence the =
-population explosion, with all that it=20
-implies.=20
-Then there is the psychological suffering that is widespread throughout the =
-supposedly fortunate countries=20
-of the West (see paragraphs 44, 4 5). No one knows what will happen as a =
-result of ozone depletion, the=20
-greenhouse effect and other environmental problems that cannot yet be =
-foreseen. And, as nuclear=20
-proliferation has shown, new technology cannot be kept out of the hands of =
-dictators an d irresponsible=20
-Third World nations. Would you like to speculate abut what Iraq or North =
-Korea will do with genetic=20
-engineering?=20
-
-170. "Oh!" say the technophiles, "Science is going to fix all that! We will =
-conquer famine, eliminate=20
-psychological suffering, make everybody healthy and happy!" Yeah, sure. =
-That's what they said 200 years=20
-ago. The Industrial Revolution was supposed to eliminate poverty, make =
-everybody happy, etc. The actual=20
-result has been quite different. The technophiles are hopelessly naive (or =
-self-deceiving) in their=20
-understanding of social problems. They are unaware of (or choose to ignore) =
-the fact that when large=20
-changes, even seemingly beneficial ones, are introduced into a society, =
-they le ad to a long sequence of=20
-other changes, most of which are impossible to predict (paragraph 103). The =
-result is disruption of the=20
-society. So it is very probable that=20
-in their attempt to end poverty and disease, engineer docile, happy =
-personalities and s o forth, the=20
-technophiles will create socia l systems that are terribly troubled, even =
-more so that the present one. For=20
-example, the scientists boast that they will end famine by creating new, =
-genetically engineered food plants.=20
-But this will allow the human population to keep expanding indefini tely, =
-and it is well known that=20
-crowding lea ds to increased stress and aggression. This is merely one =
-example of the PREDICTABLE=20
-problems that will arise. We emphasize that, as past experience has shown, =
-technical progress will lead to=20
-other new problems for society far more rapidly that it has b een solving =
-old ones. Thus it will take a l ong=20
-difficult period of=20
-trial and error for the technophiles to work the bugs out of their Brave =
-New World (if they ever do). In the=20
-meantime there will be great suffering. So it is not all clear that the =
-survival of industrial society would=20
-involve les s suffering than the breakdown of that socie ty would. =
-Technology has gotten the human race=20
-into a fix from which there is not likely to be any easy escape.=20
-
-
-
-THE FUTURE
-
-171. But suppose now that industrial society does survive the next several =
-decade and that the bugs do=20
-eventually get worked out of the system, so that it functions smoothly. =
-What kind of system will it be? We=20
-will consider several possibilities.=20
-
-172. First let us postulate that the computer scientists succeed in =
-developing intelligent machines that can=20
-do all things better that human beings can do them. In that case presumably =
-all work will be done by vast,=20
-highly organized systems of machines and no human effort will be necessary. =
-Eith er of two cases might=20
-occur. The machines might be permitted to make all of their own decisions =
-without human oversight, or=20
-else human control over the machines might be retained.=20
-
-173. If the machines are permitted to make all their own decisions, we =
-can't make any conjectures as to the=20
-results, because it is impossible to guess how such machines might behave. =
-We only point out that the fate=20
-of the human race would be at the merc y of the machines. It might be =
-argued that the human race would=20
-never be foolish enough to hand over all the power to the machines. But we =
-are suggesting neither that the=20
-human race would voluntarily turn power over to the machines nor that the =
-machines would willfully seize=20
-power. What we do su ggest is that the human race might easily pe rmit =
-itself to drift into a position of such=20
-dependence on the machines that it would have no practical choice but to =
-accept all of the machines=20
-decisions.=20
-As society and the problems that face it become more and more complex and =
-machines become more and=20
-more intelligent, people will let machines make more of their decision for =
-them, simply because machine-
-made decisions will bring better result than man-made ones. Eventually a =
-stage may be reached at which=20
-the decisions necessary to keep the system running will be so complex that =
-human beings wi ll be incapable=20
-of making them intelligently . At that stage the machines will be in =
-effective control. People won't be able=20
-to just turn the machines off, because they will be so dependent on them =
-that turning them off would=20
-amount to suicide.=20
-
-174. On the other hand it is possible that human control over the machines =
-may be retained. In that case the=20
-average man may have control over certain private machines of his own, such =
-as his car of his personal=20
-computer, but control over large systems of machines will be in the hands =
-of a tiny e lite -- just as it is=20
-today, but with two difference. Due to improved techniques the elite will =
-have greater control over the=20
-masses; and because human work will no longer be necessary the masses will =
-be superfluous, a useless=20
-burden on the system. If t he elite is ruthless the may simply decide t o =
-exterminate the mass of humanity.=20
-If they are humane they may use propaganda or other psychological or =
-biological techniques to reduce the=20
-birth rate until=20
-the mass of humanity becomes extinct, leaving the world to the elite. Or, =
-if the elite consist of soft-hearted=20
-liberals, they may decide to play the role of good shepherds to the rest of =
-the human race. They will see to=20
-it that everyone's physical needs are satisfied, that all children are =
-raised under psychologically hygienic=20
-conditions, that everyone has a wholesome hobby to keep him busy , and that =
-anyone who may become=20
-dissatisfie d undergoes "treatment" to cure his "problem." Of course, life =
-will be so purposeless that people=20
-will have to be biologically or psychologically engineered either to remove =
-their need for the power=20
-process or to make them "sublimate" their drive for pow er into some =
-harmless hobby. These engineer ed=20
-human beings=20
-may be happy in such a society, but they most certainly will not be free. =
-They will have been reduced to=20
-the status of domestic animals.=20
-
-175. But suppose now that the computer scientists do not succeed in =
-developing artificial intelligence, so=20
-that human work remains necessary. Even so, machines will take care of more =
-and more of the simpler=20
-tasks so that there will be an increasing surp lus of human workers at the =
-lower levels of ability. (We see=20
-this happening already. There are many people who find it difficult or =
-impossible to get work, because for=20
-intellectual or psychological reasons they cannot acquire the level of =
-training necessary to make themselves=20
-useful in the presen t system.) On those who are employed, ever- increasing =
-demands will be placed; They=20
-will need more and m ore training, more and more ability, and will have to =
-be ever more reliable,=20
-conforming and docile,=20
-because they will be more and more like cells of a giant organism. Their =
-tasks will be incre asingly=20
-specialized so that their work will be, in a sense, out of touch with the =
-real world, being concentrated on=20
-one tiny slice of reality. The system will have to use any means that I =
-can, whether psychological or=20
-biological, to engineer people to be docile, to have the abilities that the =
-syst em requires and to "sublimate"=20
-their drive f or power into some specialized task. But the statement that =
-the people of such a society will=20
-have to be docile may require qualification. The society may find =
-competitiveness useful, provided that=20
-ways are found of directing competitiveness into channe ls that serve that =
-needs of the system. We can=20
-imagine=20
-into channels that serve the needs of the system. We can imagine a future =
-society in which there is endless=20
-competition for positions of prestige an power. But no more than a very few =
-people will ever reach the top,=20
-where the only real power is (see end of paragraph 163). Very repell ent is =
-a society in which a person can=20
-satisfy his needs for power only by pushing large numbers of other people =
-out of the way and depriving=20
-them of THEIR opportunity for power.=20
-
-176. Once can envision scenarios that incorporate aspects of more than one =
-of the possibilities that we have=20
-just discussed. For instance, it may be that machines will take over most =
-of the work that is of real,=20
-practical importance, but that human bei ngs will be kept busy by being =
-given relativ ely unimportant=20
-work. It has been suggested, for example, that a great development of the =
-service of industries might=20
-provide work for human beings. Thus people will would spend their time =
-shinning each others shoes,=20
-driving each other around inn taxica b, making handicrafts for one another, =
-waiti ng on each other's tables,=20
-etc. This seems to us a thoroughly contemptible way for the human race to =
-end up, and we doubt that many=20
-people would find=20
-fulfilling lives in such pointless busy-work. They would seek other, =
-dangerous outlets (drugs, , crime,=20
-"cults," hate groups) unless they were biol ogical or psychologically =
-engineered to adapt them to such a=20
-way of life.=20
-
-177. Needless to day, the scenarios outlined above do not exhaust all the =
-possibilities. They only indicate=20
-the kinds of outcomes that seem to us mots likely. But wee can envision no =
-plausible scenarios that are any=20
-more palatable that the ones we've j ust described. It is overwhelmingly =
-probabl e that if the industrial-
-technological system survives the next 40 to 100 years, it will by that =
-time have developed certain general=20
-characteristics: Individuals (at least those of the "bourgeois" type, who =
-are integrated into the system and=20
-make it run, and who therefore have all the power) will b e more dependent =
-than ever on large=20
-organizations; they will be more "socialized" that ever and their physical =
-and mental qualities to a=20
-significant=20
-extent (possibly to a very great extent ) will be those that are engineered =
-into them rather than being th e=20
-results of chance (or of God's will, or wh atever); and whatever may be =
-left of wild nature will be reduced=20
-to remnants preserved for scientific study and kept under the supervision =
-and management of scientists=20
-(hence it will no longer be truly wild). In the long run (say a few =
-centuries from no w) it is it is likely that=20
-neither the human race nor any other important organisms will exist as we =
-know them today, because once=20
-you start modifying organisms through genetic engineering there is no =
-reason to stop at any particular=20
-point, so that the modifications will probably continue until man and other =
-organisms have been utterly=20
-trans formed.=20
-
-178. Whatever else may be the case, it is certain that technology is =
-creating for human begins a new=20
-physical and social environment radically different from the spectrum of =
-environments to which natural=20
-selection has adapted the human race physically an d psychological. If man =
-is not adjust to th is new=20
-environment by being artificially re-engineered, then he will be adapted to =
-it through a long an painful=20
-process of natural selection. The former is far more likely that the =
-latter.=20
-
-179. It would be better to dump the whole stinking system and take the =
-consequences.=20
-
-STRATEGY
-
-180. The technophiles are taking us all on an utterly reckless ride into =
-the unknown. Many people=20
-understand something of what technological progress is doing to us yet take =
-a passive attitude toward it=20
-because they think it is inevitable. But we (FC) don't think it is =
-inevitable. We think it c an be stopped, and=20
-we will give here some indications of how to go about stopping it.=20
-
-181. As we stated in paragraph 166, the two main tasks for the present are =
-to promote social stress and=20
-instability in industrial society and to develop and propagate an ideology =
-that opposes technology and the=20
-industrial system. When the system become s sufficiently stressed and =
-unstable, a revo lution against=20
-technology may be possible. The pattern would be similar to that of the =
-French and Russian Revolutions.=20
-French society and Russian society, for several decades prior to their =
-respective revolutions, showed=20
-increasing signs of stress and w eakness. Meanwhile, ideologies were being =
-d eveloped that offered a new=20
-world view that was quite different from the old one. In the Russian case, =
-revolutionaries were actively=20
-working to undermine=20
-the old order. Then, when the old system was put under sufficient =
-additional stress (by financial c risis in=20
-France, by military defeat in Russi a) it was swept away by revolution. =
-What we propose in something=20
-along the same lines.=20
-
-182. It will be objected that the French and Russian Revolutions were =
-failures. But most revolutions have=20
-two goals. One is to destroy an old form of society and the other is to set =
-up the new form of society=20
-envisioned by the revolutionaries. The Fre nch and Russian revolutionaries =
-failed (fort unately!) to create=20
-the new kind of society of which they dreamed, but they were quite =
-successful in destroying the existing=20
-form of society.=20
-
-183. But an ideology, in order to gain enthusiastic support, must have a =
-positive ideals well as a negative=20
-one; it must be FOR something as well as AGAINST something. The positive =
-ideal that we propose is=20
-Nature. That is , WILD nature; those aspects o f the functioning of the =
-Earth and its livin g things that are=20
-independent of human management and free of human interference and control. =
-And with wild nature we=20
-include human nature, by which we mean those aspects of the functioning of =
-the human individual that are=20
-not subject to regulation by o rganized society but are products of chance, =
-or free will, or God (depending=20
-on your religious or philosophical opinions).=20
-
-184. Nature makes a perfect counter-ideal to technology for several =
-reasons. Nature (that which is outside=20
-the power of the system) is the opposite of technology (which seeks to =
-expand indefinitely the power of the=20
-system). Most people will agree that nature is beautiful; certainly it has =
-treme ndous popular appeal. The=20
-radical environmentalists ALREADY hold an ideology that exalts nature and =
-opposes technology. [30] It is=20
-not necessary for the sake of nature to set up some chimerical utopia or =
-any new kind of social order.=20
-Nature takes care of itself: It was a spontaneous creation th at existed =
-long before any human society, and=20
-for countless centuries many different kinds of human societies coexisted =
-with nature without doing it an=20
-excessive amount of damage. Only with the Industrial Revolution did the =
-effect of human society on nat=20
-ure become really devastating. To relieve t he pressure on nature it is not =
-necessary to create a special kind=20
-of social system, it is only necessary to get rid of industrial society. =
-Granted, this will not solve all=20
-problems. Industrial society has already done tremendous damage to nature =
-and i t will take a very long=20
-time for the scars t o heal. Besides, even pre-industrial societies can do =
-significant damage to nature.=20
-Nevertheless, getting rid of industrial society will accomplish a great =
-deal. It will relieve the worst of the=20
-pressure on nature so that the scars can begin to heal. It will remove the =
-capacity of organized soc iety=20
-to keep increasing its control over nature (including human nature). =
-Whatever kind of society may exist=20
-after the demise of the industrial system, it is certain that most people =
-will live close to nature, because in=20
-the absence of advanced technolog y there is not other way that people CAN =
-liv e. To feed themselves they=20
-must be peasants or herdsmen or fishermen or hunter, etc., And, generally =
-speaking, local autonomy should=20
-tend to increase, because lack of advanced technology and rapid =
-communications will limit the capacity of=20
-governments o r other large organizations to control local communities. =
-
-
-185. As for the negative consequences of eliminating industrial society -- =
-well, you can't eat your cake and=20
-have it too. To gain one thing you have to sacrifice another.=20
-
-186. Most people hate psychological conflict. For this reason they avoid =
-doing any serious thinking about=20
-difficult social issues, and they like to have such issues presented to =
-them in simple, black-and-white terms:=20
-THIS is all good and THAT is all bad. The revolutionary ideology should =
-therefore be developed on two=20
-levels.=20
-
-187. On the more sophisticated level the ideology should address itself to =
-people who are intelligent,=20
-thoughtful and rational. The object should be to create a core of people =
-who will be opposed to the=20
-industrial system on a rational, thought-out basis, with full appreciation =
-of the problems and ambiguities=20
-involved, and of the price that has to be paid for getting rid of the =
-system. It is particularly important to=20
-attract people of this type, as they are capable people and will be =
-instrumental in influencing others. These=20
-people should be addres sed on as rational a level as possible. Fact s =
-should never intentionally be distorted=20
-and intemperate language should be avoided. This does not mean that no =
-appeal can be made to the=20
-emotions,=20
-but in making such appeal care should be taken to avoid misrepresenting the =
-truth or doing anything else t=20
-hat would destroy the intellectual respectab ility of the ideology. =
-
-
-188. On a second level, the ideology should be propagated in a simplified =
-form that will enable the=20
-unthinking majority to see the conflict of technology vs. nature in =
-unambiguous terms. But even on this=20
-second level the ideology should not be expressed in language that is so =
-cheap, intemperate or irrational=20
-that it alienates people of the thoughtful and rational type. Cheap, =
-intemperate propaganda sometimes=20
-achieves impressive short-term gains, but it will be more advantageous in =
-the long run to keep the loyalty=20
-of a small number of intelligently committed people than to arouse the =
-passion s of an unthinking, fickle=20
-mob who will change their attitude as soon as someone comes along with a =
-better propaganda gimmick.=20
-However, propaganda of the=20
-rabble-rousing type may be necessary when the system is nearing the point =
-of collapse and there is a final=20
-struggle between rival ideologies to d etermine which will become dominant =
-when the old world-view goes=20
-under.=20
-
-189. Prior to that final struggle, the revolutionaries should not expect to =
-have a majority of people on their=20
-side. History is made by active, determined minorities, not by the =
-majority, which seldom has a clear and=20
-consistent idea of what it really wan ts. Until the time comes for the =
-final push toward revolution [31], the=20
-task of revolutionaries will be less to win the shallow support of the =
-majority than to build a small core of=20
-deeply committed people. As for the majority, it will be enough to make =
-them aware of the existence of the=20
-new ideolo gy and remind them of it frequently; though of course it will be =
-desirable to get majority=20
-support to the extent that this can be done without weakening the core of =
-seriously committed people.=20
-
-190. Any kind of social conflict helps to destabilize the system, but one =
-should be careful about what kind=20
-of conflict one encourages. The line of conflict should be drawn between =
-the mass of the people and the=20
-power-holding elite of industrial society ( politicians, scientists, =
-upper-level busines s executives,=20
-government officials, etc..). It should NOT be drawn between the =
-revolutionaries and the mass of the=20
-people. For example, it would be bad strategy for the revolutionaries to =
-condemn Americans for their=20
-habits of consumption. Instead, the ave rage American should be portrayed =
-as a victi m of the advertising=20
-and marketing industry, which has suckered him into buying a lot of junk =
-that he doesn't need and that is=20
-very poor compensation
-for his lost freedom. Either approach is consistent with the facts. It is =
-merely a matter of attitude whether=20
-you blame the advertising industry for manipulating the public or blame the =
-public for allowing itself to be=20
-manipulated. As a matter of strategy one should generally avoid blaming the =
-public.=20
-
-191. One should think twice before encouraging any other social conflict =
-than that between the power-
-holding elite (which wields technology) and the general public (over which =
-technology exerts its power).=20
-For one thing, other conflicts tend to distract attention from the =
-important conflicts (betw een power-elite=20
-and ordinary people, between technology and nature); for another thing, =
-other conflicts may actually tend=20
-to encourage technologization, because each side in such a conflict wants =
-to use technological power to=20
-gain advantages over its adve rsary. This is clearly seen in rivalries bet =
-ween nations. It also appears in=20
-ethnic conflicts within nations. For example, in America many black leaders =
-are anxious to gain power for=20
-African=20
-Americans by placing back individuals in the technological power-elite. =
-They want there to be many black=20
-gov ernment officials, scientists, corporation e xecutives and so forth. In =
-this way they are helping to=20
-absorb the African American subculture into the technological system. =
-Generally speaking, one should=20
-encourage only those social conflicts that can be fitted into the framework =
-of the conflicts of po wer--elite=20
-vs. ordinary people, technology v s nature.=20
-
-192. But the way to discourage ethnic conflict is NOT through militant =
-advocacy of minority rights (see=20
-paragraphs 21, 29). Instead, the revolutionaries should emphasize that =
-although minorities do suffer more=20
-or less disadvantage, this disadvantage is o f peripheral significance. Our =
-real enemy is the industrial-
-technological system, and in the struggle against the system, ethnic =
-distinctions are of no importance.=20
-
-193. The kind of revolution we have in mind will not necessarily involve an =
-armed uprising against any=20
-government. It may or may not involve physical violence, but it will not be =
-a POLITICAL revolution. Its=20
-focus will be on technology and economics, not politics. [32]=20
-
-194. Probably the revolutionaries should even AVOID assuming political =
-power, whether by legal or=20
-illegal means, until the industrial system is stressed to the danger point =
-and has proved itself to be a failure=20
-in the eyes of most people. Suppose for exa mple that some "green" party =
-should win cont rol of the United=20
-States Congress in an election. In order to avoid betraying or watering =
-down their own ideology they would=20
-have to take vigorous measures to turn economic growth into economic =
-shrinkage. To the average man the=20
-results would appear disast rous: There would be massive unemployment, s =
-hortages of commodities, etc.=20
-Even if the grosser ill effects could be avoided through superhumanly =
-skillful management, still people=20
-would have=20
-to begin giving up the luxuries to which they have become addicted. =
-Dissatisfaction would grow, the=20
-"green" pa rty would be voted out of of fice and the re volutionaries would =
-have suffered a severe setback.=20
-For this reason the revolutionaries should not try to acquire political =
-power until the system has gotten=20
-itself into such a mess that any hardships will be seen as resulting from =
-the failures of the ind ustrial system=20
-itself and not from the polic ies of the revolutionaries. The revolution =
-against technology will probably=20
-have to be a revolution by outsiders, a revolution from below and not from =
-above.=20
-
-195. The revolution must be international and worldwide. It cannot be =
-carried out on a nation-by-nation=20
-basis. Whenever it is suggested that the United States, for example, should =
-cut back on technological=20
-progress or economic growth, people get hysteric al and start screaming =
-that if we fall behin d in=20
-technology the Japanese will get ahead of us. Holy robots The world will =
-fly off its orbit if the Japanese=20
-ever sell more cars than we do! (Nationalism is a great promoter of =
-technology.) More reasonably, it is=20
-argued that if the relatively democrati c nations of the world fall behind =
-in techno logy while nasty,=20
-dictatorial nations like China, Vietnam and North Korea continue to =
-progress, eventually the dictators may=20
-come to dominate the world.=20
-That is why the industrial system should be attacked in all nations =
-simultaneously, to the extent that this=20
-may be possible. True, there is no ass urance that the industrial system =
-can be destroyed at approximately=20
-the same time all over the world, and it is even conceivable that the =
-attempt to overthrow the system could=20
-lead instead to the domination of the system by dictators. That is a risk =
-that has to be taken. And it is worth=20
-taking, sin ce the difference between a "democratic" industrial system and =
-one controlled by dictators is=20
-small compared with the difference between an industrial system and a =
-non-industrial one. [33] It might=20
-even be argued that an industrial system controlled by di ctators would be =
-preferable, because dictato=20
-r-controlled systems usually have proved inefficient, hence they are =
-presumably more likely to break down.=20
-Look at Cuba.=20
-
-196. Revolutionaries might consider favoring measures that tend to bind the =
-world economy into a unified=20
-whole. Free trade agreements like NAFTA and GATT are probably harmful to =
-the environment in the short=20
-run, but in the long run they may perhaps be ad vantageous because they =
-foster economic inte rdependence=20
-between nations. I will be eaier to destroy the industrial system on a =
-worldwide basis if he world economy=20
-is so unified that its breakdown in any on major nation will lead to its =
-breakdwon in al industrialized=20
-nations.=20
-
-the long run they may perhaps be advantageous because they foster economic =
-interdependence between=20
-nations. It will be easier to destroy the industrial system on a worldwide =
-basis if the world economy is so=20
-unified that its breakdown in any one major nat ion will lead to its =
-breakdown in all indust rialized nations.
-
-197. Some people take the line that modern man has too much power, too much =
-control over nature; they=20
-argue for a more passive attitude on the part of the human race. At best =
-these people are expressing=20
-themselves unclearly, because they fail to distingu ish between power for =
-LARGE ORGANIZATIONS an=20
-d power for INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS. It is a mistake to argue for =
-powerlessness and=20
-passivity, because people NEED power. Modern man as a collective =
-entity--that is, the industrial system--
-has immense power over nature, and we (FC) regard this as e vil. But modern =
-INDIVIDUALS and=20
-SMALL GROUP S OF INDIVIDUALS have far less power than primitive man ever =
-did. Generally=20
-speaking, the vast power of "modern man" over nature is exercised not =
-
-by individuals or small groups but by large organizations. To the extent =
-that the average modern=20
-INDIVIDUAL can wield the power of technology, he is pe rmitted to do so =
-only within narrow limits and=20
-only under the supervision and control of the system. (You need a license =
-for everything and with the=20
-license come rules and regulations). The individual has only those =
-technological powers with which the s=20
-ystem chooses to provide him. His PERSONAL power over nature is =
-slight.
-
-198. Primitive INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS actually had considerable power =
-over nature; or=20
-maybe it would be better to say power WITHIN nature. When primitive man =
-needed food he knew how to=20
-find and prepare edible roots, how to track game and take it wi th homemade =
-weapons. He knew how to=20
-protect himself from heat, cold, rain, dangerous animals, etc. But =
-primitive man did relatively little damage=20
-to nature because the COLLECTIVE power of primitive society was negligible =
-compared to the=20
-COLLECTIVE power of industrial society.
-
-199. Instead of arguing for powerlessness and passivity, one should argue =
-that the power of the=20
-INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM should be broken, and that this will greatly INCREASE the =
-power and freedom=20
-of INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS.
-
-200. Until the industrial system has been thoroughly wrecked, the =
-destruction of that system must be the=20
-revolutionaries' ONLY goal. Other goals would distract attention and energy =
-from the main goal. More=20
-importantly, if the revolutionaries permit themse lves to have any other =
-goal than the destruc tion of=20
-technology, they will be tempted to use technology as a tool for reaching =
-that other goal. If they give in to=20
-that temptation, they will fall right back into the technological trap, =
-because modern technology is a=20
-unified, tightly organized system, so that, in order to retain SOME =
-technology , one finds oneself obliged=20
-to retain MOST technology, hence one ends up sacrificing only token amounts =
-of technology.
-
-201. Suppose for example that the revolutionaries took "social justice" as =
-a goal. Human nature being what=20
-it is, social justice would not come about spontaneously; it would have to =
-be enforced. In order to enforce it=20
-the revolutionaries would have to ret ain central organization and control. =
-For th at they would need rapid=20
-long-distance transportation and communication, and therefore all the =
-technology needed to support the=20
-transportation and communication systems. To feed and clothe poor people =
-they would have to use=20
-agricultural and manufacturing technology. And so forth. So that the attemp =
-t to insure social justice would=20
-force them to retain most parts of the technological system. Not that we =
-have anything against social=20
-justice,=20
-but it must not be allowed to interfere with the effort to get rid of the =
-technological system.
-
-202. It would be hopeless for revolutionaries to try to attack the system =
-without using SOME modern=20
-technology. If nothing else they must use the communications media to =
-spread their message. But they=20
-should use modern technology for only ONE purpose: to attack the =
-technological system.
-
-203. Imagine an alcoholic sitting with a barrel of wine in front of him. =
-Suppose he starts saying to himself,=20
-"Wine isn't bad for you if used in moderation. Why, they say small amounts =
-of wine are even good for you!=20
-It won't do me any harm if I take just one little drink..." Well you know =
-what is g oing to happen. Never=20
-forget that the human race with technology is just like an alcoholic with a =
-barrel of wine.
-
-204. Revolutionaries should have as many children as they can. There is =
-strong scientific evidence that=20
-social attitudes are to a significant extent inherited. No one suggests =
-that a social attitude is a direct=20
-outcome of a person's genetic constitution, but it appears that personality =
-traits tend , within the context of=20
-our society, to make a person more likely to hold this or that social =
-attitude. Objections to these findings=20
-have been raised, but objections are feeble and seem to be ideologically =
-motivated. In any event, no one=20
-denies that child ren tend on the average to hold social attit udes similar =
-to those of their parents. From our=20
-point of view it doesn't matter all that much whether the attitudes are =
-passed on genetically or through=20
-childhood training. In either case the ARE passed on.
-
-205. The trouble is that many of the people who are inclined to rebel =
-against the industrial system are also=20
-concerned about the population problems, hence they are apt to have few or =
-no children. In this way they=20
-may be handing the world over to the sort of people who support or at least =
-accept th e industrial system.=20
-To insure the strength of the next generation of revolutionaries the =
-present generation must reproduce itself=20
-abundantly. In doing so they will be worsening the population problem only =
-slightly. And the most=20
-important problem is to ge t rid of the industrial system, because once the =
-industrial system is gone the=20
-world's population necessarily will decrease (see paragraph 167); whereas, =
-if the industrial system survives,=20
-it will continue developing new techniques of food production that may =
-enable the world's population to=20
-keep i ncreasing almost indefinitely.
-
-206. With regard to revolutionary strategy, the only points on which we =
-absolutely insist are that the single=20
-overriding goal must be the elimination of modern technology, and that no =
-other goal can be allowed to=20
-compete with this one. For the rest, revol utionaries should take an =
-empirical approach . If experience=20
-indicates that some of the recommendations made in the foregoing paragraphs =
-are not going to give good=20
-results, then those recommendations should be discarded.
-
-
-
-TWO KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY
-
-207. An argument likely to be raised against our proposed revolution is =
-that it is bound to fail, because (it is=20
-claimed) throughout history technology has always progressed, never =
-regressed, hence technological=20
-regression is impossible. But this claim is false.
-
-208. We distinguish between two kinds of technology, which we will call =
-small-scale technology and=20
-organization-dependent technology. Small-scale technology is technology =
-that can be used by small-scale=20
-communities without outside assistance. Organization -dependent technology =
-is technology that de pends=20
-on large-scale social organization. We are aware of no significant cases of =
-regression in small-scale=20
-technology. But organization-dependent technology DOES regress when the =
-social organization on which=20
-it depends breaks down. Example: When the Roma n Empire fell apart the =
-Romans' small-scale technology=20
-survived because any clever village craftsman could build, for instance, a =
-water wheel, any skilled smith=20
-could make steel by Roman methods,=20
-and so forth. But the Romans' organization-dependent technology DID =
-regress. Their aqueducts fell into=20
-disrepair and were never rebuilt.=20
-Their tech niques of road construction were lost. The Roman system of urban =
-sanitation was forgotten, so=20
-that until rather recent times did the sanitation of European cities that =
-of Ancient Rome.
-
-209. The reason why technology has seemed always to progress is that, until =
-perhaps a century or two=20
-before the Industrial Revolution, most technology was small-scale =
-technology. But most of the technology=20
-developed since the Industrial Revolution is orga nization-dependent =
-technology. Take the refr igerator for=20
-example. Without factory-made parts or the facilities of a post-industrial =
-machine shop it would be=20
-virtually impossible for a handful of local craftsmen to build a =
-refrigerator. If by some miracle they did=20
-succeed in building one it would be useless to them without a reliable =
-source o f electric power. So they=20
-would have to dam a stream and build a generator. Generators require large =
-amounts of copper wire.=20
-Imagine trying to make that=20
-wire without modern machinery. And where would they get a gas suitable for =
-refrigeration? It would be=20
-much easier to build an icehouse or preserve food by drying or picking, as =
-was done before the invention=20
-of the refrigerator.
-
-210. So it is clear that if the industrial system were once thoroughly =
-broken down, refrigeration technology=20
-would quickly be lost. The same is true of other organization-dependent =
-technology. And once this=20
-technology had been lost for a generation or so it would take centuries to =
-rebuild it, just as it took centuries=20
-to build it the first time around. Surviving technical books would be few =
-and scattered. An industrial=20
-society, if built from scratch without outside help, can only be built in a =
-series of stages: You need tools to=20
-make tools to make tools to make tools ... . A long process of economic =
-development and progress in social=20
-organization is required. And, even in the absence of an ideology opposed =
-to technology, there is no reason=20
-to believe that anyone would be interested in rebuilding industrial =
-society. The enthusiasm for "progre ss"=20
-is a phenomenon particular to the modern form of society, and it seems not =
-to have existed prior to the 17th=20
-century or thereabouts.
-
-211. In the late Middle Ages there were four main civilizations that were =
-about equally "advanced":=20
-Europe, the Islamic world, India, and the Far East (China, Japan, Korea). =
-Three of those civilizations=20
-remained more or less stable, and only Europe became dynamic. No one knows =
-why Europe became dyn=20
-amic at that time; historians have their theories but these are only =
-speculation. At any rate, it is clear that=20
-rapid development toward a technological form of society occurs only under =
-special conditions. So there is=20
-no reason to assume that long-lastin g technological regression cannot be =
-brought about.
-
-212. Would society EVENTUALLY develop again toward an =
-industrial-technological form? Maybe, but=20
-there is no use in worrying about it, since we can't predict or control =
-events 500 or 1,000 years in the=20
-future. Those problems must be dealt with by the peopl e who will live at =
-that time.
-
-
-
-THE DANGER OF LEFTISM
-
-213. Because of their need for rebellion and for membership in a movement, =
-leftists or persons of similar=20
-psychological type are often unattracted to a rebellious or activist =
-movement whose goals and membership=20
-are not initially leftist. The resulting inf lux of leftish types can =
-easily turn a non-l eftist movement into a=20
-leftist one, so that leftist goals replace or distort the original goals of =
-the movement.
-
-214. To avoid this, a movement that exalts nature and opposes technology =
-must take a resolutely anti-leftist=20
-stance and must avoid all collaboration with leftists. Leftism is in the =
-long run inconsistent with wild=20
-nature, with human freedom and with the e limination of modern technology. =
-Leftism is collectivist; it=20
-seeks to bind together the entire world (both nature and the human race) =
-into a unified whole. But this=20
-implies management of nature and of human life by organized society, and it =
-requires advanced=20
-technology. You can't have a united worl d without rapid transportation and =
-communica tion, you can't=20
-make all people love one another without sophisticated psychological =
-techniques, you can't have a=20
-"planned society" without the necessary technological base.=20
-Above all, leftism is driven by the need for power, and the leftist seeks =
-power o n a collective basis,=20
-through identification with a mass movement or an organization. Leftism is =
-unlikely ever to give up=20
-technology, because technology is too valuable a source of collective =
-power.=20
-
-215. The anarchist [34] too seeks power, but he seeks it on an individual =
-or small-group basis; he wants=20
-individuals and small groups to be able to control the circumstances of =
-their own lives. He opposes=20
-technology because it makes small groups dependent on large =
-organizations.
-
-216. Some leftists may seem to oppose technology, but they will oppose it =
-only so long as they are=20
-outsiders and the technological system is controlled by non-leftists. If =
-leftism ever becomes dominant in=20
-society, so that the technological system becomes a tool in the hands of =
-leftists, they will e nthusiastically=20
-use it and promote its growth. In doing this they will be repeating a =
-pattern that leftism has shown again=20
-and again in the past. When the Bolsheviks in Russia were outsiders, they =
-vigorously opposed censorship=20
-and the secret police, they advocated self-determination for ethnic mino =
-rities, and so forth;=20
-but as soon as they came into power themselves, they imposed a tighter =
-censorship and created a more=20
-ruthless secret police than any that had existed under the tsars, and they =
-oppressed ethnic minorities at least=20
-as much as the tsars had done. In the United States, a couple of decades =
-ago when leftists were a minority=20
-in our universities, leftist professors were vigorous proponents of =
-academic freedom, but today, in those=20
-universities where leftists have become dominant, they have shown =
-themselves ready to take away from=20
-every one else's academic freedom. (This is "polit ical correctness.") The =
-same will happen with leftists and=20
-technology: They will use it to oppress everyone else if they ever get it =
-under their own control.
-
-217. In earlier revolutions, leftists of the most power-hungry type, =
-repeatedly, have first cooperated with=20
-non-leftist revolutionaries, as well as with leftists of a more libertarian =
-inclination, and later have double-
-crossed them to seize power for them selves. Robespierre did this in the =
-French R evolution, the Bolsheviks=20
-did it in the Russian Revolution, the communists did it in Spain in 1938 =
-and Castro and his followers did it=20
-in Cuba. Given the past history of leftism, it would be utterly foolish for =
-non-leftist revolutionaries today to=20
-collabo rate with leftists.
-
-218. Various thinkers have pointed out that leftism is a kind of religion. =
-Leftism is not a religion in the=20
-strict sense because leftist doctrine does not postulate the existence of =
-any supernatural being. But for the=20
-leftist, leftism plays a psychologica l role much like that which religion =
-plays f or some people. The leftist=20
-NEEDS to believe in leftism; it plays a vital role in his psychological =
-economy. His beliefs are not easily=20
-modified by logic or facts. He has a deep conviction that leftism is =
-morally Right with a capital R, and that=20
-he has no t only a right but a duty to impose leftist morality on everyone. =
-(However, many of the people we=20
-are referring to as "leftists" do not think of themselves as leftists and =
-would not describe=20
-their system of beliefs as leftism. We use the term "leftism" because we =
-don't know of any better words to=20
-d esignate the spectrum of related creeds that includes the feminist, gay =
-rights, political correctness, etc.,=20
-movements, and because these movements have a strong affinity with the old =
-left. See paragraphs 227-
-230.)
-
-219. Leftism is totalitarian force. Wherever leftism is in a position of =
-power it tends to invade every private=20
-corner and force every thought into a leftist mold. In part this is because =
-of the quasi-religious character of=20
-leftism; everything contrary to leftists beliefs represents Sin. More impor =
-tantly, leftism is a totalitarian=20
-force because of the leftists' drive for power. The leftist seeks to =
-satisfy his need for power through=20
-identification with a social movement and he tries to go through the power =
-process by helping to pursue=20
-and attain th e goals of the movement (see paragraph 83). But no matter how =
-far the movement has gone in=20
-attaining its goals the leftist is never satisfied, because his activism is =
-a surrogate activity (see paragraph=20
-41).=20
-That is, the leftist's real motive is not to attain the ostensible goals of =
-leftism; in rea lity he is motivated by=20
-the sense of power h e gets from struggling for and then reaching a social =
-goal.[35]
-
-Consequently the leftist is never satisfied with the goals he has already =
-attained; his need for the power=20
-process leads him always to pursue some new goal. The leftist wants equal =
-opportunities for minorities.=20
-When that is attained he insists on statisti cal equality of achievement by =
-minorities. A nd as long as=20
-anyone harbors in some corner of his mind a negative attitude toward some =
-minority, the leftist has to=20
-re-educated him. And ethnic minorities are not enough; no one can be =
-allowed to have a negative attitude=20
-toward homosexuals, disabled peop le, fat people, old people, ugly people, =
-and on and on and on. It's not=20
-enough that the public should be informed about the hazards of smoking; a =
-warning has to be stamped on=20
-every package of cigarettes.=20
-Then cigarette advertising has to be restricted if not banned. The =
-activists will never be sati sfied until=20
-tobacco is outlawed, and after t hat it will be alco hot then junk food, =
-etc. Activists have fought gross child=20
-abuse, which is reasonable. But now they want to stop all spanking. When =
-they have done that they will=20
-want to ban something else they consider unwholesome, then another thing =
-and then another. They will=20
-never be satisfi ed until they have complete control over all child rearing =
-practices. And then they will=20
-move on to another cause.=20
-
-220. Suppose you asked leftists to make a list of ALL the things that were =
-wrong with society, and then=20
-suppose you instituted EVERY social change that they demanded. It is safe =
-to say that within a couple of=20
-years the majority of leftists would find some thing new to complain about, =
-some new social "evil" to=20
-correct because, once again, the leftist is motivated less by distress at =
-society's ills than by the need to=20
-satisfy his drive for power by imposing his solutions on society.=20
-
-221. Because of the restrictions placed on their thoughts and behavior by =
-their high level of socialization,=20
-many leftists of the over-socialized type cannot pursue power in the ways =
-that other people do. For them=20
-the drive for power has only one morally acceptable outlet, and that is in =
-the strugg le to impose their=20
-morality on everyone.=20
-
-222. Leftists, especially those of the oversocialized type, are True =
-Believers in the sense of Eric Hoffer's=20
-book, "The True Believer." But not all True Believers are of the same =
-psychological type as leftists.=20
-Presumably a truebelieving nazi, for instanc e is very different =
-psychologically from a t ruebelieving leftist.=20
-Because of their capacity for single-minded devotion to a cause, True =
-Believers are a useful, perhaps a=20
-necessary, ingredient of any revolutionary movement. This presents a =
-problem with which we must admit=20
-we don't know how to deal. We aren't sure how to harness the energies o f =
-the True Believer to a revolution=20
-against technology. At present all we can say is that no True Believer will =
-make a safe recruit to the=20
-revolution=20
-unless his commitment is exclusively to the destruction of technology. If =
-he is committed also to another=20
-ideal, he may want to use technology as a t ool for pursuing that other =
-ideal (see paragraphs 220, 221).
-
-223. Some readers may say, "This stuff about leftism is a lot of crap. I =
-know John and Jane who are leftish=20
-types and they don't have all these totalitarian tendencies." It's quite =
-true that many leftists, possibly even a=20
-numerical majority, are decent pe ople who sincerely believe in tolerating =
-oth ers' values (up to a point) and=20
-wouldn't want to use high-handed methods to reach their social goals. Our =
-remarks about leftism are not=20
-meant to apply to every individual leftist but to describe the general =
-character of leftism as a movement.=20
-And the gene ral character of a movement is not necessari ly determined by =
-the numerical proportions of=20
-the various kinds of people involved in the movement.=20
-
-224. The people who rise to positions of power in leftist movements tend to =
-be leftists of the most power-
-hungry type because power-hungry people are those who strive hardest to get =
-into positions of power.=20
-Once the power-hungry types have captured contro l of the movement, there =
-are many leftists o f a gentler=20
-breed who inwardly disapprove of many of the actions of the leaders, but =
-cannot bring themselves to=20
-oppose them. They NEED their faith in the movement, and because they cannot =
-give up this faith they go=20
-along with the leaders. True, SOME lefti sts do have the guts to oppose the =
-totalitar ian tendencies that=20
-emerge, but they generally lose, because the power-hungry types are better =
-organized, are more ruthless=20
-and Machiavellian and have taken care to build themselves a strong power =
-base.=20
-
-225. These phenomena appeared clearly in Russia and other countries that =
-were taken over by leftists.=20
-Similarly, before the breakdown of communism in the USSR, leftish types in =
-the West would seldom=20
-criticize that country. If prodded they would admit that the USSR did many =
-wrong things, but then th ey=20
-would try to find excuses for the communists and begin talking about the =
-faults of the West. They always=20
-opposed Western military resistance to communist aggression. Leftish types =
-all over the world vigorously=20
-protested the U.S. military action in Viet nam, but when the USSR invaded =
-Afghanistan t hey did nothing.=20
-Not that they approved of the Soviet actions; but because of their leftist =
-faith, they just couldn't bear to put=20
-themselves in opposition to communism.=20
-Today, in those of our universities where "political correctness" has =
-become dominant, there are probably=20
-many leftish types who p rivately disapprove of the suppression of academic =
-freedom, but they go along=20
-with it anyway.=20
-
-226. Thus the fact that many individual leftists are personally mild and =
-fairly tolerant people by no means=20
-prevents leftism as a whole form having a totalitarian tendency.=20
-
-227. Our discussion of leftism has a serious weakness. It is still far from =
-clear what we mean by the word=20
-"leftist." There doesn't seem to be much we can do about this. Today =
-leftism is fragmented into a whole=20
-spectrum of activist movements. Yet not all activist movements are leftist, =
-and some act ivist movements=20
-(e.g.., radical environmentalism) seem to include both personalities of the =
-leftist type and personalities of=20
-thoroughly un-leftist types who ought to know better than to collaborate =
-with leftists. Varieties of leftists=20
-fade out gradually into varieties of non-leftists and we oursel ves would =
-often be hard-pressed to decide=20
-whether a given individual is or is not a leftist. To the extent that it is =
-defined at all, our conception of=20
-leftism=20
-is defined by the discussion of it that we have given in this article, and =
-we can only advise t he reader to=20
-use his own judgment in decidin g who is a leftist.=20
-
-228. But it will be helpful to list some criteria for diagnosing leftism. =
-These criteria cannot be applied in a=20
-cut and dried manner. Some individuals may meet some of the criteria =
-without being leftists, some leftists=20
-may not meet any of the criteria. Ag ain, you just have to use your =
-judgment.
-
-229. The leftist is oriented toward largescale collectivism. He emphasizes =
-the duty of the individual to=20
-serve society and the duty of society to take care of the individual. He =
-has a negative attitude toward=20
-individualism. He often takes a moralistic ton e. He tends to be for gun =
-control, for sex e ducation and=20
-other psychologically "enlightened" educational methods, for planning, for =
-affirmative action, for=20
-multiculturalism. He tends to identify with victims. He tends to be against =
-competition and against=20
-violence, but he often finds excuses for th ose leftists who do commit =
-violence. He is f ond of using the=20
-common catch-phrases of the left like "racism, " "sexism, " "homophobia, " =
-"capitalism," "imperialism,"=20
-"neocolonialism " "genocide,"=20
-"social change," "social justice," "social responsibility." Maybe the best =
-diagnostic trait of the leftist is his=20
-tendency to sympathize with the following movements: feminism, gay rights, =
-ethnic rights, disabi lity=20
-rights, animal rights political correct ness. Anyone who strongly =
-sympathizes with ALL of these=20
-movements is almost certainly a leftist. [36]=20
-
-230. The more dangerous leftists, that is, those who are most power-hungry, =
-are often characterized by=20
-arrogance or by a dogmatic approach to ideology. However, the most =
-dangerous leftists of all may be=20
-certain oversocialized types who avoid irritating di splays of =
-aggressiveness and refrain from ad vertising=20
-their leftism, but work quietly and unobtrusively to promote collectivist =
-values, "enlightened"=20
-psychological techniques for socializing children, dependence of the =
-individual on the system, and so forth.=20
-These crypto-leftists (as we may call th em) approximate certain bourgeois =
-types as f ar as practical action=20
-is concerned, but differ from them in psychology, ideology and motivation. =
-The ordinary bourgeois tries to=20
-bring people under control=20
-of the system in order to protect his way of life, or he does so simply =
-because his attitudes are=20
-conventional. The crypto-leftist tries to br ing people under control of =
-the system because he is a True=20
-Believer in a collectivistic ideology. The crypto-leftist is differentiated =
-from the average leftist of the=20
-oversocialized type by the fact that his rebellious impulse is weaker and =
-he is more se curely socialized. He=20
-is differentiated from the ordinary well-socialized bourgeois by the fact =
-that there is some deep lack within=20
-him that makes it necessary for him to devote himself to a cause and =
-immerse himself in a collectivity. And=20
-maybe his (well-sublimated) drive for power is stronger tha n that of the =
-average bourgeois.
-
-FINAL NOTE
-
-231. Throughout this article we've made imprecise statements and statements =
-that ought to have had all=20
-sorts of qualifications and reservations attached to them; and some of our =
-statements may be flatly false.=20
-Lack of sufficient information and the need f or brevity made it impossible =
-for us to fomu late our=20
-assertions more precisely or add all the necessary qualifications. And of =
-course in a discussion of this=20
-
-kind one must rely heavily on intuitive judgment, and that can sometimes be =
-wrong. So we don't claim that=20
-this article expresses more than a crude approximation to the truth. =
-
-
-232. All the same we are reasonably confident that the general outlines of =
-the picture we have painted here=20
-are roughly correct. We have portrayed leftism in its modern form as a =
-phenomenon peculiar to our time=20
-and as a symptom of the disruption of the power process. But we might =
-possibly be wrong about this.=20
-Oversocialized types who try to satisfy their drive for power by imposing =
-their morality on everyone have=20
-certainly been around for a long time. But we THINK that the decisive role =
-played by feelings of=20
-inferiority, low self-esteem, powerlessness, identification with victims by =
-people who are not themselves=20
-victims, is a peculiarity of modern leftism. Identification with victims by =
-people not themselves victims can=20
-be seen to some extent in=20
-19th century leftism and early Christianity but as far as we can make out, =
-symptoms of low self-esteem,=20
-etc., were not nearly so evident in these movements, or in any other =
-movements, as they are in modern=20
-leftism. But we are not in a position to assert confidently that no such =
-movements have existed prior to=20
-modern leftism. This is a significant question to which historians ought to =
-give their attention.=20
-
-NOTES=20
-
-1. (Paragraph 19) We are asserting that ALL, or even most, bullies and =
-ruthless competitors suffer from=20
-feelings of inferiority.=20
-
-2. (Paragraph 25) During the Victorian period many oversocialized people =
-suffered from serious=20
-psychological problems as a result of repressing or trying to repress their =
-sexual feelings. Freud apparently=20
-based his theories on people of this type. Today the focus of socialization =
-has shifted from sex to=20
-aggression.=20
-
-3. (Paragraph 27) Not necessarily including specialists in engineering =
-"hard" sciences.=20
-
-4. (Paragraph 28) There are many individuals of the middle and upper =
-classes who resist some of these=20
-values, but usually their resistance is more or less covert. Such =
-resistance appears in the mass media only to=20
-a very limited extent. The main thrust of propaganda in our society is in =
-favor of the stated values.=20
-
-The main reasons why these values have become, so to speak, the official =
-values of our society is that they=20
-are useful to the industrial system. Violence is discouraged because it =
-disrupts the functioning of the=20
-system. Racism is discouraged because ethnic conflicts also disrupt the =
-system, and discrimination wastes=20
-the talent of minority-group members who could be useful to the system. =
-Poverty must be "cured" because=20
-the underclass causes problems for the system and contact with the =
-underclass lowers the moral of the other=20
-classes. Women are encouraged to have careers because their talents are =
-useful to the system and, more=20
-importantly because by having regular jobs women become better integrated =
-into the system and tied=20
-directly to it rather than to their families.=20
-This helps to weaken family solidarity. (The leaders of the system say they =
-want to strengthen the family,=20
-but they really mean is that they want the family to serve as an effective =
-tool for socializing children in=20
-accord with the needs of the system. We argue in paragraphs 51,52 that the =
-system cannot afford to let the=20
-family or other small-scale social groups be strong or autonomous.) =
-
-
-5. (Paragraph 42) It may be argued that the majority of people don't want =
-to make their own decisions but=20
-want leaders to do their thinking for them. There is an element of truth in =
-this. People like to make their=20
-own decisions in small matters, but making decisions on difficult, =
-fundamental questions require facing up=20
-to psychological conflict, and most people hate psychological conflict. =
-Hence they tend to lean on others in=20
-making difficult decisions. The majority of people are natural followers, =
-not leaders, but they like to have=20
-direct personal access to their leaders and participate to some extent in =
-making difficult decisions. At least=20
-to that degree they need autonomy.=20
-
-6. (Paragraph 44) Some of the symptoms listed are similar to those shown by =
-caged animals.=20
-
-To explain how these symptoms arise from deprivation with respect to the =
-power process:=20
-
-Common-sense understanding of human nature tells one that lack of goals =
-whose attainment requires effort=20
-leads to boredom and that boredom, long continued, often leads eventually =
-to depression. Failure to obtain=20
-goals leads to frustration and lowering of self-esteem. Frustration leads =
-to anger, anger to aggression, often=20
-in the form of spouse or child abuse. It has been shown that long-continued =
-frustration commonly leads to=20
-depression and that depression tends to cause guilt, sleep disorders, =
-eating disorders and bad feelings about=20
-oneself. Those who are tending toward depression seek pleasure as an =
-antidote; hence insatiable hedonism=20
-and excessive sex, with perversions as a means of getting new kicks. =
-Boredom too tends to cause excessive=20
-pleasure-seeking since,=20
-lacking other goals, people often use pleasure as a goal. See accompanying =
-diagram. The foregoing is a=20
-simplification. Reality is more complex, and of course deprivation with =
-respect to the power process is not=20
-the ONLY cause of the symptoms described. By the way, when we mention =
-depression we do not=20
-necessarily mean depression that is severe enough to be treated by a =
-psychiatrist. Often only mild forms of=20
-depression are involved. And when we speak of goals we do not necessarily =
-mean long-term, thought out=20
-goals. For many or most people through much of human history, the goals of =
-a hand-to-mouth existence=20
-(merely providing oneself and one's family with food from day to day) have =
-been quite sufficient.=20
-
-7. (Paragraph 52) A partial exception may be made for a few passive, inward =
-looking groups, such as the=20
-Amish, which have little effect on the wider society. Apart from these, =
-some genuine small-scale=20
-communities do exist in America today. For instance, youth gangs and =
-"cults". Everyone regards them as=20
-dangerous, and so they are, because the members of these groups are loyal =
-primarily to one another rather=20
-than to the system, hence the system cannot control them. Or take the =
-gypsies. The gypsies commonly get=20
-away with theft and fraud because their loyalties are such that they can =
-always get other gypsies to give=20
-testimony that "proves" their innocence. Obviously the system would be in =
-serious trouble if too many=20
-people belonged to such groups. Some of the=20
-early-20th century Chinese thinkers who were concerned with modernizing =
-China recognized the necessity=20
-of breaking down small-scale social groups such as the family: "(According =
-to Sun Yat-sen) The Chinese=20
-people needed a new surge of patriotism, which would lead to a transfer of =
-loyalty from the family to the=20
-state. . .(According to Li Huang) traditional attachments, particularly to =
-the family had to be abandoned if=20
-nationalism were to develop to China." (Chester C. Tan, Chinese Political =
-Thought in the Twentieth=20
-Century," page 125, page 297.)=20
-
-8. (Paragraph 56) Yes, we know that 19th century America had its problems, =
-and serious ones, but for the=20
-sake of breviety we have to express ourselves in simplified terms.=20
-
-9. (Paragraph 61) We leave aside the underclass. We are speaking of the =
-mainstream.=20
-
-10. (Paragraph 62) Some social scientists, educators, "mental health" =
-professionals and the like are doing=20
-their best to push the social drives into group 1 by trying to see to it =
-that everyone has a satisfactory social=20
-life.=20
-
-11. (Paragraphs 63, 82) Is the drive for endless material acquisition =
-really an artificial creation of the=20
-advertising and marketing industry? Certainly there is no innate human =
-drive for material acquisition.=20
-There have been many cultures in which people have desired little material =
-wealth beyond what was=20
-necessary to satisfy their basic physical needs (Australian aborigines, =
-traditional Mexican peasant culture,=20
-some African cultures). On the other hand there have also been many =
-pre-industrial cultures in which=20
-material acquisition has played an important role. So we can't claim that =
-today's acquisition-oriented=20
-culture is exclusively a creation of the advertising and marketing =
-industry. But it is clear that the=20
-advertising and marketing industry has had an=20
-important part in creating that culture. The big corporations that spend =
-millions on advertising wouldn't be=20
-spending that kind of money without solid proof that they were getting it =
-back in increased sales. One=20
-member of FC met a sales manager a couple of years ago who was frank enough =
-to tell him, "Our job is to=20
-make people buy things they don't want and don't need." He then described =
-how an untrained novice could=20
-present people with the facts about a product, and make no sales at all, =
-while a trained and experienced=20
-professional salesman would make lots of sales to the same people. This =
-shows that people are manipulated=20
-into buying things they don't really want.=20
-
-12. (Paragraph 64) The problem of purposelessness seems to have become less =
-serious during the last 15=20
-years or so, because people now feel less secure physically and =
-economically than they did earlier, and the=20
-need for security provides them with a goal. But purposelessness has been =
-replaced by frustration over the=20
-difficulty of attaining security. We emphasize the problem of =
-purposelessness because the liberals and=20
-leftists would wish to solve our social problems by having society =
-guarantee everyone's security; but if that=20
-could be done it would only bring back the problem of purposelessness. The =
-real issue is not whether=20
-society provides well or poorly for people's security; the trouble is that =
-people are dependent on the system=20
-for=20
-their security rather than having it in their own hands. This, by the way, =
-is part of the reason why some=20
-people get worked up about the right to bear arms; possession of a gun puts =
-that aspect of their security in=20
-their own hands.=20
-
-13. (Paragraph 66) Conservatives' efforts to decrease the amount of =
-government regulation are of little=20
-benefit to the average man. For one thing, only a fraction of the =
-regulations can be eliminated because most=20
-regulations are necessary. For another thing, most of the deregulation =
-affects business rather than the=20
-average individual, so that its main effect is to take power from the =
-government and give it to private=20
-corporations. What this means for the average man is that government =
-interference in his life is replaced by=20
-interference from big corporations, which may be permitted, for e xample, =
-to dump more chemicals that=20
-get into his water supply and give him cancer. The conservatives are just =
-taking the average man for a=20
-sucker, exploiting his resentment of Big Government to promote the power of =
-Big Business.=20
-
-14. (Paragraph 73) When someone approves of the purpose for which =
-propaganda is being used in a given=20
-case, he generally calls it "education" or applies to it some similar =
-euphemism. But propaganda is=20
-propaganda regardless of the purpose for which it i s used.=20
-
-15. (Paragraph 83) We are not expressing approval or disapproval of the =
-Panama invasion. We only use it=20
-to illustrate a point.=20
-
-16. (Paragraph 95) When the American colonies were under British rule there =
-were fewer and less effective=20
-legal guarantees of freedom than there were after the American Constitution =
-went into effect, yet there was=20
-more personal freedom in pre-industria l America, both before and after the =
-War of Independence, than=20
-there was after the Industrial Revolution took hold in this country. We =
-quote from "Violence in America:=20
-Historical and Comparative perspectives," edited by Hugh Davis Graham and =
-Ted Robert Gurr, Chapter 12=20
-by Roger Lane, pages 476-478: "The progressive heightening of standards o f =
-property, and with it the=20
-increasing reliance on official law enforcement (in 19th century America). =
-.. .were common to the whole=20
-society. . .[T]he change in social behavior=20
-is so long term and so widespread as to suggest a connection with the most =
-funda mental of contemporary=20
-social processes; tha t of industrial urbanization itself. . =
-.."Massachusetts in 1835 had a population of some=20
-660,940, 81 percent rural, overwhelmingly preindustrial and native born. =
-It's citizens were used to=20
-considerable personal freedom. Whether teamsters, farmers or artisa ns, =
-they were all accustomed to setting=20
-thei r own schedules, and the nature of their work made them physically =
-dependent on each other. .=20
-..Individual problems, sins or even crimes, were not generally cause for =
-wider social concern. . ."But the=20
-impact of the twin movements to the city and to the fac tory, both just =
-gathering force in 1835, had a=20
-progressive effect on personal behavior=20
-throughout the 19th century and into the 20th. The factory demanded =
-regularity of behavior, a life=20
-governed by obedience to the rhythms of clock and calendar, the demands of =
-foreman and supervisor. In=20
-the city or town, the needs of living in closely packed neighborhoods =
-inhibited many actions previously=20
-unobjectionable.=20
-
-Both blue- and white-collar employees in larger establishments were =
-mutually dependent on their fellows.=20
-as one man's work fit into another's, so one man's business was no longer =
-his own. "The results of the new=20
-organization of life and work were appar ent by 1900, when some 76 percent =
-of the 2,8 05,346 inhabitants=20
-of Massachusetts were classified as urbanites. Much violent or irregular =
-behavior which had been tolerable=20
-in a casual, independent society was no longer acceptable in the more =
-formalized, cooperative atmosphere=20
-of the later period. . . The move to the cities had, in short, produc ed a =
-more tractable, more socialized,=20
-more 'civilized' generation than its predecessors."=20
-
-17. (Paragraph 117) Apologists for the system are fond of citing cases in =
-which elections have been=20
-decided by one or two votes, but such cases are rare.=20
-
-18. (Paragraph 119) "Today, in technologically advanced lands, men live =
-very similar lives in spite of=20
-geographical, religious and political differences. The daily lives of a =
-Christian bank clerk in Chicago, a=20
-Buddhist bank clerk in Tokyo, a Communist bank clerk in Moscow are far more =
-alike than the life any one=20
-of them is like that of any single man who lived a thousand years ago. =
-These similarities are the result of a=20
-common technology. . ." L. Sprague de Camp, "The Ancient Engineers," =
-Ballentine edition, page 17.=20
-
-The lives of the three bank clerks are not IDENTICAL. Ideology does have =
-SOME effect. But all=20
-technological societies, in order to survive, must evolve along =
-APPROXIMATELY the same trajectory.=20
-
-19. (Paragraph 123) Just think an irresponsible genetic engineer might =
-create a lot of terrorists.=20
-
-20. (Paragraph 124) For a further example of undesirable consequences of =
-medical progress, suppose a=20
-reliable cure for cancer is discovered. Even if the treatment is too =
-expensive to be available to any but the=20
-elite, it will greatly reduce their incen tive to stop the escape of =
-carcinogens into the environment.=20
-
-21. (Paragraph 128) Since many people may find paradoxical the notion that =
-a large number of good things=20
-can add up to a bad thing, we will illustrate with an analogy. Suppose Mr. =
-A is playing chess with Mr. B.=20
-Mr. C, a Grand Master, is looking over Mr . A's shoulder. Mr. A of course =
-wants to win his game, so if Mr.=20
-C points out a good move for him to make, he is doing Mr. A a favor. But =
-suppose now that Mr. C tells Mr.=20
-A how to make ALL of his moves. In each particular instance he does Mr. A a =
-favor by showing him his=20
-best move, but by making AL L of his moves for him he spoils the game, s =
-ince there is not point in Mr.=20
-A's playing the game at all if someone else makes all his moves.=20
-
-The situation of modern man is analogous to that of Mr. A. The system makes =
-an individual's life easier for=20
-him in innumerable ways, but in doing so it deprives him of control over =
-his own fate.=20
-
-22. (Paragraph 137) Here we are considering only the conflict of values =
-within the mainstream. For the=20
-sake of simplicity we leave out of the picture "outsider" values like the =
-idea that wild nature is more=20
-important than human economic welfare.=20
-
-23. (Paragraph 137) Self-interest is not necessarily MATERIAL =
-self-interest. It can consist in fulfillment of=20
-some psychological need, for example, by promoting one's own ideology or =
-religion.=20
-
-24. (Paragraph 139) A qualification: It is in the interest of the system to =
-permit a certain prescribed degree=20
-of freedom in some areas. For example, economic freedom (with suitable =
-limitations and restraints) has=20
-proved effective in promoting economic growth. But only planned, =
-circumscribed, li mited freedom is in=20
-the interest of the system. The individual must always be kept on a leash, =
-even if the leash is sometimes=20
-long( see paragraphs 94, 97).=20
-
-25. (Paragraph 143) We don't mean to suggest that the efficiency or the =
-potential for survival of a society=20
-has always been inversely proportional to the amount of pressure or =
-discomfort to which the society=20
-subjects people. That is certainly not the c ase. There is good reason to =
-believe that ma ny primitive=20
-societies subjected people to less pressure than the European society did, =
-but European society proved far=20
-more efficient than any primitive society and always won out in conflicts =
-with such societies because of the=20
-advantages conferred by te chnology.=20
-
-26. (Paragraph 147) If you think that more effective law enforcement is =
-unequivocally good because it=20
-suppresses crime, then remember that crime as defined by the system is not =
-necessarily what YOU would=20
-call crime. Today, smoking marijuana is a "crime ," and, in some places in =
-the U.S.., so is p ossession of=20
-ANY firearm, registered or not, may be made a crime, and the same thing may =
-happen with disapproved=20
-methods of child-rearing, such as spanking. In some countries, expression =
-of dissident political opinions is=20
-a crime, and there is no certaint y that this will never happen in the =
-U.S., s ince no constitution or political=20
-system lasts forever.=20
-
-If a society needs a large, powerful law enforcement establishment, then =
-there is something gravely wrong=20
-with that society; it must be subjecting people to severe pressures if so =
-many refuse to follow the rules, or=20
-follow them only because forced. Man y societies in the past have gotten by =
-with little or no formal law-
-enforcement.=20
-
-27. (Paragraph 151) To be sure, past societies have had means of =
-influencing behavior, but these have been=20
-primitive and of low effectiveness compared with the technological means =
-that are now being developed.=20
-
-28. (Paragraph 152) However, some psychologists have publicly expressed =
-opinions indicating their=20
-contempt for human freedom. And the mathematician Claude Shannon was quoted =
-in Omni (August 1987)=20
-as saying, "I visualize a time when we will be to robots what dogs are to =
-humans, and I'm rooting fo r the=20
-machines."=20
-
-29. (Paragraph 154) This is no science fiction! After writing paragraph 154 =
-we came across an article in=20
-Scientific American according to which scientists are actively developing =
-techniques for identifying=20
-possible future criminals and for treating the m by a combination of =
-biological and psychol ogical means.=20
-Some scientists advocate compulsory application of the treatment, which may =
-be available in the near=20
-future. (See "Seeking the Criminal Element", by W. Wayt Gibbs, Scientific =
-American, March 1995.)=20
-Maybe you think this is OK because the trea tment would be applied to those =
-who might be come drunk=20
-drivers (they endanger human life too), then perhaps to peel who spank =
-their children, then to=20
-environmentalists who sabotage logging equipment,=20
-eventually to anyone whose behavior is inconvenient for the system. =
-
-
-30. (Paragraph 184) A further advantage of nature as a counter-ideal to =
-technology is that, in many people,=20
-nature inspires the kind of reverence that is associated with religion, so =
-that nature could perhaps be=20
-idealized on a religious basis. It is tr ue that in many societies religion =
-has serve d as a support and=20
-justification for the established order, but it is also true that religion =
-has often provided a basis for=20
-rebellion. Thus it may be useful to introduce a religious element into the =
-rebellion against technology, the=20
-more so because Weste rn society today has no strong religious fou ndation. =
-
-
-Religion, nowadays either is used as cheap and transparent support for =
-narrow, short-sighted selfishness=20
-(some conservatives use it this way), or even is cynically exploited to =
-make easy money (by many=20
-evangelists), or has degenerated into crude irrati onalism (fundamentalist =
-Protestant sects, "c ults"), or is=20
-simply stagnant (Catholicism, main-line Protestantism). The nearest thing =
-to a strong, widespread, dynamic=20
-religion that the West has seen in recent times has been the quasi-religion =
-of leftism, but leftism today is=20
-fragmented and has no cle ar, unified inspiring goal.=20
-
-Thus there is a religious vaccuum in our society that could perhaps be =
-filled by a religion focused on nature=20
-in opposition to technology. But it would be a mistake to try to concoct =
-artificially a religion to fill this=20
-role. Such an invented religion would probably be a failure. Take the =
-"Gaia" religion for example. Do its=20
-adherents REALLY believe in it or are they just play-acting? If they are =
-just play-acting their religion will=20
-be a flop in the end.=20
-
-It is probably best not to try to introduce religion into the conflict of =
-nature vs. technology unless you=20
-REALLY believe in that religion yourself and find that it arouses a deep, =
-strong, genuine response in many=20
-other people.=20
-
-31. (Paragraph 189) Assuming that such a final push occurs. Conceivably the =
-industrial system might be=20
-eliminated in a somewhat gradual or piecemeal fashion. (see paragraphs 4, =
-167 and Note 4).=20
-
-32. (Paragraph 193) It is even conceivable (remotely) that the revolution =
-might consist only of a massive=20
-change of attitudes toward technology resulting in a relatively gradual and =
-painless disintegration of the=20
-industrial system. But if this happens we'll be very lucky. It's far more =
-probably that the transition to a=20
-nontechnological society will be very difficult and full of conflicts and =
-disasters.=20
-
-33. (Paragraph 195) The economic and technological structure of a society =
-are far more important than its=20
-political structure in determining the way the average man lives (see =
-paragraphs 95, 119 and Notes 16, 18).=20
-
-34. (Paragraph 215) This statement refers to our particular brand of =
-anarchism. A wide variety of social=20
-attitudes have been called "anarchist," and it may be that many who =
-consider themselves anarchists would=20
-not accept our statement of paragraph 215. It should be noted, by the way, =
-that there is a nonviolent=20
-anarchist movement whose members probably would not accept FC as anarchist =
-and certainly would not=20
-approve of FC's violent methods.=20
-
-35. (Paragraph 219) Many leftists are motivated also by hostility, but the =
-hostility probably results in part=20
-from a frustrated need for power.=20
-
-36. (Paragraph 229) It is important to understand that we mean someone who =
-sympathizes with these=20
-MOVEMENTS as they exist today in our society. One who believes that women, =
-homosexuals, etc., should=20
-have equal rights is not necessarily a leftist. The f eminist, gay rights, =
-etc., movements that ex ist in our=20
-society have the particular ideological tone that characterizes leftism, =
-and if one believes, for example, that=20
-women should have equal rights it does not necessarily follow that one must =
-sympathize with the feminist=20
-movement as it exists today .=20
-
-If copyright problems make it impossible for this long quotation to be =
-printed, then please change Note 16=20
-to read as follows:=20
-
-16. (Paragraph 95) When the American colonies were under British rule there =
-were fewer and less effective=20
-legal guarantees of freedom than there were after the American Constitution =
-went into effect, yet there was=20
-more personal freedom in pre-industria l America, both before and after the =
-War of Independence, than=20
-there was after the Industrial Revolution took hold in this country. In =
-"Violence in America: Historical and=20
-Comparative Perspectives," edited by Hugh Davis Graham and Ted Robert Gurr, =
-Chapter 12 by Roger=20
-Lane, it is explained how in pr e-industrial America the average person had =
-greater independence and=20
-autonomy than he does today, and how the process of industrialization =
-necessarily led to the restriction of=20
-personal freedom.
-
-
-End of message.
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-d3d3eP////////cHd3d3d3d3d3j4AAAAD//3B3d3d3d3d3d4+HgI9w//9wd3
-d3d3d3d3ePh4iIcP//cHd3d3d3d3d3j4d3d3ARERF3d3d3d3d3d4+H//9wzM
-zMd3d3d3d3d3ePh///cP//cHd3d3d3d3d3j4f//3D//3B3d3d3d3d3d494iI
-iP//9wd3d3d3d3d3eP////////cHd3d3d3d3d3j////////3B3d3d3d3d3d4
-//////+IiAd3d3d3d3d3eP//////j3h3d3d3d3d3d3j//////4eHd3d3d3d3
-d3d4//////+Id3d3d3d3d3d3eIiIiIiIh3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3
-d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3dwAAAAd3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3cIiIgHd3
-d3d3d3d3d3d3d3CIiIB3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3dwiIiAd3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3cIiI
-gHd3d3d3d3d3d3dwAACIiIAAAHd3d3d3d3d3cIiIiIiIiIB3d3d3d3d3d3cI
-iIiIiIgHd3d3d3d3d3d3cIiIiIiAd3d3d3d3d3d3d3cIiIiIB3d3d3d3d3d3
-d3d3cIiIgHd3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3cIiAd3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3cIB3d3d3d3d3
-d3d3d3d3d3cHd3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3d3
-d3d3d3d3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHd3d3eDMzMzMzMzMzMzMzMHd3d3i3t7e3t7e3
-t7e3tzAHd3eIe3t7e3t7e3t7e3swB3d3h7e3t7e3t7e3t7e3AAd3d4t7e3t7
-e3t7e3t7eAMHd3eHt7e3t7e3t7e3t7gDB3d4e3t7e3t7e3t7e3twgwd3eLe3
-t7e3t7e3t7e3sIMHd3h7e3t7e3t7e3t7e4CzB3d4t7e3t7e3t7e3t7eAcwd3
-eP//////////////CLMHd3eId3d3d3d3d3d3d3tzB3d3d4+3t7e3t7e3t7e3
-swd3d3ePe3t7e3t7e3t7e3MHd3d3j7e3t7e3t7e3t7ezB3d3d497e3t7e3t7
-////8Hd3d3ePt7e3t7e3uIiIiId3d3d3j/t7e3t7ewoA3NDMJkfRzSafhwoA
-3NDMJkjRzSafhz0A5NAgnFU/PZBVNs4mItHMJ/jS1CZTRj+Vdjo4jBnRQJyG
-Pz2Qhjb7i5o23iZ9Rj+VoDo4jHs2NpWxRRiMAA==
-
---boundary-replacement-string-1
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Disposition: inline
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-Here is some more text. The attachment is above.
---=20
-The curator
-
---boundary-replacement-string-1--
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.6 - Encoded "=" characters
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-7>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-The following line contains 5 "equals" characters. These should
-arrive MIME-encoded.
-
-=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
-
-End of message.
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.5 - Empty message body
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-8>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.4 - Trailing spaces and tab characters
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-9>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This line has 1 trailing space character >=20
-This line has 2 trailing space characters> =20
-This line has 3 trailing space characters>  =20
-This line has 4 trailing space characters>   =20
-
-This line has 1 trailing TAB character >=09
-This line has 2 trailing TAB characters>	=09
-This line has 3 trailing TAB characters>		=09
-This line has 4 trailing TAB characters>			=09
-
-End of message.
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.3 - Wrapped lines
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-10>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This message contains a series of lines - which
-range between 90 and 70 characters in length.
-
-
-90CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-78901234567890
-
-89CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789
-
-88CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-789012345678
-
-87CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-78901234567
-
-86CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456
-
-85CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-789012345
-
-84CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-78901234
-
-83CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123
-
-82CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-789012
-
-81CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-78901
-
-80CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890
-
-79CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-789
-
-78CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-78
-
-77CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7
-
-76CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-
-
-75CHARS89012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345
-
-74CHARS8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234
-
-73CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123
-
-72CHARS89012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
-
-71CHARS8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
-
-70CHARS890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
-
-End of message.
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.2 - Dot stuffing test
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-11>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-This message contains a block of dot characters,=20
-arranged into the shape of a triangle. There are=20
-four rows in the triangle; the first row contains
-4 dots, the last row contains 1 dot.
-
-.....
-....
-...
-..
-
-..This line should contain a "dot" as its first character.
-
-End of message.
-
-.
-RSET
-MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
-DATA
-From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
-To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
-Subject: Test message No.1 - 1000 character line in message
-Date: date-replacement-string-
-Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-12>
-X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
-MIME-Version: 1.0
-Content-Language: i-default
-Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
-
-The line in the following 3 paragraphs each contain 1000 characters: =
-
-the maximum limit of linelength for SMTP mail. Each should arrive as
-one wrapped paragraph in the received message. The dot-stuffed
-paragraph is the absolute maximum line length permissable in SMTP
-protocol - although in practice IMCV wraps the data into shorter
-lines before it is actually sent.
-
-1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
-5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
-1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
-5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
-1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-901234567890
-
-The following paragraph will be dot stuffed into 1001 characters:
-
-..123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
-6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
-2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
-8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123=
-4567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789=
-0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
-6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
-2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
-8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123=
-4567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789=
-0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
-6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
-2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
-890123456789
-
-Start67890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
-5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
-1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
-5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
-1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
-7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
-3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
-901234567End
-
-End of message.
-
-.
-QUIT
+EHLO []
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.9 
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-1>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+This msg should be sent 4 times=20
+  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
+
+  should not appear in the msg header.
+
+ -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
+the 'To' & 'Cc'
+  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
+the one to=20
+  whom the mail is addressed to.
+
+
+End of message.
+
+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.9 
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-2>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+This msg should be sent 4 times=20
+  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
+
+  should not appear in the msg header.
+
+ -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
+the 'To' & 'Cc'
+  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
+the one to=20
+  whom the mail is addressed to.
+
+
+End of message.
+
+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.9 
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-3>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+This msg should be sent 4 times=20
+  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
+
+  should not appear in the msg header.
+
+ -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
+the 'To' & 'Cc'
+  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
+the one to=20
+  whom the mail is addressed to.
+
+
+End of message.
+
+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Cc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra, recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Bcc: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.9 
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-4>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+This msg should be sent 4 times=20
+  -Send one msg to 'To' & 'Cc' recipients. In this case 'Bcc' recipients =
+
+  should not appear in the msg header.
+
+ -Send one Msg per 'Bcc' recipient, in each msg the header will show all =
+the 'To' & 'Cc'
+  recipients.  All 'Bcc' recipients should not appear in the header except =
+the one to=20
+  whom the mail is addressed to.
+
+
+End of message.
+
+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: <recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+Subject: Test message No.8 - Long message (206KB)
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-5>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+1. The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for =
+the human race. They have=20
+greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in "advanced" =
+countries, but they have=20
+destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human =
+beings to indignities, have led to=20
+widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical =
+suffering as well) and have inflicted=20
+severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology =
+will worsen the situation. It=20
+will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict =
+greater damage on the natural world, it=20
+will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological =
+suffering, and it may lead to increased=20
+physical suffering even in "advanced" countries.=20
+
+2. The industrial-technological system may survive or it may break down. If =
+it survives, it MAY eventually=20
+achieve a low level of physical and psychological suffering, but only after =
+passing through a long and very=20
+painful period of adjustment and only at the cost of permanently reducing =
+human beings and many other=20
+living organisms to engineered products and mere cogs in the social =
+machine. Furthermore, if the system=20
+survives, the consequences will be inevitable: There is no way of reforming =
+or modifying the system so as=20
+to prevent it from depriving people of dignity and autonomy.=20
+
+3. If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. =
+But the bigger the system grows=20
+the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to =
+break down it had best break down=20
+sooner rather than later.=20
+
+4. We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system. This =
+revolution may or may not make=20
+use of violence: it may be sudden or it may be a relatively gradual process =
+spanning a few decades. We=20
+can't predict any of that. But we do outline in a very general way the =
+measures that those who hate the=20
+industrial system should take in order to prepare the way for a revolution =
+against that form of society. This=20
+is not to be a POLITICAL revolution. Its object will be to overthrow not =
+governments but the economic=20
+and technological basis of the present society.=20
+
+5. In this article we give attention to only some of the negative =
+developments that have grown out of the=20
+industrial-technological system. Other such developments we mention only =
+briefly or ignore altogether.=20
+This does not mean that we regard these other developments as unimportant. =
+For practical reasons we have=20
+to confine our discussion to areas that have received insufficient public =
+attention or in which we have=20
+something new to say. For example, since there are well-developed =
+environmental and wilderness=20
+movements, we have written very little about environmental degradation or =
+the destruction of wild nature,=20
+even though we consider these to be highly important.=20
+
+THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN LEFTISM
+
+6. Almost everyone will agree that we live in a deeply troubled society. =
+One of the most widespread=20
+manifestations of the craziness of our world is leftism, so a discussion of =
+the psychology of leftism can=20
+serve as an introduction to the discussion of the problems of modern =
+society in general.=20
+
+7. But what is leftism? During the first half of the 20th century leftism =
+could have been practically=20
+identified with socialism. Today the movement is fragmented and it is not =
+clear who can properly be called=20
+a leftist. When we speak of leftists in this article we have in mind mainly =
+socialists, collectivists,=20
+"politically correct" types, feminists, gay and disability activists, =
+animal rights activists and the like. But=20
+not everyone who is associated with one of these movements is a leftist. =
+What we are trying to get at in=20
+discussing leftism is not so much a movement or an ideology as a =
+psychological type, or rather a collection=20
+of related types. Thus, what we mean by "leftism" will emerge more clearly =
+in the course of our discussion=20
+of leftist psychology (Also, see paragraphs 227-230.)=20
+
+8. Even so, our conception of leftism will remain a good deal less clear =
+than we would wish, but there=20
+doesn't seem to be any remedy for this. All we are trying to do is indicate =
+in a rough and approximate way=20
+the two psychological tendencies that we believe are the main driving force =
+of modern leftism. We by no=20
+means claim to be telling the WHOLE truth about leftist psychology. Also, =
+our discussion is meant to=20
+apply to modern leftism only. We leave open the question of the extent to =
+which our discussion could be=20
+applied to the leftists of the 19th and early 20th century.=20
+
+9. The two psychological tendencies that underlie modern leftism we call =
+"feelings of inferiority" and=20
+"oversocialization." Feelings of inferiority are characteristic of modern =
+leftism as a whole, while=20
+oversocialization is characteristic only of a certain segment of modern =
+leftism; but this segment is highly=20
+influential.=20
+
+FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY
+
+10. By "feelings of inferiority" we mean not only inferiority feelings in =
+the strictest sense but a whole=20
+spectrum of related traits: low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, =
+depressive tendencies, defeatism,=20
+guilt, self-hatred, etc. We argue that modern leftists tend to have such =
+feelings (possibly more or less=20
+repressed) and that these feelings are decisive in determining the =
+direction of modern leftism.=20
+
+11. When someone interprets as derogatory almost anything that is said =
+about him (or about groups with=20
+whom he identifies) we conclude that he has inferiority feelings or low =
+self-esteem. This tendency is=20
+pronounced among minority rights advocates, whether or not they belong to =
+the minority groups whose=20
+rights they defend. They are hypersensitive about the words used to =
+designate minorities. The terms=20
+"negro," "oriental," "handicapped" or "chick" for an African, an Asian, a =
+disabled person or a woman=20
+originally had no derogatory connotation. "Broad" and "chick" were merely =
+the feminine equivalents of=20
+"guy," "dude" or "fellow." The negative connotations have been attached to =
+these terms by the activists=20
+themselves. Some animal rights advocates have gone so far as to reject the =
+word "pet" and=20
+insist on its replacement by "animal companion." Leftist anthropologists go =
+to great lengths to avoid saying=20
+anything about primitive peoples that could conceivably be interpreted as =
+negative. They want to replace=20
+the word "primitive" by "nonliterate." They seem almost paranoid about =
+anything that might suggest that=20
+any primitive culture is inferior to our own. (We do not mean to imply that =
+primitive cultures ARE inferior=20
+to ours. We merely point out the hypersensitivity of leftish =
+anthropologists.)=20
+
+12. Those who are most sensitive about "politically incorrect" terminology =
+are not the average black=20
+ghetto-dweller, Asian immigrant, abused woman or disabled person, but a =
+minority of activists, many of=20
+whom do not even belong to any "oppressed" group but come from privileged =
+strata of society. Political=20
+correctness has its stronghold among university professors, who have secure =
+employment with comfortable=20
+salaries, and the majority of whom are heterosexual, white males from =
+middle-class families.=20
+
+13. Many leftists have an intense identification with the problems of =
+groups that have an image of being=20
+weak (women), defeated (American Indians), repellent (homosexuals), or =
+otherwise inferior. The leftists=20
+themselves feel that these groups are inferior. They would never admit it =
+to themselves that they have such=20
+feelings, but it is precisely because they do see these groups as inferior =
+that they identify with their=20
+problems. (We do not suggest that women, Indians, etc., ARE inferior; we =
+are only making a point about=20
+leftist psychology).=20
+
+14. Feminists are desperately anxious to prove that women are as strong as =
+capable as men. Clearly they=20
+are nagged by a fear that women may NOT be as strong and as capable as men. =
+
+
+15. Leftists tend to hate anything that has an image of being strong, good =
+and successful. They hate=20
+America, they hate Western civilization, they hate white males, they hate =
+rationality. The reasons that=20
+leftists give for hating the West, etc. clearly do not correspond with =
+their real motives. They SAY they hate=20
+the West because it is warlike, imperialistic, sexist, ethnocentric and so =
+forth, but where these same faults=20
+appear in socialist countries or in primitive cultures, the leftist finds =
+excuses for them, or at best he=20
+GRUDGINGLY admits that they exist; whereas he ENTHUSIASTICALLY points out =
+(and often greatly=20
+exaggerates) these faults where they appear in Western civilization. Thus =
+it is clear that these faults are not=20
+the leftist's real motive for hating America and the West.
+ He hates America and the West because they are strong and successful. =
+
+
+16. Words like "self-confidence," "self-reliance," "initiative", =
+"enterprise," "optimism," etc. play little role=20
+in the liberal and leftist vocabulary. The leftist is anti-individualistic, =
+pro-collectivist. He wants society to=20
+solve everyone's needs for them, take care of them. He is not the sort of =
+person who has an inner sense of=20
+confidence in his own ability to solve his own problems and satisfy his own =
+needs. The leftist is=20
+antagonistic to the concept of competition because, deep inside, he feels =
+like a loser.=20
+
+17. Art forms that appeal to modern leftist intellectuals tend to focus on =
+sordidness, defeat and despair, or=20
+else they take an orgiastic tone, throwing off rational control as if there =
+were no hope of accomplishing=20
+anything through rational calculation and all that was left was to immerse =
+oneself in the sensations of the=20
+moment.=20
+
+18. Modern leftist philosophers tend to dismiss reason, science, objective =
+reality and to insist that=20
+everything is culturally relative. It is true that one can ask serious =
+questions about the foundations of=20
+scientific knowledge and about how, if at all, the concept of objective =
+reality can be defined. But it is=20
+obvious that modern leftist philosophers are not simply cool-headed =
+logicians systematically analyzing the=20
+foundations of knowledge. They are deeply involved emotionally in their =
+attack on truth and reality. They=20
+attack these concepts because of their own psychological needs. For one =
+thing, their attack is an outlet for=20
+hostility, and, to the extent that it is successful, it satisfies the drive =
+for power. More importantly, the leftist=20
+hates science and rationality because=20
+they classify certain beliefs as true (i.e., successful, superior) and =
+other beliefs as false (i.e. failed, inferior).=20
+The leftist's feelings of inferiority run so deep that he cannot tolerate =
+any classification of some things as=20
+successful or superior and other things as failed or inferior. This also =
+underlies the rejection by many=20
+leftists of the concept of mental illness and of the utility of IQ tests. =
+Leftists are antagonistic to genetic=20
+explanations of human abilities or behavior because such explanations tend =
+to make some persons appear=20
+superior or inferior to others. Leftists prefer to give society the credit =
+or blame for an individual's ability or=20
+lack of it. Thus if a person is "inferior" it is not his fault, but =
+society's, because he has not been brought up=20
+properly.=20
+
+19. The leftist is not typically the kind of person whose feelings of =
+inferiority make him a braggart, an=20
+egotist, a bully, a self-promoter, a ruthless competitor. This kind of =
+person has not wholly lost faith in=20
+himself. He has a deficit in his sense of power and self-worth, but he can =
+still conceive of himself as having=20
+the capacity to be strong, and his efforts to make himself strong produce =
+his unpleasant behavior. [1] But=20
+the leftist is too far gone for that. His feelings of inferiority are so =
+ingrained that he cannot conceive of=20
+himself as individually strong and valuable. Hence the collectivism of the =
+leftist. He can feel strong only as=20
+a member of a large organization or a mass movement with which he =
+identifies himself.=20
+
+20. Notice the masochistic tendency of leftist tactics. Leftists protest by =
+lying down in front of vehicles,=20
+they intentionally provoke police or racists to abuse them, etc. These =
+tactics may often be effective, but=20
+many leftists use them not as a means to an end but because they PREFER =
+masochistic tactics. Self-hatred=20
+is a leftist trait.=20
+
+21. Leftists may claim that their activism is motivated by compassion or by =
+moral principle, and moral=20
+principle does play a role for the leftist of the oversocialized type. But =
+compassion and moral principle=20
+cannot be the main motives for leftist activism. Hostility is too prominent =
+a component of leftist behavior;=20
+so is the drive for power. Moreover, much leftist behavior is not =
+rationally calculated to be of benefit to the=20
+people whom the leftists claim to be trying to help. For example, if one =
+believes that affirmative action is=20
+good for black people, does it make sense to demand affirmative action in =
+hostile or dogmatic terms?=20
+Obviously it would be more productive to take a diplomatic and conciliatory =
+approach that would make at=20
+least verbal and symbolic concessions to white people who think that =
+
+affirmative action discriminates against them. But leftist activists do not =
+take such an approach because it=20
+would not satisfy their emotional needs. Helping black people is not their =
+real goal. Instead, race problems=20
+serve as an excuse for them to express their own hostility and frustrated =
+need for power. In doing so they=20
+actually harm black people, because the activists' hostile attitude toward =
+the white majority tends to=20
+intensify race hatred.=20
+
+22. If our society had no social problems at all, the leftists would have =
+to INVENT problems in order to=20
+provide themselves with an excuse for making a fuss.=20
+
+23. We emphasize that the foregoing does not pretend to be an accurate =
+description of everyone who might=20
+be considered a leftist. It is only a rough indication of a general =
+tendency of leftism.=20
+
+OVERSOCIALIZATION
+
+24. Psychologists use the term "socialization" to designate the process by =
+which children are trained to=20
+think and act as society demands. A person is said to be well socialized if =
+he believes in and obeys the=20
+moral code of his society and fits in well as a functioning part of that =
+society. It may seem senseless to say=20
+that many leftists are over-socialized, since the leftist is perceived as a =
+rebel. Nevertheless, the position can=20
+be defended. Many leftists are not such rebels as they seem.=20
+
+25. The moral code of our society is so demanding that no one can think, =
+feel and act in a completely moral=20
+way. For example, we are not supposed to hate anyone, yet almost everyone =
+hates somebody at some time=20
+or other, whether he admits it to himself or not. Some people are so highly =
+socialized that the attempt to=20
+think, feel and act morally imposes a severe burden on them. In order to =
+avoid feelings of guilt, they=20
+continually have to deceive themselves about their own motives and find =
+moral explanations for feelings=20
+and actions that in reality have a non-moral origin. We use the term =
+"oversocialized" to describe such=20
+people. [2]=20
+
+26. Oversocialization can lead to low self-esteem, a sense of =
+powerlessness, defeatism, guilt, etc. One of=20
+the most important means by which our society socializes children is by =
+making them feel ashamed of=20
+behavior or speech that is contrary to society's expectations. If this is =
+overdone, or if a particular child is=20
+especially susceptible to such feelings, he ends by feeling ashamed of =
+HIMSELF. Moreover the thought=20
+and the behavior of the oversocialized person are more restricted by =
+society's expectations than are those of=20
+the lightly socialized person. The majority of people engage in a =
+significant amount of naughty behavior.=20
+They lie, they commit petty thefts, they break traffic laws, they goof off =
+at work, they hate someone, they=20
+say spiteful things or they use some underhanded trick to get ahead of the =
+
+other guy. The oversocialized person cannot do these things, or if he does =
+do them he generates in himself=20
+a sense of shame and self-hatred. The oversocialized person cannot even =
+experience, without guilt,=20
+thoughts or feelings that are contrary to the accepted morality; he cannot =
+think "unclean" thoughts. And=20
+socialization is not just a matter of morality; we are socialized to =
+confirm to many norms of behavior that=20
+do not fall under the heading of morality. Thus the oversocialized person =
+is kept on a psychological leash=20
+and spends his life running on rails that society has laid down for him. In =
+many oversocialized people this=20
+results in a sense of constraint and powerlessness that can be a severe =
+hardship. We suggest that=20
+oversocialization is among the more serious cruelties that human beings =
+inflict on one another.=20
+
+27. We argue that a very important and influential segment of the modern =
+left is oversocialized and that=20
+their oversocialization is of great importance in determining the direction =
+of modern leftism. Leftists of the=20
+oversocialized type tend to be intellectuals or members of the upper-middle =
+class. Notice that university=20
+intellectuals (3) constitute the most highly socialized segment of our =
+society and also the most left-wing=20
+segment.=20
+
+28. The leftist of the oversocialized type tries to get off his =
+psychological leash and assert his autonomy by=20
+rebelling. But usually he is not strong enough to rebel against the most =
+basic values of society. Generally=20
+speaking, the goals of today's leftists are NOT in conflict with the =
+accepted morality. On the contrary, the=20
+left takes an accepted moral principle, adopts it as its own, and then =
+accuses mainstream society of=20
+violating that principle. Examples: racial equality, equality of the sexes, =
+helping poor people, peace as=20
+opposed to war, nonviolence generally, freedom of expression, kindness to =
+animals. More fundamentally,=20
+the duty of the individual to serve society and the duty of society to take =
+care of the individual. All these=20
+have been deeply rooted values of our society (or at least of its middle =
+and=20
+upper classes (4) for a long time. These values are explicitly or =
+implicitly expressed or presupposed in most=20
+of the material presented to us by the mainstream communications media and =
+the educational system.=20
+Leftists, especially those of the oversocialized type, usually do not rebel =
+against these principles but justify=20
+their hostility to society by claiming (with some degree of truth) that =
+society is not living up to these=20
+principles.=20
+
+29. Here is an illustration of the way in which the oversocialized leftist =
+shows his real attachment to the=20
+conventional attitudes of our society while pretending to be in rebellion =
+against it. Many leftists push for=20
+affirmative action, for moving black people into high-prestige jobs, for =
+improved education in black=20
+schools and more money for such schools; the way of life of the black =
+"underclass" they regard as a social=20
+disgrace. They want to integrate the black man into the system, make him a =
+business executive, a lawyer, a=20
+scientist just like upper-middle-class white people. The leftists will =
+reply that the last thing they want is to=20
+make the black man into a copy of the white man; instead, they want to =
+preserve African American culture.=20
+But in what does this preservation of African American culture consist? =
+
+It can hardly consist in anything more than eating black-style food, =
+listening to black-style music, wearing=20
+black-style clothing and going to a black-style church or mosque. In other =
+words, it can express itself only=20
+in superficial matters. In all ESSENTIAL respects more leftists of the =
+oversocialized type want to make the=20
+black man conform to white, middle-class ideals. They want to make him =
+study technical subjects, become=20
+an executive or a scientist, spend his life climbing the status ladder to =
+prove that black people are as good=20
+as white. They want to make black fathers "responsible." they want black =
+gangs to become nonviolent, etc.=20
+But these are exactly the values of the industrial-technological system. =
+The system couldn't care less what=20
+kind of music a man listens to, what kind of clothes he wears or what =
+
+religion he believes in as long as he studies in school, holds a =
+respectable job, climbs the status ladder, is a=20
+"responsible" parent, is nonviolent and so forth. In effect, however much =
+he may deny it, the oversocialized=20
+leftist wants to integrate the black man into the system and make him adopt =
+its values.=20
+
+30. We certainly do not claim that leftists, even of the oversocialized =
+type, NEVER rebel against the=20
+fundamental values of our society. Clearly they sometimes do. Some =
+oversocialized leftists have gone so=20
+far as to rebel against one of modern society's most important principles =
+by engaging in physical violence.=20
+By their own account, violence is for them a form of "liberation." In other =
+words, by committing violence=20
+they break through the psychological restraints that have been trained into =
+them. Because they are=20
+oversocialized these restraints have been more confining for them than for =
+others; hence their need to break=20
+free of them. But they usually justify their rebellion in terms of =
+mainstream values. If they engage in=20
+violence they claim to be fighting against racism or the like.=20
+
+31. We realize that many objections could be raised to the foregoing =
+thumb-nail sketch of leftist=20
+psychology. The real situation is complex, and anything like a complete =
+description of it would take=20
+several volumes even if the necessary data were available. We claim only to =
+have indicated very roughly=20
+the two most important tendencies in the psychology of modern leftism. =
+
+
+32. The problems of the leftist are indicative of the problems of our =
+society as a whole. Low self-esteem,=20
+depressive tendencies and defeatism are not restricted to the left. Though =
+they are especially noticeable in=20
+the left, they are widespread in our society. And today's society tries to =
+socialize us to a greater extent than=20
+any previous society. We are even told by experts how to eat, how to =
+exercise, how to make love, how to=20
+raise our kids and so forth.=20
+
+THE POWER PROCESS
+
+33. Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that =
+we will call the "power=20
+process." This is closely related to the need for power (which is widely =
+recognized) but is not quite the=20
+same thing. The power process has four elem ents. The three most clear-cut =
+of these we call goal, effort=20
+and attainment of goal. (Everyone needs to have goals whose attainment =
+requires effort, and needs to=20
+succeed in attaining at least some of his goals.) The fourth element is =
+more difficult to define and may not=20
+be necessary for everyone . We call it autonomy and will discuss it l ater =
+(paragraphs 42-44).=20
+
+34. Consider the hypothetical case of a man who can have anything he wants =
+just by wishing for it. Such a=20
+man has power, but he will develop serious psychological problems. At first =
+he will have a lot of fun, but=20
+by and by he will become acutely bor ed and demoralized. Eventually he may =
+becom e clinically=20
+depressed. History shows that leisured aristocracies tend to become =
+decadent. This is not true of fighting=20
+aristocracies that have to struggle to maintain their power. But leisured, =
+secure aristocracies that have no=20
+need to exert themselve s usually become bored, hedonistic and demor =
+alized, even though they have=20
+power. This shows that power is not enough. One must have goals toward =
+which to exercise one's power.=20
+
+35. Everyone has goals; if nothing else, to obtain the physical necessities =
+of life: food, water and whatever=20
+clothing and shelter are made necessary by the climate. But the leisured =
+aristocrat obtains these things=20
+without effort. Hence his boredom and demoralization.=20
+
+36. Nonattainment of important goals results in death if the goals are =
+physical necessities, and in frustration=20
+if nonattainment of the goals is compatible with survival. Consistent =
+failure to attain goals throughout life=20
+results in defeatism, low se lf-esteem or depression.=20
+
+37. Thus, in order to avoid serious psychological problems, a human being =
+needs goals whose attainment=20
+requires effort, and he must have a reasonable rate of success in attaining =
+his goals.=20
+
+SURROGATE ACTIVITIES
+
+38. But not every leisured aristocrat becomes bored and demoralized. For =
+example, the emperor Hirohito,=20
+instead of sinking into decadent hedonism, devoted himself to marine =
+biology, a field in which he became=20
+distinguished. When people do not have t o exert themselves to satisfy =
+their physical needs they often set=20
+up artificial goals for themselves. In many cases they then pursue these =
+goals with the same energy and=20
+emotional involvement that they otherwise would have put into the search =
+for physical necessities. Thus the=20
+aristocrats of the Roman Empire had their literary pretentions; many =
+European aristocrats a few centuries=20
+ago invested tremendous time and energy in hunting, though they certainly =
+didn't need the meat; other=20
+aristocracies have competed for status through elaborate displays of =
+wealth;=20
+and a few aristocrats, like Hiroh ito, have turned to science.=20
+
+39. We use the term "surrogate activity" to designate an activity that is =
+directed toward an artificial goal=20
+that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work =
+toward, or let us say, merely=20
+for the sake of the "fulfillment" th at they get from pursuing the goal. =
+Here is a rule of thumb for the=20
+identification of surrogate activities. Given a person who devotes much =
+time and energy to the pursuit of=20
+goal X, ask yourself this: If he had to devote most of his time and energy =
+to satisfying his biological needs,=20
+and if that effort required him to use his physical and mental facilities =
+in a varied and interesting way,=20
+would he feel seriously deprived because he did not attain goal X? If the =
+answer is no, then the person's=20
+pursuit of a goal X is a surrogate activity. Hirohito's studies=20
+in marine biology clearly constituted a surrogate activity, since it is =
+pretty certain that if Hirohito had had=20
+to spend his time working at interesting non-scientific tasks in order to =
+obtain the necessities of life, he=20
+would not have felt deprived because he didn't know all about the anatomy =
+and life-cycles of marine=20
+animals. On the other hand the pursuit of sex and love (for example) is not =
+a surrogate activity, because=20
+most people, even if their existence were otherwise satisfactory, would =
+feel deprived if they passed their=20
+lives without ever having a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. =
+(But pursuit of an excessive=20
+amount of sex, more than one really needs, can be a surrogate activity.) =
+
+
+40. In modern industrial society only minimal effort is necessary to =
+satisfy one's physical needs. It is=20
+enough to go through a training program to acquire some petty technical =
+skill, then come to work on time=20
+and exert very modest effort needed to hold a job. The only requirements =
+are a moderate amount of=20
+intelligence, and most of all, simple OBEDIENCE. If one has those, society =
+takes care of one from cradle=20
+to grave. (Yes, there is an underclass that cannot take physical =
+necessities for granted, but we are speaking=20
+here of mainstream society.) Thus it is not surprising that modern society =
+is full of surrogate activities.=20
+These include scientific work, athletic achievement, humanitarian work, =
+artistic and literary creation,=20
+climbing the corporate ladder, acquisition of money and material goods far =
+
+beyond the point at which they cease to give any additional physical =
+satisfaction, and social activism when=20
+it addresses issues that are not important for the activist personally, as =
+in the case of white activists who=20
+work for the rights of nonwhite minorities. These are not always pure =
+surrogate activities, since for many=20
+people they may be motivated in part by needs other than the need to have =
+some goal to pursue. Scientific=20
+work may be motivated in part by a drive for prestige, artistic creation by =
+a need to express feelings,=20
+militant social activism by hostility. But for most people who pursue them, =
+these activities are in large part=20
+surrogate activities. For example, the majority of scientists will probably =
+agree that the "fulfillment" they=20
+get from their work is more important than the money and prestige they =
+earn.=20
+
+41. For many if not most people, surrogate activities are less satisfying =
+than the pursuit of real goals ( that=20
+is, goals that people would want to attain even if their need for the power =
+process were already fulfilled).=20
+One indication of this is the fact that, in many or most cases, people who =
+are deeply involved in surrogate=20
+activities are never satisfied, never at rest. Thus the money-maker =
+constantly strives for more and more=20
+wealth. The scientist no sooner solves one problem than he moves on to the =
+next. The long-distance runner=20
+drives himself to run always farther and faster. Many people who pursue =
+surrogate activities will say that=20
+they get far more fulfillment from these activities than they do from the =
+"mundane" business of satisfying=20
+their biological needs, but that it is because in our society the effort =
+
+needed to satisfy the biological needs has been reduced to triviality. More =
+importantly, in our society=20
+people do not satisfy their biological needs AUTONOMOUSLY but by =
+functioning as parts of an immense=20
+social machine. In contrast, people generally have a great deal of autonomy =
+in pursuing their surrogate=20
+activities. have a great deal of autonomy in pursuing their surrogate =
+activities.=20
+
+AUTONOMY
+
+42. Autonomy as a part of the power process may not be necessary for every =
+individual. But most people=20
+need a greater or lesser degree of autonomy in working toward their goals. =
+Their efforts must be=20
+undertaken on their own initiative and must be under their own direction =
+and control. Yet most people do=20
+not have to exert this initiative, direction and control as single =
+individuals. It is usually enough to act as a=20
+member of a SMALL group. Thus if half a dozen people discuss a goal among =
+themselves and make a=20
+successful joint effort to attain that goal, their need for the power =
+process will be served. But if they work=20
+under rigid orders handed down from above that leave them no room for =
+autonomous decision and=20
+initiative, then their need for the power process will not be served. =
+
+The same is true when decisions are made on a collective bases if the group =
+making the collective decision=20
+is so large that the role of each individual is insignificant [5]=20
+
+43. It is true that some individuals seem to have little need for autonomy. =
+Either their drive for power is=20
+weak or they satisfy it by identifying themselves with some powerful =
+organization to which they belong.=20
+And then there are unthinking, animal types who seem to be satisfied with a =
+purely physical sense of=20
+power(the good combat soldier, who gets his sense of power by developing =
+fighting skills that he is quite=20
+content to use in blind obedience to his superiors).=20
+
+44. But for most people it is through the power process-having a goal, =
+making an AUTONOMOUS effort=20
+and attaining t the goal-that self-esteem, self-confidence and a sense of =
+power are acquired. When one does=20
+not have adequate opportunity to go throughout the power process the =
+consequences are (depending on the=20
+individual and on the way the power process is disrupted) boredom, =
+demoralization, low self-esteem,=20
+inferiority feelings, defeatism, depression, anxiety, guilt, frustration, =
+hostility, spouse or child abuse,=20
+insatiable hedonism, abnormal sexual behavior, sleep disorders, eating =
+disorders, etc. [6]=20
+
+SOURCES OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS
+
+45. Any of the foregoing symptoms can occur in any society, but in modern =
+industrial society they are=20
+present on a massive scale. We aren't the first to mention that the world =
+today seems to be going crazy.=20
+This sort of thing is not normal for human societies. There is good reason =
+to believe that primitive man=20
+suffered from less stress and frustration and was better satisfied with his =
+way of life than modern man is. It=20
+is true that not all was sweetness and light in primitive societies. Abuse =
+of women and common among the=20
+Australian aborigines, transexuality was fairly common among some of the =
+American Indian tribes. But is=20
+does appear that GENERALLY SPEAKING the kinds of problems that we have =
+listed in the preceding=20
+paragraph were far less common among primitive peoples than they are in =
+modern society.=20
+
+46. We attribute the social and psychological problems of modern society to =
+the fact that that society=20
+requires people to live under conditions radically different from those =
+under which the human race evolved=20
+and to behave in ways that conflict with the patterns of behavior that the =
+human race developed while=20
+living under the earlier conditions. It is clear from what we have already =
+written that we consider lack of=20
+opportunity to properly experience the power process as the most important =
+of the abnormal conditions to=20
+which modern society subjects people. But it is not the only one. Before =
+dealing with disruption of the=20
+power process as a source of social problems we will discuss some of the =
+other sources.=20
+
+47. Among the abnormal conditions present in modern industrial society are =
+excessive density of=20
+population, isolation of man from nature, excessive rapidity of social =
+change and the break-down of natural=20
+small-scale communities such as the extended family, the village or the =
+tribe.=20
+
+48. It is well known that crowding increases stress and aggression. The =
+degree of crowding that exists=20
+today and the isolation of man from nature are consequences of =
+technological progress. All pre-industrial=20
+societies were predominantly rural. The industrial Revolution vastly =
+increased the size of cities and the=20
+proportion of the population that lives in them, and modern agricultural =
+technology has made it possible for=20
+the Earth to support a far denser population than it ever did before. =
+(Also, technology exacerbates the=20
+effects of crowding because it puts increased disruptive powers in people's =
+hands. For example, a variety of=20
+noise-making devices: power mowers, radios, motorcycles, etc. If the use of =
+these devices is unrestricted,=20
+people who want peace and quiet are frustrated by the noise.=20
+If their use is restricted, people who use the devices are frustrated by =
+the regulations... But if these=20
+machines had never been invented there would have been no conflict and no =
+frustration generated by=20
+them.)=20
+
+49. For primitive societies the natural world (which usually changes only =
+slowly) provided a stable=20
+framework and therefore a sense of security. In the modern world it is =
+human society that dominates nature=20
+rather than the other way around, and modern society changes very rapidly =
+owing to technological change.=20
+Thus there is no stable framework.=20
+
+50. The conservatives are fools: They whine about the decay of traditional =
+values, yet they enthusiastically=20
+support technological progress and economic growth. Apparently it never =
+occurs to them that you can't=20
+make rapid, drastic changes in the technology and the economy of a society =
+with out causing rapid changes=20
+in all other aspects of the society as well, and that such rapid changes =
+inevitably break down traditional=20
+values.=20
+
+51.The breakdown of traditional values to some extent implies the breakdown =
+of the bonds that hold=20
+together traditional small-scale social groups. The disintegration of =
+small-scale social groups is also=20
+promoted by the fact that modern conditions often require or tempt =
+individuals to move to new locations,=20
+separating themselves from their communities. Beyond that, a technological =
+society HAS TO weaken=20
+family ties and local communities if it is to function efficiently. In =
+modern society an individual's loyalty=20
+must be first to the system and only secondarily to a small-scale =
+community, because if the internal=20
+loyalties of small-scale small-scale communities were stronger than loyalty =
+to the system, such=20
+communities would pursue their own advantage at the expense of the system. =
+
+
+52. Suppose that a public official or a corporation executive appoints his =
+cousin, his friend or his co-
+religionist to a position rather than appointing the person best qualified =
+for the job. He has permitted=20
+personal loyalty to supersede his loyalty to the system, and that is =
+"nepotism" or "discrimination," both of=20
+which are terrible sins in modern society. Would-be industrial societies =
+that have done a poor job of=20
+subordinating personal or local loyalties to loyalty to the system are =
+usually very inefficient. (Look at Latin=20
+America.) Thus an advanced industrial society can tolerate only those =
+small-scale communities that are=20
+emasculated, tamed and made into tools of the system. [7]=20
+
+53. Crowding, rapid change and the breakdown of communities have been =
+widely recognized as sources of=20
+social problems. but we do not believe they are enough to account for the =
+extent of the problems that are=20
+seen today.=20
+
+54. A few pre-industrial cities were very large and crowded, yet their =
+inhabitants do not seem to have=20
+suffered from psychological problems to the same extent as modern man. In =
+America today there still are=20
+uncrowded rural areas, and we find there the same problems as in urban =
+areas, though the problems tend to=20
+be less acute in the rural areas. Thus crowding does not seem to be the =
+decisive factor.=20
+
+55. On the growing edge of the American frontier during the 19th century, =
+the mobility of the population=20
+probably broke down extended families and small-scale social groups to at =
+least the same extent as these=20
+are broken down today. In fact, many nuclear families lived by choice in =
+such isolation, having no=20
+neighbors within several miles, that they belonged to no community at all, =
+yet they do not seem to have=20
+developed problems as a result.=20
+
+56.Furthermore, change in American frontier society was very rapid and =
+deep. A man might be born and=20
+raised in a log cabin, outside the reach of law and order and fed largely =
+on wild meat; and by the time he=20
+arrived at old age he might be working at a regular job and living in an =
+ordered community with effective=20
+law enforcement. This was a deeper change that that which typically occurs =
+in the life of a modern=20
+individual, yet it does not seem to have led to psychological problems. In =
+fact, 19th century American=20
+society had an optimistic and self-confident tone, quite unlike that of =
+today's society. [8]=20
+
+57. The difference, we argue, is that modern man has the sense (largely =
+justified) that change is IMPOSED=20
+on him, whereas the 19th century frontiersman had the sense (also largely =
+justified) that he created change=20
+himself, by his own choice. Thus a pioneer settled on a piece of land of =
+his own choosing and made it into=20
+a farm through his own effort. In those days an entire county might have =
+only a couple of hundred=20
+inhabitants and was a far more isolated and autonomous entity than a modern =
+county is. Hence the pioneer=20
+farmer participated as a member of a relatively small group in the creation =
+of a new, ordered community.=20
+One may well question whether the creation of this community was an =
+improvement, but at any rate it=20
+satisfied the pioneer's need for the power process.=20
+
+58. It would be possible to give other examples of societies in which there =
+has been rapid change and/or=20
+lack of close community ties without he kind of massive behavioral =
+aberration that is seen in today's=20
+industrial society. We contend that the most important cause of social and =
+psychological problems in=20
+modern society is the fact that people have insufficient opportunity to go =
+through the power process in a=20
+normal way. We don't mean to say that modern society is the only one in =
+which the power process has been=20
+disrupted. Probably most if not all civilized societies have interfered =
+with the power ' process to a greater or=20
+lesser extent. But in modern industrial society the problem has become =
+particularly acute. Leftism, at least=20
+in its recent=20
+(mid-to-late -20th century) form, is in part a symptom of deprivation with =
+respect to the power process.=20
+
+DISRUPTION OF THE POWER PROCESS IN MODERN SOCIETY
+
+59. We divide human drives into three groups: (1) those drives that can be =
+satisfied with minimal effort; (2)=20
+those that can be satisfied but only at the cost of serious effort; (3) =
+those that cannot be adequately satisfied=20
+no matter how much effort one makes. The power process is the process of =
+satisfying the drives of the=20
+second group. The more drives there are in the third group, the more there =
+is frustration, anger, eventually=20
+defeatism, depression, etc.=20
+
+60. In modern industrial society natural human drives tend to be pushed =
+into the first and third groups, and=20
+the second group tends to consist increasingly of artificially created =
+drives.=20
+
+61. In primitive societies, physical necessities generally fall into group =
+2: They can be obtained, but only at=20
+the cost of serious effort. But modern society tends to guaranty the =
+physical necessities to everyone [9] in=20
+exchange for only minimal effort, hence physical needs are pushed into =
+group 1. (There may be=20
+disagreement about whether the effort needed to hold a job is "minimal"; =
+but usually, in lower- to middle-
+level jobs, whatever effort is required is merely that of obedience. You =
+sit or stand where you are told to sit=20
+or stand and do what you are told to do in the way you are told to do it. =
+Seldom do you have to exert=20
+yourself seriously, and in any case you have hardly any autonomy in work, =
+so that the need for the power=20
+process is not well served.)=20
+
+62. Social needs, such as sex, love and status, often remain in group 2 in =
+modern society, depending on the=20
+situation of the individual. [10] But, except for people who have a =
+particularly strong drive for status, the=20
+effort required to fulfill the social drives is insufficient to satisfy =
+adequately the need for the power process.=20
+
+63. So certain artificial needs have been created that fall into group 2, =
+hence serve the need for the power=20
+process. Advertising and marketing techniques have been developed that make =
+many people feel they need=20
+things that their grandparents never desired or even dreamed of. It =
+requires serious effort to earn enough=20
+money to satisfy these artificial needs, hence they fall into group 2. (But =
+see paragraphs 80-82.) Modern=20
+man must satisfy his need for the power process largely through pursuit of =
+the artificial needs created by=20
+the advertising and marketing industry [11], and through surrogate =
+activities.=20
+
+64. It seems that for many people, maybe the majority, these artificial =
+forms of the power process are=20
+insufficient. A theme that appears repeatedly in the writings of the social =
+critics of the second half of the=20
+20th century is the sense of purposelessness that afflicts many people in =
+modern society. (This=20
+purposelessness is often called by other names such as "anomic" or =
+"middle-class vacuity.") We suggest=20
+that the so-called "identity crisis" is actually a search for a sense of =
+purpose, often for commitment to a=20
+suitable surrogate activity. It may be that existentialism is in large part =
+a response to the purposelessness of=20
+modern life. [12] Very widespread in modern society is the search for =
+"fulfillment." But we think that for=20
+the majority of people an activity whose main goal is fulfillment=20
+(that is, a surrogate activity) does not bring completely satisfactory =
+fulfillment. In other words, it does not=20
+fully satisfy the need for the power process. (See paragraph 41.) That need =
+can be fully satisfied only=20
+through activities that have some external goal, such as physical =
+necessities, sex, love, status, revenge, etc.=20
+
+65. Moreover, where goals are pursued through earning money, climbing the =
+status ladder or functioning=20
+as part of the system in some other way, most people are not in a position =
+to pursue their goals=20
+AUTONOMOUSLY. Most workers are someone else's employee as, as we pointed =
+out in paragraph 61,=20
+must spend their days doing what they are told to do in the way they are =
+told to do it. Even most people=20
+who are in business for themselves have only limited autonomy. It is a =
+chronic complaint of small-business=20
+persons and entrepreneurs that their hands are tied by excessive government =
+regulation. Some of these=20
+regulations are doubtless unnecessary, but for the most part government =
+regulations are essential and=20
+inevitable parts of our extremely complex society. A large portion of small =
+business today operates on the=20
+franchise system.=20
+It was reported in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago that many of the =
+franchise-granting companies=20
+require applicants for franchises to take a personality test that is =
+designed to EXCLUDE those who have=20
+creativity and initiative, because such persons are not sufficiently docile =
+to go along obediently with the=20
+franchise system. This excludes from small business many of the people who =
+most need autonomy.=20
+
+66. Today people live more by virtue of what the system does FOR them or TO =
+them than by virtue of=20
+what they do for themselves. And what they do for themselves is done more =
+and more along channels laid=20
+down by the system. Opportunities tend to be those that the system =
+provides, the opportunities must be=20
+exploited in accord with the rules and regulations [13], and techniques =
+prescribed by experts must be=20
+followed if there is to be a chance of success.=20
+
+67. Thus the power process is disrupted in our society through a deficiency =
+of real goals and a deficiency=20
+of autonomy in pursuit of goals. But it is also disrupted because of those =
+human drives that fall into group=20
+3: the drives that one cannot adequately satisfy no matter how much effort =
+one makes. One of these drives=20
+is the need for security. Our lives depend on decisions made by other =
+people; we have no control over these=20
+decisions and usually we do not even know the people who make them. ("We =
+live in a world in which=20
+relatively few people - maybe 500 or 1,00 - make the important decisions" - =
+Philip B. Heymann of Harvard=20
+Law School, quoted by Anthony Lewis, New York Times, April 21, 1995.) Our =
+lives depend on whether=20
+safety standards at a nuclear power plant are properly maintained;=20
+on how much pesticide is allowed to get into our food or how much pollution =
+into our air; on how skillful=20
+(or incompetent) our doctor is; whether we lose or get a job may depend on =
+decisions made by government=20
+economists or corporation executives; and so forth. Most individuals are =
+not in a position to secure=20
+themselves against these threats to more [than] a very limited extent. The =
+individual's search for security is=20
+therefore frustrated, which leads to a sense of powerlessness.=20
+
+68. It may be objected that primitive man is physically less secure than =
+modern man, as is shown by his=20
+shorter life expectancy; hence modern man suffers from less, not more than =
+the amount of insecurity that is=20
+normal for human beings. but psychological security does not closely =
+correspond with physical security.=20
+What makes us FEEL secure is not so much objective security as a sense of =
+confidence in our ability to=20
+take care of ourselves. Primitive man, threatened by a fierce animal or by =
+hunger, can fight in self-defense=20
+or travel in search of food. He has no certainty of success in these =
+efforts, but he is by no means helpless=20
+against the things that threaten him. The modern individual on the other =
+hand is threatened by many things=20
+against which he is helpless;=20
+nuclear accidents, carcinogens in food, environmental pollution, war, =
+increasing taxes, invasion of his=20
+privacy by large organizations, nation-wide social or economic phenomena =
+that may disrupt his way of=20
+life.=20
+
+69. It is true that primitive man is powerless against some of the things =
+that threaten him; disease for=20
+example. But he can accept the risk of disease stoically. It is part of the =
+nature of things, it is no one's fault,=20
+unless is the fault of some imaginary, impersonal demon. But threats to the =
+modern individual tend to be=20
+MAN-MADE. They are not the results of chance but are IMPOSED on him by =
+other persons whose=20
+decisions he, as an individual, is unable to influence. Consequently he =
+feels frustrated, humiliated and=20
+angry.=20
+
+70. Thus primitive man for the most part has his security in his own hands =
+(either as an individual or as a=20
+member of a SMALL group) whereas the security of modern man is in the hands =
+of persons or=20
+organizations that are too remote or too large for him to be able =
+personally to influence them. So modern=20
+man's drive for security tends to fall into groups 1 and 3; in some areas =
+(food, shelter, etc.) his security is=20
+assured at the cost of only trivial effort, whereas in other areas he =
+CANNOT attain security. (The foregoing=20
+greatly simplifies the real situation, but it does indicate in a rough, =
+general way how the condition of=20
+modern man differs from that of primitive man.)=20
+
+71. People have many transitory drives or impulses that are necessary =
+frustrated in modern life, hence fall=20
+into group 3. One may become angry, but modern society cannot permit =
+fighting. In many situations it=20
+does not even permit verbal aggression. When going somewhere one may be in =
+a hurry, or one may be in a=20
+mood to travel slowly, but one generally has no choice but to move with the =
+flow of traffic and obey the=20
+traffic signals. One may want to do one's work in a different way, but =
+usually one can work only according=20
+to the rules laid down by one's employer. In many other ways as well, =
+modern man is strapped down by a=20
+network of rules and regulations (explicit or implicit) that frustrate many =
+of his impulses and thus interfere=20
+with the power process. Most of these regulations cannot be disposed with, =
+
+because the are necessary for the functioning of industrial society. =
+
+
+72. Modern society is in certain respects extremely permissive. In matters =
+that are irrelevant to the=20
+functioning of the system we can generally do what we please. We can =
+believe in any religion we like (as=20
+long as it does not encourage behavior that is dangerous to the system). We =
+can go to bed with anyone we=20
+like (as long as we practice "safe sex"). We can do anything we like as =
+long as it is UNIMPORTANT. But=20
+in all IMPORTANT matters the system tends increasingly to regulate our =
+behavior.=20
+
+73. Behavior is regulated not only through explicit rules and not only by =
+the government. Control is often=20
+exercised through indirect coercion or through psychological pressure or =
+manipulation, and by=20
+organizations other than the government, or by the system as a whole. Most =
+large organizations use some=20
+form of propaganda [14] to manipulate public attitudes or behavior. =
+Propaganda is not limited to=20
+"commercials" and advertisements, and sometimes it is not even consciously =
+intended as propaganda by=20
+the people who make it. For instance, the content of entertainment =
+programming is a powerful form of=20
+propaganda. An example of indirect coercion: There is no law that says we =
+have to go to work every day=20
+and follow our employer's orders. Legally there is=20
+nothing to prevent us from going to live in the wild like primitive people =
+or from going into business for=20
+ourselves. But in practice there is very little wild country left, and =
+there is room in the economy for only a=20
+limited number of small business owners. Hence most of us can survive only =
+as someone else's employee.=20
+
+74. We suggest that modern man's obsession with longevity, and with =
+maintaining physical vigor and=20
+sexual attractiveness to an advanced age, is a symptom of unfulfillment =
+resulting from deprivation with=20
+respect to the power process. The "mid-life crisis" also is such a symptom. =
+So is the lack of interest in=20
+having children that is fairly common in modern society but almost =
+unheard-of in primitive societies.=20
+
+75. In primitive societies life is a succession of stages. The needs and =
+purposes of one stage having been=20
+fulfilled, there is no particular reluctance about passing on to the next =
+stage. A young man goes through the=20
+power process by becoming a hunter, hunting not for sport or for =
+fulfillment but to get meat that is=20
+necessary for food. (In young women the process is more complex, with =
+greater emphasis on social power;=20
+we won't discuss that here.) This phase having been successfully passed =
+through, the young man has no=20
+reluctance about settling down to the responsibilities of raising a family. =
+(In contrast, some modern people=20
+indefinitely postpone having children because they are too busy seeking =
+some kind of "fulfillment." We=20
+suggest that the=20
+fulfillment they need is adequate experience of the power process -- with =
+real goals instead of the artificial=20
+goals of surrogate activities.) Again, having successfully raised his =
+children, going through the power=20
+process by providing them with the physi cal necessities, the primitive man =
+feels tha t his work is done and=20
+he is prepared to accept old age (if he survives that long) and death. Many =
+modern people, on the other=20
+hand, are disturbed by the prospect of death, as is shown by the amount of =
+effort they expend trying to=20
+maintain their physical condition, appearance and health. We argue t hat =
+this is due to unfulfillment=20
+resulting from the fact that they have never put their physical powers to =
+any use, have never gone through=20
+the power process using their bodies in a serious way.=20
+It is not the primitive man, who has used his body daily for practical =
+purposes, who fears the deteriora tion=20
+of age, but the modern man, who has never had a practical use for his body =
+beyond walking from his car to=20
+his house. It is the man whose need for the power process has been =
+satisfied during his life who is best=20
+prepared to accept the end of that life .=20
+
+76. In response to the arguments of this section someone will say, "Society =
+must find a way to give people=20
+the opportunity to go through the power process." For such people the value =
+of the opportunity is destroyed=20
+by the very fact that society gives i t to them. What they need is to find =
+or make their own opportunities. As=20
+long as the system GIVES them their opportunities it still has them on a =
+leash. To attain autonomy they=20
+must get off that leash. Manifesto Contents=20
+
+
+
+HOW SOME PEOPLE ADJUST
+
+77. Not everyone in industrial-technological society suffers from =
+psychological problems. Some people=20
+even profess to be quite satisfied with society as it is. We now discuss =
+some of the reasons why people=20
+differ so greatly in their response to modern society.=20
+
+78. First, there doubtless are differences in the strength of the drive for =
+power. Individuals with a weak=20
+drive for power may have relatively little need to go through the power =
+process, or at least relatively little=20
+need for autonomy in the power pro cess. These are docile types who would =
+have been happy as plantation=20
+darkies in the Old South. (We don't mean to sneer at "plantation darkies" =
+of the Old South. To their credit,=20
+most of the slaves were NOT content with their servitude. We do sneer at =
+people who ARE content with=20
+servitude.)=20
+
+79. Some people may have some exceptional drive, in pursuing which they =
+satisfy their need for the power=20
+process. For example, those who have an unusually strong drive for social =
+status may spend their whole=20
+lives climbing the status ladder without ev er getting bored with that =
+game.=20
+
+80. People vary in their susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
+techniques. Some people are so=20
+susceptible that, even if they make a great deal of money, they cannot =
+satisfy their constant craving for the=20
+shiny new toys that the marketing industry dangles before their eyes. So =
+they always f eel hard-pressed=20
+financially even if their income is large, and their cravings are =
+frustrated.=20
+
+81. Some people have low susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
+techniques. These are the people=20
+who aren't interested in money. Material acquisition does not serve their =
+need for the power process.=20
+
+82. People who have medium susceptibility to advertising and marketing =
+techniques are able to earn=20
+enough money to satisfy their craving for goods and services, but only at =
+the cost of serious effort (putting=20
+in overtime, taking a second job, earning p romotions, etc.) Thus material =
+acquisition s erves their need for=20
+the power process. But it does not necessarily follow that their need is =
+fully satisfied. They may have=20
+insufficient autonomy in the power process (their work may consist of =
+following orders) and some of their=20
+drives may be frustrated (e.g., security, aggression). (We are guilt y of =
+oversimplification in paragraphs 80-
+82 because we have assumed that the desire for material acquisition is =
+entirely a creation of the advertising=20
+and marketing industry. Of course it's not that simple.=20
+
+83. Some people partly satisfy their need for power by identifying =
+themselves with a powerful organization=20
+or mass movement. An individual lacking goals or power joins a movement or =
+an organization, adopts its=20
+goals as his own, then works toward these goals. When some of the goals are =
+attained, the individual, even=20
+though his personal efforts have played only an insignificant part in the =
+attainment of the goals, feels=20
+(through his identification with the movement or organization) as if he had =
+gone through the power=20
+process. This phenomenon was e xploited by the fascists, nazis and communis =
+ts. Our society uses it, too,=20
+though less crudely. Example: Manuel Noriega was an irritant to the U.S. =
+(goal: punish Noriega). The U.S.=20
+invaded Panama (effort) and punished Noriega (attainment of goal).=20
+The U.S. went through the power process and many Ame ricans, because of =
+their identification with the=20
+U.S., experienced the power process vicariously. Hence the widespread =
+public approval of the Panama=20
+invasion; it gave people a sense of power. [15] We see the same phenomenon =
+in armies, corporations,=20
+political parties, humanitarian organizations, rel igious or ideological =
+movements. In particul ar, leftist=20
+movements tend to attract people who are seeking to satisfy their need for =
+power. But for most people=20
+identification with a large organization or a mass movement does not fully =
+satisfy the need for power.=20
+
+84. Another way in which people satisfy their need for the power process is =
+through surrogate activities. As=20
+we explained in paragraphs 38-40, a surrogate activity that is directed =
+toward an artificial goal that the=20
+individual pursues for the sake of t he "fulfillment" that he gets from =
+pursuing the goal, not because he=20
+needs to attain the goal itself. For instance, there is no practical motive =
+for building enormous muscles,=20
+hitting a little ball into a hole or acquiring a complete series of postage =
+stamps. Yet many people in our=20
+society devote t hemselves with passion to bodybuilding, golf or stamp =
+collecting. Some people are more=20
+"other-directed" than others, and therefore will more readily attack =
+importance to a surrogate activity=20
+simply because the people around them treat it as important=20
+or because society tells them it is important. T hat is why some people get =
+very serious abou t essentially=20
+trivial activities such as sports, or bridge, or chess, or arcane scholarly =
+pursuits, whereas others who are=20
+more clear-sighted never see these things as anything but the surrogate =
+activities that they are, and=20
+consequently never attach enou gh importance to them to satisfy their need =
+for the power process in that=20
+way. It only remains to point out that in many cases a person's way of =
+earning a living is also a surrogate=20
+activity. Not a PURE surrogate activity, since part of the motive for the =
+activity is to gain the physical=20
+necessitie s and (for some people) social status and th e luxuries that =
+advertising makes them want. But=20
+many people put into their=20
+work far more effort than is necessary to earn whatever money and status =
+they require, and this extra effort=20
+constitutes a surrogate activity. This extra effort, together with the =
+emotional investment that accompanies=20
+it, i s one of the most potent forces acting toward the continual =
+development and perfecting of the system,=20
+with negative consequences for individual freedom (see paragraph 131). =
+Especially, for the most creative=20
+scientists and engineers, work tends to be large ly a surrogate activity. =
+This point is so im portant that is=20
+deserves a separate discussion, which we shall give in a moment (paragraphs =
+87-92).=20
+
+85. In this section we have explained how many people in modern society do =
+satisfy their need for the=20
+power process to a greater or lesser extent. But we think that for the =
+majority of people the need for the=20
+power process is not fully satisfied. In th e first place, those who have =
+an insatiable drive for status, or who=20
+get firmly "hooked" or a surrogate activity, or who identify strongly =
+enough with a movement or=20
+organization to satisfy their need for power in that way, are exceptional =
+personalities. Others are not fully=20
+satisfied with surrogate activities or by identification with an org =
+anization (see paragraphs 41, 64). In the=20
+second place, too much control is imposed by the system through explicit =
+regulation or through=20
+socialization,=20
+which results in a deficiency of autonomy, and in frustration due to the =
+impossibility of attaining cer tain=20
+goals and the necessity of restraining too many impulses.=20
+
+86. But even if most people in industrial-technological society were well =
+satisfied, we (FC) would still be=20
+opposed to that form of society, because (among other reasons) we consider =
+it demeaning to fulfill one's=20
+need for the power process through surr ogate activities or through =
+identification w ith an organization,=20
+rather then through pursuit of real goals.=20
+
+THE MOTIVES OF SCIENTISTS
+
+87. Science and technology provide the most important examples of surrogate =
+activities. Some scientists=20
+claim that they are motivated by "curiosity," that notion is simply absurd. =
+Most scientists work on highly=20
+specialized problem that are not the obje ct of any normal curiosity. For =
+example, is an astronomer, a=20
+mathematician or an entomologist curious about the properties of =
+isopropyltrimethylmethane? Of course=20
+not. Only a chemist is curious about such a thing, and he is curious about =
+it only because chemistry is his=20
+surrogate activity. Is the c hemist curious about the appropriate classif =
+ication of a new species of beetle?=20
+No. That question is of interest only to the entomologist, and he is =
+interested in it only because entomology=20
+is his surrogate activity.=20
+If the chemist and the entomologist had to exert themselves seriously to =
+obtain th e physical necessities,=20
+and if that effort e xercised their abilities in an interesting way but in =
+some nonscientific pursuit, then they=20
+couldn't giver a damn about isopropyltrimethylmethane or the classification =
+of beetles. Suppose that lack of=20
+funds for postgraduate education had led the chemist t o become an =
+insurance broker instead of a ch emist.=20
+In that case he would have been very interested in insurance matters but =
+would have cared nothing about=20
+isopropyltrimethylmethane. In any case it is not normal to put into the =
+satisfaction of mere curiosity the=20
+amount of time and effort that scient ists put into their work. The =
+"curiosity" ex planation for the scientists'=20
+motive just doesn't stand up.=20
+
+88. The "benefit of humanity" explanation doesn't work any better. Some =
+scientific work has no=20
+conceivable relation to the welfare of the human race - most of archaeology =
+or comparative linguistics for=20
+example. Some other areas of science present obvio usly dangerous =
+possibilities. Yet scientists in these=20
+areas are just as enthusiastic about their work as those who develop =
+vaccines or study air pollution.=20
+Consider the case of Dr. Edward Teller, who had an obvious emotional =
+involvement in promoting nuclear=20
+power plants. Did this involvement stem f rom a desire to benefit humanity? =
+If so, the n why didn't Dr.=20
+Teller get emotional about other "humanitarian" causes? If he was such a =
+humanitarian then why did he=20
+help to develop the H-bomb? As with many other scientific achievements, =
+
+it is very much open to question whether nuclear power plants ac tually do =
+benefit humanity. Does the=20
+cheap e lectricity outweigh the accumulating waste and risk of accidents? =
+Dr. Teller saw only one side of=20
+the question. Clearly his emotional involvement with nuclear power arose =
+not from a desire to "benefit=20
+humanity" but from a personal fulfillment he got from his work and from =
+seeing it put to practical use.=20
+
+89. The same is true of scientists generally. With possible rare =
+exceptions, their motive is neither curiosity=20
+nor a desire to benefit humanity but the need to go through the power =
+process: to have a goal (a scientific=20
+problem to solve), to make an eff ort (research) and to attain the goal =
+(solut ion of the problem.) Science is=20
+a surrogate activity because scientists work mainly for the fulfillment =
+they get out of the work itself.=20
+
+90. Of course, it's not that simple. Other motives do play a role for many =
+scientists. Money and status for=20
+example. Some scientists may be persons of the type who have an insatiable =
+drive for status (see paragraph=20
+79) and this may provide much of the motivation for their work. No doubt =
+the majo rity of scientists, like=20
+the majority of the general population, are more or less susceptible to =
+advertising and marketing techniques=20
+and need money to satisfy their craving for goods and services. Thus =
+science is not a PURE surrogate=20
+activity. But it is in large part a surrogate activity.=20
+
+91. Also, science and technology constitute a mass power movement, and many =
+scientists gratify their need=20
+for power through identification with this mass movement (see paragraph =
+83).=20
+
+92. Thus science marches on blindly, without regard to the real welfare of =
+the human race or to any other=20
+standard, obedient only to the psychological needs of the scientists and of =
+the government officials and=20
+corporation executives who provide the fu nds for research.=20
+
+THE NATURE OF FREEDOM
+
+93. We are going to argue that industrial-technological society cannot be =
+reformed in such a way as to=20
+prevent it from progressively narrowing the sphere of human freedom. But =
+because "freedom" is a word=20
+that can be interpreted in many ways, we must fi rst make clear what kind =
+of freedom we are c oncerned=20
+with.=20
+
+94. By "freedom" we mean the opportunity to go through the power process, =
+with real goals not the=20
+artificial goals of surrogate activities, and without interference, =
+manipulation or supervision from anyone,=20
+especially from any large organization. Freed om means being in control =
+(either as an indi vidual or as a=20
+member of a SMALL group) of the life-and-death issues of one's existence; =
+food, clothing, shelter and=20
+defense against whatever threats there may be in one's environment. Freedom =
+means having power; not the=20
+power to control other people but the power to control the circumstances of =
+on e's own life. One does not=20
+have freedom if anyone else (especially a large organization) has power =
+over one, no matter how=20
+benevolently, tolerantly and permissively that power may be exercised. =
+
+It is important not to confuse freedom with mere permissivene ss (see =
+paragraph 72).=20
+
+95. It is said that we live in a free society because we have a certain =
+number of constitutionally guaranteed=20
+rights. But these are not as important as they seem. The degree of personal =
+freedom that exists in a society=20
+is determined more by the economi c and technological structure of the =
+society than by its laws or its form=20
+of government. [16] Most of the Indian nations of New England were =
+monarchies, and many of the cities=20
+of the Italian Renaissance were controlled by dictators. But in reading =
+about these societies one gets the=20
+impression that they allowed far more personal freedom than out society =
+does. In part this was because=20
+they lacked efficient mechanisms for enforcing the ruler's will: There were =
+no modern, well-organized=20
+police forces, no rapid long-distance communications,=20
+no surveillance cameras, no dossiers of information abou t the lives of =
+average citizens. Hence it wa s=20
+relatively easy to evade control.=20
+
+96. As for our constitutional rights, consider for example that of freedom =
+of the press. We certainly don't=20
+mean to knock that right: it is very important tool for limiting =
+concentration of political power and for=20
+keeping those who do have political po wer in line by publicly exposing any =
+misbeha vior on their part.=20
+But freedom of the press is of very little use to the average citizen as an =
+individual. The mass media are=20
+mostly under the control of large organizations that are integrated into =
+the system. Anyone who has a little=20
+money can have some thing printed, or can distribute it on the I nternet or =
+in some such way, but what he=20
+has to say will be swamped by the vast volume of material put out by the =
+media, hence it will have no=20
+practical effect.=20
+To make an impression on society with words is therefore almost impossible =
+for most individual s and=20
+small groups. Take us (FC) for example . If we had never done anything =
+violent and had submitted the=20
+present writings to a publisher, they probably would not have been =
+accepted. If they had been accepted and=20
+published, they probably would not have attracted many readers, because =
+it's more fun to watch the=20
+entertainment put out by the me dia than to read a sober essay. Even if =
+these writings had had many=20
+readers, most of these readers would soon have forgotten what they had read =
+as their minds were flooded=20
+by the mass of material to which the media expose them. In order to get our =
+message before the public with=20
+some chance of makin g a lasting impression, we've had to kill people. =
+
+
+97. Constitutional rights are useful up to a point, but they do not serve =
+to guarantee much more than what=20
+could be called the bourgeois conception of freedom. According to the =
+bourgeois conception, a "free" man=20
+is essentially an element of a social ma chine and has only a certain set =
+of prescrib ed and delimited=20
+freedoms; freedoms that are designed to serve the needs of the social =
+machine more than those of the=20
+individual. Thus the bourgeois's "free" man has economic freedom because =
+that promotes growth and=20
+progress; he has freedom of the press b ecause public criticism restrains =
+misbehavio r by political leaders;=20
+he has a rights to a fair trial because imprisonment at the whim of the =
+powerful would be bad for the=20
+system. This was clearly the attitude of Simon Bolivar.=20
+To him, people deserved liberty only if they used it to promote progress =
+(progress as conceived by the=20
+bourgeois). Ot her bourgeois thinkers have taken a similar view of freedom =
+as a mere means to collective=20
+ends. Chester C. Tan, "Chinese Political Thought in the Twentieth Century," =
+page 202, explains the=20
+philosophy of the Kuomintang leader Hu Han-min: "An individual is granted =
+rights because he is a=20
+member of soc iety and his community life requires such rights. By =
+community Hu meant the whole=20
+society of the nation." And on page 259 Tan states that according to Carsum =
+Chang (Chang Chun-mai,=20
+head of the State Socialist Party in China) freedom had to be used in the =
+interest of the state and of the=20
+people as a whole. But what kind of freedom does one have if one can use it =
+only as someone else=20
+prescribes?=20
+FC's conception of freedom is not that of Bolivar, Hu, Chang or other =
+bourgeois theorists. The trouble with=20
+such theorists is that they have made the develop ment and application of =
+social theories thei r surrogate=20
+activity. Consequently the theories are designed to serve the needs of the =
+theorists more than the needs of=20
+any people who may be unlucky enough to live in a society on which the =
+theories are imposed.=20
+
+98. One more point to be made in this section: It should not be assumed =
+that a person has enough freedom=20
+just because he SAYS he has enough. Freedom is restricted in part by =
+psychological control of which=20
+people are unconscious, and moreover many peopl e's ideas of what =
+constitutes freedom are go verned=20
+more by social convention than by their real needs. For example, it's =
+likely that many leftists of the=20
+oversocialized type would say that most people, including themselves are =
+socialized too little rather than=20
+too much, yet the oversocialized lefti st pays a heavy psychological price =
+for his high level of socialization.=20
+
+SOME PRINCIPLES OF HISTORY
+
+99. Think of history as being the sum of two components: an erratic =
+component that consists of=20
+unpredictable events that follow no discernible pattern, and a regular =
+component that consists of long-term=20
+historical trends. Here we are concerned with the long-term trends. =
+
+
+100. FIRST PRINCIPLE. If a SMALL change is made that affects a long-term =
+historical trend, then the=20
+effect of that change will almost always be transitory - the trend will =
+soon revert to its original state.=20
+(Example: A reform movement designed to clean up political corruption in a =
+society rarely has more than a=20
+short-term effect; sooner or later the reformers relax and corruption =
+creeps back in. The level of political=20
+corruption in a given society tends to remain constant, or to change only =
+slowly with the evolution of the=20
+society. Normally, a p olitical cleanup will be permanent only if a =
+ccompanied by widespread social=20
+changes; a SMALL change in the society won't be enough.) If a small change =
+in a long-term historical=20
+trend appears to be permanent, i
+t is only because the change acts in the direction in which the trend is =
+already moving, s o that the trend is=20
+not altered but only pus hed a step ahead.=20
+
+101. The first principle is almost a tautology. If a trend were not stable =
+with respect to small changes, it=20
+would wander at random rather than following a definite direction; in other =
+words it would not be a long-
+term trend at all.=20
+
+102. SECOND PRINCIPLE. If a change is made that is sufficiently large to =
+alter permanently a long-term=20
+historical trend, than it will alter the society as a whole. In other =
+words, a society is a system in which all=20
+parts are interrelated, and you can't permanently change any important part =
+witho ut change all the other=20
+parts as well.=20
+
+103. THIRD PRINCIPLE. If a change is made that is large enough to alter =
+permanently a long-term trend,=20
+then the consequences for the society as a whole cannot be predicted in =
+advance. (Unless various other=20
+societies have passed through the same change and have all experienced the =
+same consequenc es, in which=20
+case one can predict on empirical grounds that another society that passes =
+through the same change will be=20
+like to experience similar consequences.)=20
+
+104. FOURTH PRINCIPLE. A new kind of society cannot be designed on paper. =
+That is, you cannot plan=20
+out a new form of society in advance, then set it up and expect it to =
+function as it was designed to.=20
+
+105. The third and fourth principles result from the complexity of human =
+societies. A change in human=20
+behavior will affect the economy of a society and its physical environment; =
+the economy will affect the=20
+environment and vice versa, and the changes in the economy and the =
+environment will affec t human=20
+behavior in complex, unpredictable ways; and so forth. The network of =
+causes and effects is far too=20
+complex to be untangled and understood.=20
+
+106. FIFTH PRINCIPLE. People do not consciously and rationally choose the =
+form of their society.=20
+Societies develop through processes of social evolution that are not under =
+rational human control.=20
+
+107. The fifth principle is a consequence of the other four.=20
+
+108. To illustrate: By the first principle, generally speaking an attempt =
+at social reform either acts in the=20
+direction in which the society is developing anyway (so that it merely =
+accelerates a change that would have=20
+occurred in any case) or else it o nly has a transitory effect, so that the =
+soc iety soon slips back into its old=20
+groove. To make a lasting change in the direction of development of any =
+important aspect of a society,=20
+reform is insufficient and revolution is required. (A revolution does not =
+necessarily involve an armed=20
+uprising or the overthrow of a government.) By the second p rinciple, a =
+revolution never changes only one=20
+aspect of a society; and by the third principle changes occur that were =
+never expected or desired by the=20
+revolutionaries.=20
+By the fourth principle, when revolutionaries or utopians set up a new kind =
+of society, it never works out as=20
+planned.=20
+
+109. The American Revolution does not provide a counterexample. The =
+American "Revolution" was not a=20
+revolution in our sense of the word, but a war of independence followed by =
+a rather far-reaching political=20
+reform. The Founding Fathers did not change t he direction of development =
+of American soci ety, nor did=20
+they aspire to do so. They only freed the development of American society =
+from the retarding effect of=20
+British rule. Their political reform did not change any basic trend, but =
+only pushed American political=20
+culture along its natural direction of development. British society, of =
+which A merican society was an off-
+shoot, had been moving for a long time in the direction of representative =
+democracy. And prior to the War=20
+of Independence the Americans were already practicing a significant =
+
+degree of representative democracy in the colonial ass emblies. The =
+political system established by the=20
+Constitution was modeled on the British system and on the colonial =
+assemblies. With major alteration, to=20
+be sure - there is no doubt that the Founding Fathers took a very important =
+step. But it was a step along the=20
+road the English-speaking world was already traveling. The proof is that =
+Britai n and all of its colonies that=20
+were populated predominantly by people of British descent ended up with =
+systems of representative=20
+democracy essentially similar to that of the United States. If the Founding =
+Fathers had lost their nerve and=20
+declined to sign the Declaration of Independence, our way of life today =
+would not have been significantly=20
+different.=20
+Maybe we would have had somewhat closer ties to Britain, and would have had =
+a Parliament and Prime=20
+Minister instead of a Congress and President. No big deal. Thus the =
+American Revolution provides not a=20
+counterexample to our principles but a go od illustration of them.=20
+
+110. Still, one has to use common sense in applying the principles. They =
+are expressed in imprecise=20
+language that allows latitude for interpretation, and exceptions to them =
+can be found. So we present these=20
+principles not as inviolable laws but as rule s of thumb, or guides to =
+thinking, that may provide a partial=20
+antidote to naive ideas about the future of society. The principles should =
+be borne constantly in mind, and=20
+whenever one reaches a conclusion that conflicts with them one should =
+carefully reexamine one's thinking=20
+and retain the conclusio n only if one has good, solid reasons for do ing =
+so.=20
+
+INDUSTRIAL-TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY CANNOT BE REFORMED
+
+111. The foregoing principles help to show how hopelessly difficult it =
+would be to reform the industrial=20
+system in such a way as to prevent it from progressively narrowing our =
+sphere of freedom. There has been=20
+a consistent tendency, going back at least to the Industrial Revolution for =
+technology to strengthen the=20
+system at a high cost in individual freedom and local autonomy. Hence any =
+change designed to protect=20
+freedom from technology would be contrary to a fundamental trend in the =
+development of our society.=20
+
+Consequently, such a change either would be a transitory one -- soon =
+swamped by the tide of history -- or,=20
+if large enough to be permanent would alter the nature of our whole =
+society. This by the first and second=20
+principles. Moreover, since society wo uld be altered in a way that could =
+not be pr edicted in advance (third=20
+principle) there would be great risk. Changes large enough to make a =
+lasting difference in favor of freedom=20
+would not be initiated because it would realized that they would gravely =
+disrupt the system. So any=20
+attempts at reform w ould be too timid to be effective. Even if c hanges =
+large enough to make a lasting=20
+difference were initiated, they would be retracted when their disruptive =
+effects became apparent. Thus,=20
+permanent changes=20
+in favor of freedom could be brought about only by persons prepared to =
+accept radical, dangero us and=20
+unpredictable alteration of the entir e system. In other words, by =
+revolutionaries, not reformers.=20
+
+112. People anxious to rescue freedom without sacrificing the supposed =
+benefits of technology will suggest=20
+naive schemes for some new form of society that would reconcile freedom =
+with technology. Apart from the=20
+fact that people who make suggestions sel dom propose any practical means =
+by which the new form of=20
+society could be set up in the first place, it follows from the fourth =
+principle that even if the new form of=20
+society could be once established, it either would collapse or would give =
+results very different from those=20
+expected.=20
+
+113. So even on very general grounds it seems highly improbably that any =
+way of changing society could=20
+be found that would reconcile freedom with modern technology. In the next =
+few sections we will give more=20
+specific reasons for concluding that freedo m and technological progress =
+are incompatibl e.=20
+
+
+
+RESTRICTION OF FREEDOM IS UNAVOIDABLE IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
+
+
+
+114. As explained in paragraph 65-67, 70-73, modern man is strapped down by =
+a network of rules and=20
+regulations, and his fate depends on the actions of persons remote from him =
+whose decisions he cannot=20
+influence. This is not accidental or a result of t he arbitrariness of =
+arrogant bureaucrats. I t is necessary and=20
+inevitable in any technologically advanced society. The system HAS TO =
+regulate human behavior closely=20
+in order to function. At work, people have to do what they are told to do, =
+otherwise production would be=20
+thrown into chaos. Bureaucra cies HAVE TO be run according to rigid rules . =
+To allow any substantial=20
+personal discretion to lower-level bureaucrats would disrupt the system and =
+lead to charges of unfairness=20
+due to differences in the way individual bureaucrats exercised their =
+discretion.=20
+It is true that some restrictions on our freedom could be eliminated, but =
+GENERALLY S PEAKING the=20
+regulation of our lives by large organizations is necessary for the =
+functioning of industrial-technological=20
+society. The result is a sense of powerlessness on the part of the average =
+person. It may be, however, that=20
+formal regulations will ten d increasingly to be replaced by psychologic al =
+tools that make us want to do=20
+what the system requires of us. (Propaganda [14], educational techniques, =
+"mental health" programs, etc.)=20
+
+115. The system HAS TO force people to behave in ways that are increasingly =
+remote from the natural=20
+pattern of human behavior. For example, the system needs scientists, =
+mathematicians and engineers. It can't=20
+function without them. So heavy pressure is put on children to excel in =
+these fields. It isn't natural for an=20
+adolescent human being to spend the bulk of his time sitting at a desk =
+absorbed in study. A normal=20
+adolescent wants to spend his time in active contact with the real world. =
+Among primitive peoples the=20
+things that children are trained to do are in natural harmony with natural =
+h uman impulses. Among the=20
+American Indians, for example, boys were trained in active outdoor pursuits =
+-- just the sort of things that=20
+boys like. But in our society children are pushed into studying technical =
+subjects,=20
+which most do grudgingly.=20
+
+117. In any technologically advanced society the individual's fate MUST =
+depend on decisions that he=20
+personally cannot influence to any great extent. A technological society =
+cannot be broken down into small,=20
+autonomous communities, because production de pends on the cooperation of =
+very large numbe rs of=20
+people. When a decision affects, say, a million people, then each of the =
+affected individuals has, on the=20
+average, only a one-millionth share in making the decision. What usually =
+happens in practice is that=20
+decisions are made by public officials or corporation executives, or by =
+technical spe cialists, but even when=20
+the public votes on a decision the number of voters ordinarily is too large =
+for the vote of any one individual=20
+to be significant. [17]=20
+Thus most individuals are unable to influence measurably the major =
+decisions that affect their l ives. Their=20
+is no conceivable way to remedy this in a technologically advanced society. =
+The system tries to "solve" this=20
+problem by using propaganda to make people WANT the decisions that have =
+been made for them, but even=20
+if this "solution" were completely successful in making people feel better, =
+it would be demeaning.=20
+
+118 Conservatives and some others advocate more "local autonomy." Local =
+communities once did have=20
+autonomy, but such autonomy becomes less and less possible as local =
+communities become more=20
+enmeshed with and dependent on large-scale systems like public utilities, =
+computer networks, highway=20
+syste ms, the mass communications media, the modern health care system. =
+Also operating against=20
+autonomy is the fact that technology applied in one location often affects =
+people at other locations far=20
+away. Thus pesticide or chemical use near a creek may contam inate the =
+water supply hundreds of miles=20
+dow nstream, and the greenhouse effect affects the whole world.=20
+
+119. The system does not and cannot exist to satisfy human needs. Instead, =
+it is human behavior that has to=20
+be modified to fit the needs of the system. This has nothing to do with the =
+political or social ideology that=20
+may pretend to guide the technolog ical system. It is the fault of =
+technology, because the system is guided=20
+not by ideology but by technical necessity. [18] Of course the system does =
+satisfy many human needs, but=20
+generally speaking it does this only to the extent that it is to the =
+advantage of the system to do it. It is the=20
+needs of the system that are paramount, not those of the human being. For =
+example, the system provides=20
+people with food because the system couldn't function if everyone starved; =
+
+it attends to people's psychological needs whenever it can CONVENIENTLY do =
+so, because it couldn't=20
+function if too many people be came depressed or rebellious. But the system =
+, for good, solid, practical=20
+reasons, must exert constant pressure on people to mold their behavior to =
+the needs of the system. Too=20
+much waste accumulating? The government, the media, the educational system, =
+environmentalists,=20
+everyone inundates us with a mass of propaganda about recycling. Need mo re =
+technical personnel? A=20
+chorus of voices exhorts kids to study science. No one stops to ask whether =
+it is inhumane to force=20
+adolescents to spend the bulk of their time studying subjects most of them =
+hate. When skilled workers are=20
+put out of a job by tec hnical advances and have to undergo "retrain ing," =
+no one asks=20
+whether it is humiliating for them to be pushed around in this way. It is =
+simply taken for granted that=20
+everyone must bow to technical necessity and for good reason: If human =
+needs were put before technical=20
+necessity there would be econo mic problems, unemployment, shortages or wor =
+se. The concept of "mental=20
+health" in our society is defined largely by the extent to which an =
+individual behaves in accord with the=20
+needs of the system and does so without showing signs of stress.=20
+
+120. Efforts to make room for a sense of purpose and for autonomy within =
+the system are no better than a=20
+joke. For example, one company, instead of having each of its employees =
+assemble only one section of a=20
+catalogue, had each assemble a whole catalog ue, and this was supposed to =
+give them a sen se of purpose=20
+and achievement. Some companies have tried to give their employees more =
+autonomy in their work, but for=20
+practical reasons this usually can be done only to a very limited extent, =
+and in any case employees are=20
+never given autonomy as to ultima te goals -- their "autonomous" efforts =
+can n ever be directed toward=20
+goals that they select personally, but only toward their employer's goals, =
+such as the survival and growth of=20
+the company. Any company would=20
+soon go out of business if it permitted its employees to act otherwise. =
+Similarly, in any enterprise within a=20
+socialist system, worker s must direct their efforts toward the goals of =
+the enterprise, otherwise the=20
+enterprise will not serve its purpose as part of the system. Once again, =
+for purely technical reasons it is not=20
+possible for most individuals or small groups to have much autono my in =
+industrial society. Even the=20
+small-bus iness owner commonly has only limited autonomy. Apart from the =
+necessity of government=20
+regulation, he is restricted by the fact that he must fit into the economic =
+system and conform to its=20
+requirements. For instance, when someone develops a new technology , the =
+small-business person often=20
+has to use that technology whether he wants to or not, in order to remain =
+competitive.=20
+
+
+
+THE 'BAD' PARTS OF TECHNOLOGY CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE 'GOOD' =
+PARTS
+
+
+
+121. A further reason why industrial society cannot be reformed in favor of =
+freedom is that modern=20
+technology is a unified system in which all parts are dependent on one =
+another. You can't get rid of the=20
+"bad" parts of technology and retain only the "g ood" parts. Take modern =
+medicine, for exampl e. Progress=20
+in medical science depends on progress in chemistry, physics, biology, =
+computer science and other fields.=20
+Advanced medical treatments require expensive, high-tech equipment that can =
+be made available only by a=20
+technologically progressive, econ omically rich society. Clearly you can't =
+hav e much progress in medicine=20
+without the whole technological system and everything that goes with it. =
+
+
+122. Even if medical progress could be maintained without the rest of the =
+technological system, it would by=20
+itself bring certain evils. Suppose for example that a cure for diabetes is =
+discovered. People with a genetic=20
+tendency to diabetes will then be able to survive and reproduce as well as =
+an yone else. Natural selection=20
+against genes for diabetes will cease and such genes will spread throughout =
+the population. (This may be=20
+occurring to some extent already, since diabetes, while not curable, can be =
+controlled through the use of=20
+insulin.) The s ame thing will happen with many other diseas es =
+susceptibility to which is affected by=20
+genetic degradation of the population. The only solution will be some sort =
+of eugenics program or=20
+extensive genetic engineering of human beings,=20
+so that man in the future will no longer be a creation of nature, or of =
+chance, or of God (depending on your=20
+rel igious or philosophical opinions), but a manufactured product.=20
+
+123. If you think that big government interferes in your life too much NOW, =
+just wait till the government=20
+starts regulating the genetic constitution of your children. Such =
+regulation will inevitably follow the=20
+introduction of genetic engineering of hum an beings, because the =
+consequences of unreg ulated genetic=20
+engineering would be disastrous. [19]=20
+
+124. The usual response to such concerns is to talk about "medical ethics." =
+But a code of ethics would not=20
+serve to protect freedom in the face of medical progress; it would only =
+make matters worse. A code of=20
+ethics applicable to genetic engineering wo uld be in effect a means of =
+regulating the g enetic constitution=20
+of human beings. Somebody (probably the upper-middle class, mostly) would =
+decide that such and such=20
+applications of genetic engineering were "ethical" and others were not, so =
+that in effect they would be=20
+imposing their own values on th e genetic constitution of the population at =
+large. Even if a code of ethics=20
+were chosen on a completely democratic basis, the majority would be =
+imposing their own values on any=20
+minorities who might have a=20
+different idea of what constituted an "ethical" use of genetic engineering. =
+The only code of e thics that=20
+would truly protect freedom would be one that prohibited ANY genetic =
+engineering of human beings, and=20
+you can be sure that no such code will ever be applied in a technological =
+society. No code that reduced=20
+genetic engineering to a minor role could stand up for long, because the =
+temptatio n presented by the=20
+immense power of biotechn ology would be irresistible, especially since to =
+the majority of people many of=20
+its applications will seem obviously and unequivocally good (eliminating =
+physical and mental diseases,=20
+giving people the abilities they need to get along in today's world). In =
+evitably, genetic engineering will be=20
+used e xtensively, but only in ways consistent with the needs of the =
+industrial-technological system. [20]=20
+
+TECHNOLOGY IS A MORE POWERFUL SOCIAL FORCE THAN THE ASPIRATION FOR=20
+FREEDOM
+
+125. It is not possible to make a LASTING compromise between technology and =
+freedom, because=20
+technology is by far the more powerful social force and continually =
+encroaches on freedom through=20
+REPEATED compromises. Imagine the case of two neighbors, each of whom at =
+the outset owns the same=20
+amount of land, but one of whom is more powerful than the other. The =
+powerful one demands a piece of=20
+the other's land. The weak one refuses. The powerful one says, "OK, let's =
+compromise. Give me half of=20
+what I asked." The weak one has little choice but to give in. Some time =
+later the powerful neighbor demand=20
+s another piece of land, again there is a compromise, and so forth. By =
+forcing a long series of compromises=20
+on the weaker man, the powerful one eventually gets all of his land. So it =
+goes in the conflict between=20
+technology and freedom.=20
+
+126. Let us explain why technology is a more powerful social force than the =
+aspiration for freedom.=20
+
+127. A technological advance that appears not to threaten freedom often =
+turns out to threaten freedom often=20
+turns out to threaten it very seriously later on. For example, consider =
+motorized transport. A walking man=20
+formerly could go where he pleased, g o at his own pace without observing =
+any traf fic regulations, and=20
+was independent of technological support-systems. When motor vehicles were =
+introduced they appeared to=20
+increase man's freedom. They took no freedom away from the walking man, no =
+one had to have an=20
+automobile if he didn't want one, and anyone who did choose to buy an =
+automobile could travel much=20
+faster than the walking man. But the introduction of motorized transport =
+soon changed society in such a=20
+way as to restrict greatly man's freedom of locomotion. When automobiles =
+became numerous,=20
+it became necessary to regulate their use e xtensively. In a car, =
+especially in densely populated areas, one=20
+cannot just go where one likes at one's own pace one's movement is governed =
+by the flow of traffic and by=20
+various traffic laws. One is tied down by various obligations: license =
+requirements, driver test, renewing=20
+registration, insuran ce, maintenance required for safety, monthly payments =
+on purchase price. Moreover,=20
+the use of motorized transport is no longer optional. Since the =
+introduction of motorized transport the=20
+arrangement of our cities has changed in such a way that the majority of =
+people no longer live within=20
+walking di stance of their place of employment, shoppin g areas and =
+recreational opportunities, so that they=20
+HAVE TO depend on the automobile for transportation.=20
+Or else they must use public transportation, in which case they have even =
+less control over their own=20
+movement than when driving a car. Even the wal ker's freedom is now greatly =
+restricted. In the city he=20
+continually has to stop and wait for traffic lights that are designed =
+mainly to serve auto traffic. In the=20
+country, motor traffic makes it dangerous and unpleasant to walk along the =
+highway. (Note the important=20
+point we have illustrated with t he case of motorized transport: When a new =
+i tem of technology is=20
+introduced as an option that an individual can accept or not as he chooses, =
+it does not necessarily REMAIN=20
+optional. In many cases the new technology changes society in such a way =
+that people eventually find=20
+themselves FORCED to use i t.)=20
+
+128. While technological progress AS A WHOLE continually narrows our sphere =
+of freedom, each new=20
+technical advance CONSIDERED BY ITSELF appears to be desirable. =
+Electricity, indoor plumbing, rapid=20
+long-distance communications . . . how could one argue against any of these =
+things, or against any other of=20
+the innumerable technical advances that have made modern society? It would =
+have been absurd to resist the=20
+introduction of the telephone, for example. It offered many advantages and =
+no disadvantages. Yet as we=20
+explained in paragraphs 59-76, all th ese technical advances taken together =
+have c reated world in which=20
+the average man's fate is no longer in his own hands or in the hands of his =
+neighbors and friends, but in=20
+those of politicians, corporation executives and remote, anonymous =
+technicians=20
+and bureaucrats whom he as an individual has no power to influence. [21] =
+The same process wi ll continue=20
+in the future. Take genetic engineering, for example. Few people will =
+resist the introduction of a genetic=20
+technique that eliminates a hereditary disease It does no apparent harm and =
+prevents much suffering. Yet a=20
+large number of genetic impr ovements taken together will make the human =
+being into an engineered=20
+product rather than a free creation of chance (or of God, or whatever, =
+depending on your religious beliefs).=20
+
+129 Another reason why technology is such a powerful social force is that, =
+within the context of a given=20
+society, technological progress marches in only one direction; it can never =
+be reversed. Once a technical=20
+innovation has been introduced, people us ually become dependent on it, =
+unless it is r eplaced by some still=20
+more advanced innovation. Not only do people become dependent as =
+individuals on a new item of=20
+technology, but, even more, the system as a whole becomes dependent on it. =
+(Imagine what would happen=20
+to the system today if computers, for example, were eliminated.) Thus the =
+system can move in only one=20
+direction, toward greater technologization. Technology repeatedly forces =
+freedom to take a step back --=20
+short of the overthrow of the whole technological system.=20
+
+130. Technology advances with great rapidity and threatens freedom at many =
+different points at the same=20
+time (crowding, rules and regulations, increasing dependence of individuals =
+on large organizations,=20
+propaganda and other psychological techniques, g enetic engineering, =
+invasion of privacy thro ugh=20
+surveillance devices and computers, etc.) To hold back any ONE of the =
+threats to freedom would require a=20
+long different social struggle. Those who want to protect freedom are =
+overwhelmed by the sheer number of=20
+new attacks and the rapidity with which t hey develop, hence they become =
+pathetic and no longer resist. To=20
+fight each of the threats separately would be futile. Success can be hoped =
+for only by fighting the=20
+technological system as a whole; but that is revolution not reform. =
+
+
+131. Technicians (we use this term in its broad sense to describe all those =
+who perform a specialized task=20
+that requires training) tend to be so involved in their work (their =
+surrogate activity) that when a conflict=20
+arises between their technical work and freedom, they almost always decide =
+in fa vor of their technical=20
+work. This is obvious in the case of scientists, but it also appears =
+elsewhere: Educators, humanitarian=20
+groups, conservation organizations do not hesitate to use propaganda or =
+other psychological techniques to=20
+help them achieve thei r laudable ends. Corporations and government =
+agencies, when they find it useful, do=20
+not hesitate to collect information about individuals without regard to =
+their privacy. Law enforcement=20
+agencies are=20
+frequently inconvenienced by the constitutional rights of suspects and =
+often of completely innocent=20
+persons, and they do whatever they can do l egally (or sometimes illegally) =
+to restrict or circumvent those=20
+rights. Most of these educators, government officials and law officers =
+believe in freedom, privacy and=20
+constitutional rights, but when these conflict with their work, they =
+usually feel that t heir work is more=20
+important.=20
+
+132. It is well known that people generally work better and more =
+persistently when striving for a reward=20
+than when attempting to avoid a punishment or negative outcome. Scientists =
+and other technicians are=20
+motivated mainly by the rewards they get throu gh their work. But those who =
+oppose technilo giccal=20
+invasions of freedom are working to avoid a negative outcome, consequently =
+there are a few who work=20
+persistently and well at this discouraging task. If reformers ever achieved =
+a signal victory that seemed to set=20
+up a solid barrier against further e rosion of freedom through =
+technological prog ress, most would tend to=20
+relax and turn their attention to more agreeable pursuits. But the =
+scientists would remain busy in their=20
+laboratories, and technology as it progresses would find ways,=20
+in spite of any barriers, to exert more and more control over individuals =
+and make them always more=20
+depend ent on the system.=20
+
+133. No social arrangements, whether laws, institutions, customs or ethical =
+codes, can provide permanent=20
+protection against technology. History shows that all social arrangements =
+are transitory; they all change or=20
+break down eventually. But technologic al advances are permanent within the =
+context of a given=20
+civilization. Suppose for example that it were possible to arrive at some =
+social arrangements that would=20
+prevent genetic engineering from being applied to human beings, or prevent =
+it from being applied in such a=20
+ways as to threaten freedom and dignity. Still, the technology would remain =
+waiting. Sooner or later the=20
+social arrangement would break down. Probably sooner, given that pace of =
+change in our society. Then=20
+genetic engineering would begin to invade our=20
+sphere of freedom, and this invasion would be irreversible (short of a =
+breakdo wn of technological=20
+civilization itself). An y illusions about achieving anything permanent =
+through social arrangements should=20
+be dispelled by what is currently happening with environmental legislation. =
+A few years ago it seemed that=20
+there were secure legal barriers preventing at least SOME of the w orst =
+forms of environmental=20
+degradation. A c hange in the political wind, and those barriers begin to =
+crumble.=20
+
+134. For all of the foregoing reasons, technology is a more powerful social =
+force than the aspiration for=20
+freedom. But this statement requires an important qualification. It appears =
+that during the next several=20
+decades the industrial-technological syst em will be undergoing severe =
+stresses due to economic and=20
+environmental problems, and especially due to problems of human behavior =
+(alienation, rebellion, hostility,=20
+a variety of social and psychological difficulties). We hope that the =
+stresses through which the system is=20
+likely to pass will cause it to break down, or at least weaken it suff =
+iciently so that a revolution occurs and=20
+is successful, then at that particular moment the aspiration for freedom =
+will have proved more powerful=20
+than technology.=20
+
+135. In paragraph 125 we used an analogy of a weak neighbor who is left =
+destitute by a strong neighbor=20
+who takes all his land by forcing on him a series of compromises. But =
+suppose now that the strong=20
+neighbor gets sick, so that he is unable to defend himself. The weak =
+neighbor can force the str ong one to=20
+give him his land back, or he can kill him. If he lets the strong man =
+survive and only forces him to give his=20
+land back, he is a fool, because when the strong man gets well he will =
+again take all the land for himself.=20
+The only sensible alternat ive for the weaker man is to kill the strong one =
+while he has the chance. In the=20
+same way, while the industrial system is sick we must destroy it. If we =
+compromise with it and let it=20
+recover from its sickness, it will eventually wipe out all of our freedom. =
+
+
+SIMPLER SOCIAL PROBLEMS HAVE PROVED INTRACTABLE
+
+136. If anyone still imagines that it would be possible to reform the =
+system in such a way as to protect=20
+freedom from technology, let him consider how clumsily and for the most =
+part unsuccessfully our society=20
+has dealt with other social problems that a re far more simple and =
+straightforward. Amon g other things, the=20
+system has failed to stop environmental degradation, political corruption, =
+drug trafficking or domestic=20
+abuse.=20
+
+137. Take our environmental problems, for example. Here the conflict of =
+values is straightforward:=20
+economic expedience now versus saving some of our natural resources for our =
+grandchildren [22] But on=20
+this subject we get only a lot of blather and obfus cation from the people =
+who have power, and n othing=20
+like a clear, consistent line of action, and we keep on piling up =
+environmental problems that our=20
+grandchildren will have to live with. Attempts to resolve the environmental =
+issue consist of struggles and=20
+compromises between different factions, som e of which are ascendant at one =
+moment, othe rs at another=20
+moment. The line of struggle changes with the shifting currents of public =
+opinion. This is not a rational=20
+process, or is it one that is likely to lead to a timely and successful =
+solution to the problem.=20
+Major social problems, if they get "so lved" at all, are rarely or never =
+solved thr ough any rational,=20
+comprehensive plan. They just work themselves out through a process in =
+which various competing groups=20
+pursing their own usually short-term) self-interest [23] arrive (mainly by =
+luck) at some more or less stable=20
+modus vivendi. In fact, t he principles we formulated in paragraphs 10 =
+0-106 make it seem doubtful that=20
+rational, long-term social planning can EVER be successful. 138. Thus it is =
+clear that the human race has at=20
+best a very limited capacity for solving even relatively straightforward =
+social problems. How then is it=20
+going to solve the far more difficult and subtle problem of reconciling =
+freedom with technology?=20
+Technology presents clear-cut material advantages,=20
+whereas freedom is an abstraction that means different things to different =
+people, and its loss is easily=20
+obscured by propaganda and fancy talk.=20
+
+139. And note this important difference: It is conceivable that our =
+environmental problems (for example)=20
+may some day be settled through a rational, comprehensive plan, but if this =
+happens it will be only because=20
+it is in the long-term interest of the system to solve these problems. But =
+it is NOT in the interest of the=20
+system to preserve freedom or small-group autonomy. On the contrary, it is =
+in the interest of the system to=20
+bring human behavior under control to the greatest possible extent. Thus, =
+while practical considerations=20
+may eventually force the system to take a rational, prudent approach to =
+environmental problems, equally=20
+practical considerations will force the system to regulate human behavior =
+ever more closely (preferably by=20
+indirect means that will disguise the encroachment on freedom.)=20
+This isn't just our opinion. Eminent social scientists (e.g. James Q. =
+Wilson) have stressed the importance of=20
+"socializing" people more effectively.
+
+
+
+REVOLUTION IS EASIER THAN REFORM
+
+140. We hope we have convinced the reader that the system cannot be =
+reformed in a such a way as to=20
+reconcile freedom with technology. The only way out is to dispense with the =
+industrial-technological=20
+system altogether. This implies revolution, not necessarily an armed =
+uprising, but certainly a radical and=20
+fundamental change in the nature of society.=20
+
+141. People tend to assume that because a revolution involves a much =
+greater change than reform does, it is=20
+more difficult to bring about than reform is. Actually, under certain =
+circumstances revolution is much=20
+easier than reform. The reason is that a revolutionary movement can inspire =
+an intensity of commitment=20
+that a reform movement cannot inspire. A reform movement merely offers to =
+solve a particular social=20
+problem A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems at one stroke =
+and create a whole new=20
+world; it provides the kind of ideal for which people will take great risks =
+and make great sacrifices. For this=20
+reasons it would be much easier to overthrow the whole technological system =
+than to put effective,=20
+permanent restraints on the development of application of any one segment =
+of technology, s
+uch as genetic engineering, but under suitable conditions large numbers of =
+people may devote themselves=20
+passionately=20
+to a revolution against the industrial-technological system. As we noted in =
+paragraph 132, reformers=20
+seeking to limite certain aspects of technology would be working to avoid a =
+negative outcome. But=20
+revolutionaries work to gain a powerful reward -- fulfillment of their =
+revolutionary vision -- and therefore=20
+work harder and more persistently than reformers do.=20
+
+142. Reform is always restrainde by the fear of painful consequences if =
+changes go too far. But once a=20
+revolutionary fever has taken hold of a society, people are willing to =
+undergo unlimited hardships for the=20
+sake of their revolution. This was clearly shown in the French and Russian =
+Revolutions. It may be that in=20
+such cases only a minority of the population is really committed to the =
+revolution, but this minority is=20
+sufficiently large and active so that it becomes the dominant force in =
+society. We will have more to say=20
+about revolution in paragraphs 180-205.=20
+
+
+
+CONTROL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
+
+143. Since the beginning of civilization, organized societies have had to =
+put pressures on human beings of=20
+the sake of the functioning of the social organism. The kinds of pressures =
+vary greatly from one society to=20
+another. Some of the pressures are physical (poor diet, excessive labor, =
+environmental pollution), some are=20
+psychological (noise, crowding, forcing humans behavior into the mold that =
+society requires). In the past,=20
+human nature has been approximately constant, or at any rate has varied =
+only within certain bounds.=20
+Consequently, societies have been able to push people only up to certain =
+limits. When the limit of human=20
+endurance has been passed, things start going rong: rebellion, or crime, or =
+corruption, or evasion of work,=20
+or depression and other mental problems,=20
+or an elevated death rate, or a declining birth rate or something else, so =
+that either the society breaks down,=20
+or its functioning becomes too inefficient and it is (quickly or gradually, =
+through conquest, attrition or=20
+evolution) replaces by some more efficient form of society.
+
+[25]=20
+
+144. Thus human nature has in the past put certain limits on the =
+development of societies. People coud be=20
+pushed only so far and no farther. But today this may be changing, because =
+modern technology is=20
+developing way of modifying human beings.
+
+145. Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that amke them =
+terribley unhappy, then gives=20
+them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. Science fiction? It is =
+already happening to some extent in=20
+our own society. It is well known that the rate of clinical depression had =
+been greatly increasing in recent=20
+decades. We believe that this is due to disruption fo the power process, as =
+explained in paragraphs 59-76.=20
+But even if we are wrong, the increasing rate of depression is certainly =
+the result of SOME conditions that=20
+exist in today's society. Instead of removing the conditions that make =
+people depressed, modern society=20
+gives them antidepressant drugs. In effect, antidepressants area a means of =
+modifying an individual's=20
+internal state in such a way as to=20
+enable him to toelrate social conditions that he would otherwise find =
+intolerable. (Yes, we know that=20
+depression is often of purely genetic origin. We are referring here to =
+those cases in which environment=20
+plays the predominant role.)=20
+
+146. Drugs that affect the mind are only one example of the methods of =
+controlling human behavior that=20
+modern society is developing. Let us look at some of the other methods. =
+
+
+147. To start with, there are the techniques of surveillance. Hidden video =
+cameras are now used in most=20
+stores and in many other places, computers are used to collect and process =
+vast amounts of information=20
+about individuals. Information so obtained greatly increases the =
+effectiveness of physical coercion (i.e., law=20
+enforcement).[26] Then there are the methods of propaganda, for which the =
+mass communication media=20
+provide effective vehicles. Efficient techniques have been developed for =
+winning elections, selling=20
+products, influencing public opinion. The entertainment industry serves as =
+an important psychological tool=20
+of the system, possibly even when it is dishing out large amounts of sex =
+and violence. Entertainment=20
+provides modern man with an essential means of escape.=20
+While absorbed in television, videos, etc., he can forget stress, anxiety, =
+frustration, dissatisfaction. Many=20
+primitive peoples, when they don't have work to do, are quite content to =
+sit for hours at a time doing=20
+nothing at all, because they are at peace with themselves and their world. =
+But most modern people must be=20
+contantly occupied or entertained, otherwise the get "bored," i.e., they =
+get fidgety, uneasy, irritable.=20
+
+148. Other techniques strike deeper that the foregoing. Education is no =
+longer a simple affair of paddling a=20
+kid's behind when he doesn't know his lessons and patting him on the head =
+when he does know them. It is=20
+becoming a scientific technique for controlling the child's development. =
+Sylvan Learning Centers, for=20
+example, have had great success in motivating children to study, and =
+psychological techniques are also=20
+used with more or less success in many conventional schools. "Parenting" =
+techniques that are taught to=20
+parents are designed to make children accept fundamental values of the =
+system and behave in ways that the=20
+system finds desirable. "Mental health" programs, "intervention" =
+techniques, psychotherapy and so forth=20
+are ostensibly designed to benefit individuals,=20
+but in practice they usually serve as methods for inducing individuals to =
+think and behave as the system=20
+requires. (There is no contradiction here; an individual whose attitudes or =
+behavior bring him into conflict=20
+with the system is up against a force that is too powerful for him to =
+conquer or escape from, hence he is=20
+likely to suffer from stress, frustration, defeat. His path will be much =
+easier if he thinks and behaves as the=20
+system requires. In that sense the system is acting for the benefit of the =
+individual when it brainwashes him=20
+into conformity.) Child abuse in its gross and obvious forms is disapproved =
+in most if not all cultures.=20
+Tormenting a child for a trivial reason or no reason at all is something =
+that appalls almost everyone.=20
+But many psychologists interpret the concept of abuse much more broadly. Is =
+spanking, when used as part=20
+of a rational and consistent system of discipline, a form of abuse? The =
+question will ultimately be decided=20
+by whether or not spanking tends to produce behavior that makes a person =
+fit in well with the existing=20
+system of society. In practice, the word "abuse" tends to be interpreted to =
+include any method of child-
+rearing that produces behavior inconvenient for the system. Thus, when they =
+go beyond the prevention of=20
+obvious, senseless cruelty, programs for preventing "child abuse" are =
+directed toward the control of human=20
+behavior of the system.=20
+
+149. Presumably, research will continue to increas the effectiveness of =
+psychological techniques for=20
+controlling human behavior. But we think it is unlikely that psychological =
+techniques alone will be=20
+sufficient to adjust human beings to the kind of society that technology is =
+creating. Biological methods=20
+probably will have to be used. We have already mentiond the use of drugs in =
+this connection. Neurology=20
+may provide other avenues of modifying the human mind. Genetic engineering =
+of human beings is already=20
+beginning to occur in the form of "gene therapy," and there is no reason to =
+assume the such methods will=20
+not eventually be used to modify those aspects of the body that affect =
+mental funtioning.=20
+
+150. As we mentioned in paragraph 134, industrial society seems likely to =
+be entering a period of severe=20
+stress, due in part to problems of human behavior and in part to economic =
+and environmental problems.=20
+And a considerable proportion of the system's economic and environmental =
+problems result from the way=20
+human beings behave. Alienation, low self-esteem, depression, hostility, =
+rebellion; children who won't=20
+study, youth gangs, illegal drug use, rape, child abuse , other crimes, =
+unsafe sex, teen pregnancy,=20
+population growth, political corruption, race hatred, ethnic rivalry, =
+bitter ideological conflict (i.e., pro-
+choice vs. pro-life), political extremism, terrorism, sabotage, =
+anti-government groups, hate groups. All=20
+these threaten the very survival of the system.=20
+The system will be FORCED to use every practical means of controlling human =
+behavior.=20
+
+151. The social disruption that we see today is certainly not the result of =
+mere chance. It can only be a=20
+result fo the conditions of life that the system imposes on people. (We =
+have argued that the most important=20
+of these conditions is disruption of the power process.) If the systems =
+succeeds in imposing sufficient=20
+control over human behavior to assure itw own survival, a new watershed in =
+human history will have=20
+passed. Whereas formerly the limits of human endurance have imposed limits =
+on the development of=20
+societies (as we explained in paragraphs 143, 144), =
+industrial-technological society will be able to pass=20
+those limits by modifying human beings, whether by psychological methods or =
+biological methods or both.=20
+In the future, social systems will not be adjusted to suit the needs of =
+human beings.=20
+Instead, human being will be adjusted to suit the needs of the =
+system.
+
+[27] 152. Generally speaking, technological control over human behavior =
+will probably not be introduced=20
+with a totalitarian intention or even through a conscious desire to =
+restrict human freedom. [28] Each new=20
+step in the assertion of control over the human mind will be taken as a =
+rational response to a problem that=20
+faces society, such as curing alcoholism, reducing the crime rate or =
+inducing young people to study science=20
+and engineering. In many cases, there will be humanitarian justification. =
+For example, when a psychiatrist=20
+prescribes an anti-depressant for a depressed patient, he is clearly doing =
+that individual a favor. It would be=20
+inhumane to withhold the drug from someone who needs it. When parents send =
+their children to Sylvan=20
+Learning Centers to have them manipulated into becoming enthusiastic about =
+their studies,=20
+they do so from concern for their children's welfare. It may be that some =
+of these parents wish that one=20
+didn't have to have specialized training to get a job and that their kid =
+didn't have to be brainwashed into=20
+becoming a computer nerd. But what can they do? They can't change society, =
+and their child may be=20
+unemployable if he doesn't have certain skills. So they send him to Sylvan. =
+
+
+153. Thus control over human behavior will be introduced not by a =
+calculated decision of the authorities=20
+but through a process of social evolution (RAPID evolution, however). The =
+process will be impossible to=20
+resist, because each advance, considered by itself, will appear to be =
+beneficial, or at least the evil involved=20
+in making the advance will appear to be beneficial, or at least the evil =
+involved in making the advance will=20
+seem to be less than that which would result from not making it (see =
+paragraph 127). Propaganda for=20
+example is used for many good purposes, such as discouraging child abuse or =
+race hatred. [14] Sex=20
+education is obviously useful, yet the effect of sex education (to the =
+extent that it is successful) is to take=20
+the shaping of sexual attitudes=20
+away from the family and put it into the hands of the state as represented =
+by the public school system.=20
+
+154. Suppose a biological trait is discovered that increases the likelihood =
+that a child will grow up to be a=20
+criminal and suppose some sort of gene therapy can remove this trait. [29] =
+Of course most parents whose=20
+children possess the trait will have them undergo the therapy. It would be =
+inhumane to do otherwise, since=20
+the child would probably have a miserable life if he grew up to be a =
+criminal. But many or most primitive=20
+societies have a low crime rate in comparison with that of our society, =
+even though they have neither high-
+tech methods of child-rearing nor harsh systems of punishment. Since there =
+is no reason to suppose that=20
+more modern men than primitive men have innate predatory tendencies, the =
+high crime rate of our society=20
+must be due to the pressures that modern conditions put on people,=20
+to which many cannot or will not adjust. Thus a treatment designed to =
+remove potential criminal tendencies=20
+is at least in part a way of re-engineering people so that they suit the =
+requirements of the system.=20
+
+155. Our society tends to regard as a "sickness" any mode of thought or =
+behavior that is inconvenient for=20
+the system, and this is plausible because when an individual doesn't fit =
+into the system it causes pain to the=20
+individual as well as problems for the system. Thus the manipulation of an =
+individual to adjust him to the=20
+system is seen as a "cure" for a "sickness" and therefore as good.=20
+
+156. In paragraph 127 we pointed out that if the use of a new item of =
+technology is INITIALLY optional, it=20
+does not necessarily REMAIN optional, because the new technology tends to =
+change society in such a way=20
+that it becomes difficult or impossible for an individual to function =
+without using that technology. This=20
+applies also to the technology of human behavior. In a world in which most =
+children are put through a=20
+program to make them enthusiastic about studying, a parent will almost be =
+forced to put his kid through=20
+such a program, because if he does not, then the kid will grow up to be, =
+comparatively speaking, an=20
+ignoramus and therefore unemployable. Or suppose a biological treatment is =
+discovered that, without=20
+undesirable side-effects,=20
+will greatly reduce the psychological stress from which so many people =
+suffer in our society. If large=20
+numbers of people choose to undergo the treatment, then the general level =
+of stress in society will be=20
+reduced, so that it will be possible for the system to increase the =
+stress-producing pressures. In fact,=20
+something like this seems to have happened already with one of our =
+society's most important psychological=20
+tools for enabling people to reduce (or at least temporarily escape from) =
+stress, namely, mass entertainment=20
+(see paragraph 147). Our use of mass entertainment is "optional": No law =
+requires us to watch television,=20
+listen to the radio, read magazines. Yet mass entertainment is a means of =
+escape and stress-reduction on=20
+which most of us have become dependent.=20
+Everyone complains about the trashiness of television, but almost everyone =
+watches it. A few have kicked=20
+the TV habit, but it would be a rare person who could get along today =
+without using ANY form of mass=20
+entertainment. (Yet until quite recently in human history most people got =
+along very nicely with no other=20
+entertainment than that which each local community created for itself.) =
+Without the entertainment industry=20
+the system probably would not have been able to get away with putting as =
+much stress-producing pressure=20
+on us as it does.=20
+
+157. Assuming that industrial society survives, it is likely that =
+technology will eventually acquire=20
+something approaching complete control over human behavior. It has been =
+established beyond any rational=20
+doubt that human thought and behavior have a largely biological basis. As =
+experimenters have=20
+demonstrated, feelings such as hunger, pleasure, anger and fear can be =
+turned on and off by electrical=20
+stimulation of appropriate parts of the brain. Memories can be destroyed by =
+damaging parts of the brain or=20
+they can be brought to the surface by electrical stimulation. =
+Hallucinations can be induced or moods=20
+changed by drugs. There may or may not be an immaterial human soul, but if =
+there is one it clearly is less=20
+powerful that the biological mechanisms of human behavior.=20
+For if that were not the case then researchers would not be able so easily =
+to manipulate human feelings and=20
+behavior with drugs and electrical currents.=20
+
+158. It presumably would be impractical for all people to have electrodes =
+inserted in their heads so that=20
+they could be controlled by the authorities. But the fact that human =
+thoughts and feelings are so open to=20
+biological intervention shows that the problem of controlling human =
+behavior is mainly a technical=20
+problem; a problem of neurons, hormones and complex molecules; the kind of =
+problem that is accessible to=20
+scientific attack. Given the outstanding record of our society in solving =
+technical problems, it is=20
+overwhelmingly probable that great advances will be made in the control of =
+human behavior.=20
+
+159. Will public resistance prevent the introduction of technological =
+control of human behavior? It=20
+certainly would if an attempt were made to introduce such control all at =
+once. But since technological=20
+control will be introduced through a long sequence of small advances, there =
+will be no rational and=20
+effective public resistance. (See paragraphs 127,132, 153.)=20
+
+160. To those who think that all this sounds like science fiction, we point =
+out that yesterday's science=20
+fiction is today's fact. The Industrial Revolution has radically altered =
+man's environment and way of life,=20
+and it is only to be expected that as technology is increasingly applied to =
+the human body and mind, man=20
+himself will be altered as radically as his environment and way of life =
+have been.=20
+
+
+
+HUMAN RACE AT A CROSSROADS
+
+161. But we have gotten ahead of our story. It is one thing to develop in =
+the laboratory a series of=20
+psychological or biological techniques for manipulating human behavior and =
+quite another to integrate=20
+these techniques into a functioning social system. The latter problem is =
+the more difficult of the two. For=20
+example, while the techniques of educational psychology doubtless work =
+quite well in the "lab schools"=20
+where they are developed, it is not necessarily easy to apply them =
+effectively throughout our educational=20
+system. We all know what many of our schools are like. The teachers are too =
+busy taking knives and guns=20
+away from the kids to subject them to the latest techniques for making them =
+into computer nerds. Thus, in=20
+spite of all its technical advances relating=20
+to human behavior the system to date has not been impressively successful =
+in controlling human beings.=20
+The people whose behavior is fairly well under the control of the system =
+are those of the type that might be=20
+called "bourgeois." But there are growing numbers of people who in one way =
+or another are rebels against=20
+the system: welfare leaches, youth gangs cultists, satanists, nazis, =
+radical environmentalists, militiamen,=20
+etc..=20
+
+162. The system is currently engaged in a desperate struggle to overcome =
+certain problems that threaten its=20
+survival, among which the problems of human behavior are the most =
+important. If the system succeeds in=20
+acquiring sufficient control over human behavior quickly enough, it will =
+probably survive. Otherwise it=20
+will break down. We think the issue will most likely be resolved within the =
+next several decades, say 40 to=20
+100 years.=20
+
+163. Suppose the system survives the crisis of the next several decades. By =
+that time it will have to have=20
+solved, or at least brought under control, the principal problems that =
+confront it, in particular that of=20
+"socializing" human beings; that is, making people sufficiently docile so =
+that their behavior no longer=20
+threatens the system. That being accomplished, it does not appear that =
+there would be any further obstacle=20
+to the development of technology, and it would presumably advance toward =
+its logical conclusion, which is=20
+complete control over everything on Earth, including human beings and all =
+other important organisms. The=20
+system may become a unitary, monolithic organization, or it may be more or =
+less fragmented and consist of=20
+a number of organizations coexisting=20
+in a relationship that includes elements of both cooperation and =
+competition, just as today the government,=20
+the corporations and other large organizations both cooperate and compete =
+with one another. Human=20
+freedom mostly will have vanished, because individuals and small groups =
+will be impotent vis-a-vis large=20
+organizations armed with supertechnology and an arsenal of advanced =
+psychological and biological tools=20
+for manipulating human beings, besides instruments of surveillance and =
+physical coercion. Only a small=20
+number of people will have any real power, and even these probably will =
+have only very limited freedom,=20
+because their behavior too will be regulated; just as today our politicians =
+and corporation executives can=20
+retain their positions of power only as long=20
+as their behavior remains within certain fairly narrow limits.=20
+
+164. Don't imagine that the systems will stop developing further techniques =
+for controlling human beings=20
+and nature once the crisis of the next few decades is over and increasing =
+control is no longer necessary for=20
+the system's survival. On the contrary, once the hard times are over the =
+system will increase its control over=20
+people and nature more rapidly, because it will no longer be hampered by =
+difficulties of the kind that it is=20
+currently experiencing. Survival is not the principal motive for extending =
+control. As we explained in=20
+paragraphs 87-90, technicians and scientists carry on their work largely as =
+a surrogate activity; that is, they=20
+satisfy their need for power by solving technical problems. They will =
+continue to do this with unabated=20
+enthusiasm,=20
+and among the most interesting and challenging problems for them to solve =
+will be those of understanding=20
+the human body and mind and intervening in their development. For the "good =
+of humanity," of course.=20
+
+165. But suppose on the other hand that the stresses of the coming decades =
+prove to be too much for the=20
+system. If the system breaks down there may be a period of chaos, a "time =
+of troubles" such as those that=20
+history has recorded: at various epochs in the past. It is impossible to =
+predict what would emerge from such=20
+a time of troubles, but at any rate the human race would be given a new =
+chance. The greatest danger is that=20
+industrial society may begin to reconstitute itself within the first few =
+years after the breakdown. Certainly=20
+there will be many people (power-hungry types especially) who will be =
+anxious to get the factories running=20
+again.=20
+
+166. Therefore two tasks confront those who hate the servitude to which the =
+industrial system is reducing=20
+the human race. First, we must work to heighten the social stresses within =
+the system so as to increase the=20
+likelihood that it will break down or be weakened sufficiently so that a =
+revolution against it becomes=20
+possible. Second, it is necessary to develop and propagate an ideology that =
+opposes technology and the=20
+industrial society if and when the system becomes sufficiently weakened. =
+And such an ideology will help=20
+to assure that, if and when industrial society breaks down, its remnants =
+will be smashed beyond repair, so=20
+that the system cannot be reconstituted. The factories should be destroyed, =
+technical books burned, etc.=20
+
+
+
+HUMAN SUFFERING
+
+167. The industrial system will not break down purely as a result of =
+revolutionary action. It will not be=20
+vulnerable to revolutionary attack unless its own internal problems of =
+development lead it into very serious=20
+difficulties. So if the system breaks down it will do so either =
+spontaneously, or through a process that is in=20
+part spontaneous but helped along by revolutionaries. If the breakdown is =
+sudden, many people will die,=20
+since the world's population has become so overblown that it cannot even =
+feed itself any longer without=20
+advanced technology. Even if the breakdown is gradual enough so that =
+reduction of the population can=20
+occur more through lowering of the birth rate than through elevation of the =
+death rate, the process of de-
+industrialization probably will=20
+be very chaotic and involve much suffering. It is naive to think it likely =
+that technology can be phased out=20
+in a smoothly managed orderly way, especially since the technophiles will =
+fight stubbornly at every step. Is=20
+it therefore cruel to work for the breakdown of the system? Maybe, but =
+maybe not. In the first place,=20
+revolutionaries will not be able to break the system down unless it is =
+already in deep trouble so that there=20
+would be a good chance of its eventually breaking down by itself anyway; =
+and the bigger the system=20
+grows, the more disastrous the consequences of its breakdown will be; so it =
+may be that revolutionaries, by=20
+hastening the onset of the breakdown will be reducing the extent of the =
+disaster.=20
+
+168. In the second place, one has to balance the struggle and death against =
+the loss of freedom and dignity.=20
+To many of us, freedom and dignity are more important than a long life or =
+avoidance of physical pain.=20
+Besides, we all have to die some time, and it may be better to die fighting =
+for survival, or for a cause, than=20
+to live a long but empty and purposeless life.=20
+
+169. In the third place, it is not all certain that the survival of the =
+system will lead to less suffering than the=20
+breakdown of the system would. The system has already caused, and is =
+continuing to cause , immense=20
+suffering all over the world. Ancient cultures, that for hundreds of years =
+gave p eople a satisfactory=20
+relationship with each other and their environment, have been shattered by =
+contact with industrial society,=20
+and the result has been a whole catalogue of economic, environmental, =
+social and psychological problems.=20
+One of the effects o f the intrusion of industrial society has be en that =
+over much of the world traditional=20
+controls on population have been thrown out of balance. Hence the =
+population explosion, with all that it=20
+implies.=20
+Then there is the psychological suffering that is widespread throughout the =
+supposedly fortunate countries=20
+of the West (see paragraphs 44, 4 5). No one knows what will happen as a =
+result of ozone depletion, the=20
+greenhouse effect and other environmental problems that cannot yet be =
+foreseen. And, as nuclear=20
+proliferation has shown, new technology cannot be kept out of the hands of =
+dictators an d irresponsible=20
+Third World nations. Would you like to speculate abut what Iraq or North =
+Korea will do with genetic=20
+engineering?=20
+
+170. "Oh!" say the technophiles, "Science is going to fix all that! We will =
+conquer famine, eliminate=20
+psychological suffering, make everybody healthy and happy!" Yeah, sure. =
+That's what they said 200 years=20
+ago. The Industrial Revolution was supposed to eliminate poverty, make =
+everybody happy, etc. The actual=20
+result has been quite different. The technophiles are hopelessly naive (or =
+self-deceiving) in their=20
+understanding of social problems. They are unaware of (or choose to ignore) =
+the fact that when large=20
+changes, even seemingly beneficial ones, are introduced into a society, =
+they le ad to a long sequence of=20
+other changes, most of which are impossible to predict (paragraph 103). The =
+result is disruption of the=20
+society. So it is very probable that=20
+in their attempt to end poverty and disease, engineer docile, happy =
+personalities and s o forth, the=20
+technophiles will create socia l systems that are terribly troubled, even =
+more so that the present one. For=20
+example, the scientists boast that they will end famine by creating new, =
+genetically engineered food plants.=20
+But this will allow the human population to keep expanding indefini tely, =
+and it is well known that=20
+crowding lea ds to increased stress and aggression. This is merely one =
+example of the PREDICTABLE=20
+problems that will arise. We emphasize that, as past experience has shown, =
+technical progress will lead to=20
+other new problems for society far more rapidly that it has b een solving =
+old ones. Thus it will take a l ong=20
+difficult period of=20
+trial and error for the technophiles to work the bugs out of their Brave =
+New World (if they ever do). In the=20
+meantime there will be great suffering. So it is not all clear that the =
+survival of industrial society would=20
+involve les s suffering than the breakdown of that socie ty would. =
+Technology has gotten the human race=20
+into a fix from which there is not likely to be any easy escape.=20
+
+
+
+THE FUTURE
+
+171. But suppose now that industrial society does survive the next several =
+decade and that the bugs do=20
+eventually get worked out of the system, so that it functions smoothly. =
+What kind of system will it be? We=20
+will consider several possibilities.=20
+
+172. First let us postulate that the computer scientists succeed in =
+developing intelligent machines that can=20
+do all things better that human beings can do them. In that case presumably =
+all work will be done by vast,=20
+highly organized systems of machines and no human effort will be necessary. =
+Eith er of two cases might=20
+occur. The machines might be permitted to make all of their own decisions =
+without human oversight, or=20
+else human control over the machines might be retained.=20
+
+173. If the machines are permitted to make all their own decisions, we =
+can't make any conjectures as to the=20
+results, because it is impossible to guess how such machines might behave. =
+We only point out that the fate=20
+of the human race would be at the merc y of the machines. It might be =
+argued that the human race would=20
+never be foolish enough to hand over all the power to the machines. But we =
+are suggesting neither that the=20
+human race would voluntarily turn power over to the machines nor that the =
+machines would willfully seize=20
+power. What we do su ggest is that the human race might easily pe rmit =
+itself to drift into a position of such=20
+dependence on the machines that it would have no practical choice but to =
+accept all of the machines=20
+decisions.=20
+As society and the problems that face it become more and more complex and =
+machines become more and=20
+more intelligent, people will let machines make more of their decision for =
+them, simply because machine-
+made decisions will bring better result than man-made ones. Eventually a =
+stage may be reached at which=20
+the decisions necessary to keep the system running will be so complex that =
+human beings wi ll be incapable=20
+of making them intelligently . At that stage the machines will be in =
+effective control. People won't be able=20
+to just turn the machines off, because they will be so dependent on them =
+that turning them off would=20
+amount to suicide.=20
+
+174. On the other hand it is possible that human control over the machines =
+may be retained. In that case the=20
+average man may have control over certain private machines of his own, such =
+as his car of his personal=20
+computer, but control over large systems of machines will be in the hands =
+of a tiny e lite -- just as it is=20
+today, but with two difference. Due to improved techniques the elite will =
+have greater control over the=20
+masses; and because human work will no longer be necessary the masses will =
+be superfluous, a useless=20
+burden on the system. If t he elite is ruthless the may simply decide t o =
+exterminate the mass of humanity.=20
+If they are humane they may use propaganda or other psychological or =
+biological techniques to reduce the=20
+birth rate until=20
+the mass of humanity becomes extinct, leaving the world to the elite. Or, =
+if the elite consist of soft-hearted=20
+liberals, they may decide to play the role of good shepherds to the rest of =
+the human race. They will see to=20
+it that everyone's physical needs are satisfied, that all children are =
+raised under psychologically hygienic=20
+conditions, that everyone has a wholesome hobby to keep him busy , and that =
+anyone who may become=20
+dissatisfie d undergoes "treatment" to cure his "problem." Of course, life =
+will be so purposeless that people=20
+will have to be biologically or psychologically engineered either to remove =
+their need for the power=20
+process or to make them "sublimate" their drive for pow er into some =
+harmless hobby. These engineer ed=20
+human beings=20
+may be happy in such a society, but they most certainly will not be free. =
+They will have been reduced to=20
+the status of domestic animals.=20
+
+175. But suppose now that the computer scientists do not succeed in =
+developing artificial intelligence, so=20
+that human work remains necessary. Even so, machines will take care of more =
+and more of the simpler=20
+tasks so that there will be an increasing surp lus of human workers at the =
+lower levels of ability. (We see=20
+this happening already. There are many people who find it difficult or =
+impossible to get work, because for=20
+intellectual or psychological reasons they cannot acquire the level of =
+training necessary to make themselves=20
+useful in the presen t system.) On those who are employed, ever- increasing =
+demands will be placed; They=20
+will need more and m ore training, more and more ability, and will have to =
+be ever more reliable,=20
+conforming and docile,=20
+because they will be more and more like cells of a giant organism. Their =
+tasks will be incre asingly=20
+specialized so that their work will be, in a sense, out of touch with the =
+real world, being concentrated on=20
+one tiny slice of reality. The system will have to use any means that I =
+can, whether psychological or=20
+biological, to engineer people to be docile, to have the abilities that the =
+syst em requires and to "sublimate"=20
+their drive f or power into some specialized task. But the statement that =
+the people of such a society will=20
+have to be docile may require qualification. The society may find =
+competitiveness useful, provided that=20
+ways are found of directing competitiveness into channe ls that serve that =
+needs of the system. We can=20
+imagine=20
+into channels that serve the needs of the system. We can imagine a future =
+society in which there is endless=20
+competition for positions of prestige an power. But no more than a very few =
+people will ever reach the top,=20
+where the only real power is (see end of paragraph 163). Very repell ent is =
+a society in which a person can=20
+satisfy his needs for power only by pushing large numbers of other people =
+out of the way and depriving=20
+them of THEIR opportunity for power.=20
+
+176. Once can envision scenarios that incorporate aspects of more than one =
+of the possibilities that we have=20
+just discussed. For instance, it may be that machines will take over most =
+of the work that is of real,=20
+practical importance, but that human bei ngs will be kept busy by being =
+given relativ ely unimportant=20
+work. It has been suggested, for example, that a great development of the =
+service of industries might=20
+provide work for human beings. Thus people will would spend their time =
+shinning each others shoes,=20
+driving each other around inn taxica b, making handicrafts for one another, =
+waiti ng on each other's tables,=20
+etc. This seems to us a thoroughly contemptible way for the human race to =
+end up, and we doubt that many=20
+people would find=20
+fulfilling lives in such pointless busy-work. They would seek other, =
+dangerous outlets (drugs, , crime,=20
+"cults," hate groups) unless they were biol ogical or psychologically =
+engineered to adapt them to such a=20
+way of life.=20
+
+177. Needless to day, the scenarios outlined above do not exhaust all the =
+possibilities. They only indicate=20
+the kinds of outcomes that seem to us mots likely. But wee can envision no =
+plausible scenarios that are any=20
+more palatable that the ones we've j ust described. It is overwhelmingly =
+probabl e that if the industrial-
+technological system survives the next 40 to 100 years, it will by that =
+time have developed certain general=20
+characteristics: Individuals (at least those of the "bourgeois" type, who =
+are integrated into the system and=20
+make it run, and who therefore have all the power) will b e more dependent =
+than ever on large=20
+organizations; they will be more "socialized" that ever and their physical =
+and mental qualities to a=20
+significant=20
+extent (possibly to a very great extent ) will be those that are engineered =
+into them rather than being th e=20
+results of chance (or of God's will, or wh atever); and whatever may be =
+left of wild nature will be reduced=20
+to remnants preserved for scientific study and kept under the supervision =
+and management of scientists=20
+(hence it will no longer be truly wild). In the long run (say a few =
+centuries from no w) it is it is likely that=20
+neither the human race nor any other important organisms will exist as we =
+know them today, because once=20
+you start modifying organisms through genetic engineering there is no =
+reason to stop at any particular=20
+point, so that the modifications will probably continue until man and other =
+organisms have been utterly=20
+trans formed.=20
+
+178. Whatever else may be the case, it is certain that technology is =
+creating for human begins a new=20
+physical and social environment radically different from the spectrum of =
+environments to which natural=20
+selection has adapted the human race physically an d psychological. If man =
+is not adjust to th is new=20
+environment by being artificially re-engineered, then he will be adapted to =
+it through a long an painful=20
+process of natural selection. The former is far more likely that the =
+latter.=20
+
+179. It would be better to dump the whole stinking system and take the =
+consequences.=20
+
+STRATEGY
+
+180. The technophiles are taking us all on an utterly reckless ride into =
+the unknown. Many people=20
+understand something of what technological progress is doing to us yet take =
+a passive attitude toward it=20
+because they think it is inevitable. But we (FC) don't think it is =
+inevitable. We think it c an be stopped, and=20
+we will give here some indications of how to go about stopping it.=20
+
+181. As we stated in paragraph 166, the two main tasks for the present are =
+to promote social stress and=20
+instability in industrial society and to develop and propagate an ideology =
+that opposes technology and the=20
+industrial system. When the system become s sufficiently stressed and =
+unstable, a revo lution against=20
+technology may be possible. The pattern would be similar to that of the =
+French and Russian Revolutions.=20
+French society and Russian society, for several decades prior to their =
+respective revolutions, showed=20
+increasing signs of stress and w eakness. Meanwhile, ideologies were being =
+d eveloped that offered a new=20
+world view that was quite different from the old one. In the Russian case, =
+revolutionaries were actively=20
+working to undermine=20
+the old order. Then, when the old system was put under sufficient =
+additional stress (by financial c risis in=20
+France, by military defeat in Russi a) it was swept away by revolution. =
+What we propose in something=20
+along the same lines.=20
+
+182. It will be objected that the French and Russian Revolutions were =
+failures. But most revolutions have=20
+two goals. One is to destroy an old form of society and the other is to set =
+up the new form of society=20
+envisioned by the revolutionaries. The Fre nch and Russian revolutionaries =
+failed (fort unately!) to create=20
+the new kind of society of which they dreamed, but they were quite =
+successful in destroying the existing=20
+form of society.=20
+
+183. But an ideology, in order to gain enthusiastic support, must have a =
+positive ideals well as a negative=20
+one; it must be FOR something as well as AGAINST something. The positive =
+ideal that we propose is=20
+Nature. That is , WILD nature; those aspects o f the functioning of the =
+Earth and its livin g things that are=20
+independent of human management and free of human interference and control. =
+And with wild nature we=20
+include human nature, by which we mean those aspects of the functioning of =
+the human individual that are=20
+not subject to regulation by o rganized society but are products of chance, =
+or free will, or God (depending=20
+on your religious or philosophical opinions).=20
+
+184. Nature makes a perfect counter-ideal to technology for several =
+reasons. Nature (that which is outside=20
+the power of the system) is the opposite of technology (which seeks to =
+expand indefinitely the power of the=20
+system). Most people will agree that nature is beautiful; certainly it has =
+treme ndous popular appeal. The=20
+radical environmentalists ALREADY hold an ideology that exalts nature and =
+opposes technology. [30] It is=20
+not necessary for the sake of nature to set up some chimerical utopia or =
+any new kind of social order.=20
+Nature takes care of itself: It was a spontaneous creation th at existed =
+long before any human society, and=20
+for countless centuries many different kinds of human societies coexisted =
+with nature without doing it an=20
+excessive amount of damage. Only with the Industrial Revolution did the =
+effect of human society on nat=20
+ure become really devastating. To relieve t he pressure on nature it is not =
+necessary to create a special kind=20
+of social system, it is only necessary to get rid of industrial society. =
+Granted, this will not solve all=20
+problems. Industrial society has already done tremendous damage to nature =
+and i t will take a very long=20
+time for the scars t o heal. Besides, even pre-industrial societies can do =
+significant damage to nature.=20
+Nevertheless, getting rid of industrial society will accomplish a great =
+deal. It will relieve the worst of the=20
+pressure on nature so that the scars can begin to heal. It will remove the =
+capacity of organized soc iety=20
+to keep increasing its control over nature (including human nature). =
+Whatever kind of society may exist=20
+after the demise of the industrial system, it is certain that most people =
+will live close to nature, because in=20
+the absence of advanced technolog y there is not other way that people CAN =
+liv e. To feed themselves they=20
+must be peasants or herdsmen or fishermen or hunter, etc., And, generally =
+speaking, local autonomy should=20
+tend to increase, because lack of advanced technology and rapid =
+communications will limit the capacity of=20
+governments o r other large organizations to control local communities. =
+
+
+185. As for the negative consequences of eliminating industrial society -- =
+well, you can't eat your cake and=20
+have it too. To gain one thing you have to sacrifice another.=20
+
+186. Most people hate psychological conflict. For this reason they avoid =
+doing any serious thinking about=20
+difficult social issues, and they like to have such issues presented to =
+them in simple, black-and-white terms:=20
+THIS is all good and THAT is all bad. The revolutionary ideology should =
+therefore be developed on two=20
+levels.=20
+
+187. On the more sophisticated level the ideology should address itself to =
+people who are intelligent,=20
+thoughtful and rational. The object should be to create a core of people =
+who will be opposed to the=20
+industrial system on a rational, thought-out basis, with full appreciation =
+of the problems and ambiguities=20
+involved, and of the price that has to be paid for getting rid of the =
+system. It is particularly important to=20
+attract people of this type, as they are capable people and will be =
+instrumental in influencing others. These=20
+people should be addres sed on as rational a level as possible. Fact s =
+should never intentionally be distorted=20
+and intemperate language should be avoided. This does not mean that no =
+appeal can be made to the=20
+emotions,=20
+but in making such appeal care should be taken to avoid misrepresenting the =
+truth or doing anything else t=20
+hat would destroy the intellectual respectab ility of the ideology. =
+
+
+188. On a second level, the ideology should be propagated in a simplified =
+form that will enable the=20
+unthinking majority to see the conflict of technology vs. nature in =
+unambiguous terms. But even on this=20
+second level the ideology should not be expressed in language that is so =
+cheap, intemperate or irrational=20
+that it alienates people of the thoughtful and rational type. Cheap, =
+intemperate propaganda sometimes=20
+achieves impressive short-term gains, but it will be more advantageous in =
+the long run to keep the loyalty=20
+of a small number of intelligently committed people than to arouse the =
+passion s of an unthinking, fickle=20
+mob who will change their attitude as soon as someone comes along with a =
+better propaganda gimmick.=20
+However, propaganda of the=20
+rabble-rousing type may be necessary when the system is nearing the point =
+of collapse and there is a final=20
+struggle between rival ideologies to d etermine which will become dominant =
+when the old world-view goes=20
+under.=20
+
+189. Prior to that final struggle, the revolutionaries should not expect to =
+have a majority of people on their=20
+side. History is made by active, determined minorities, not by the =
+majority, which seldom has a clear and=20
+consistent idea of what it really wan ts. Until the time comes for the =
+final push toward revolution [31], the=20
+task of revolutionaries will be less to win the shallow support of the =
+majority than to build a small core of=20
+deeply committed people. As for the majority, it will be enough to make =
+them aware of the existence of the=20
+new ideolo gy and remind them of it frequently; though of course it will be =
+desirable to get majority=20
+support to the extent that this can be done without weakening the core of =
+seriously committed people.=20
+
+190. Any kind of social conflict helps to destabilize the system, but one =
+should be careful about what kind=20
+of conflict one encourages. The line of conflict should be drawn between =
+the mass of the people and the=20
+power-holding elite of industrial society ( politicians, scientists, =
+upper-level busines s executives,=20
+government officials, etc..). It should NOT be drawn between the =
+revolutionaries and the mass of the=20
+people. For example, it would be bad strategy for the revolutionaries to =
+condemn Americans for their=20
+habits of consumption. Instead, the ave rage American should be portrayed =
+as a victi m of the advertising=20
+and marketing industry, which has suckered him into buying a lot of junk =
+that he doesn't need and that is=20
+very poor compensation
+for his lost freedom. Either approach is consistent with the facts. It is =
+merely a matter of attitude whether=20
+you blame the advertising industry for manipulating the public or blame the =
+public for allowing itself to be=20
+manipulated. As a matter of strategy one should generally avoid blaming the =
+public.=20
+
+191. One should think twice before encouraging any other social conflict =
+than that between the power-
+holding elite (which wields technology) and the general public (over which =
+technology exerts its power).=20
+For one thing, other conflicts tend to distract attention from the =
+important conflicts (betw een power-elite=20
+and ordinary people, between technology and nature); for another thing, =
+other conflicts may actually tend=20
+to encourage technologization, because each side in such a conflict wants =
+to use technological power to=20
+gain advantages over its adve rsary. This is clearly seen in rivalries bet =
+ween nations. It also appears in=20
+ethnic conflicts within nations. For example, in America many black leaders =
+are anxious to gain power for=20
+African=20
+Americans by placing back individuals in the technological power-elite. =
+They want there to be many black=20
+gov ernment officials, scientists, corporation e xecutives and so forth. In =
+this way they are helping to=20
+absorb the African American subculture into the technological system. =
+Generally speaking, one should=20
+encourage only those social conflicts that can be fitted into the framework =
+of the conflicts of po wer--elite=20
+vs. ordinary people, technology v s nature.=20
+
+192. But the way to discourage ethnic conflict is NOT through militant =
+advocacy of minority rights (see=20
+paragraphs 21, 29). Instead, the revolutionaries should emphasize that =
+although minorities do suffer more=20
+or less disadvantage, this disadvantage is o f peripheral significance. Our =
+real enemy is the industrial-
+technological system, and in the struggle against the system, ethnic =
+distinctions are of no importance.=20
+
+193. The kind of revolution we have in mind will not necessarily involve an =
+armed uprising against any=20
+government. It may or may not involve physical violence, but it will not be =
+a POLITICAL revolution. Its=20
+focus will be on technology and economics, not politics. [32]=20
+
+194. Probably the revolutionaries should even AVOID assuming political =
+power, whether by legal or=20
+illegal means, until the industrial system is stressed to the danger point =
+and has proved itself to be a failure=20
+in the eyes of most people. Suppose for exa mple that some "green" party =
+should win cont rol of the United=20
+States Congress in an election. In order to avoid betraying or watering =
+down their own ideology they would=20
+have to take vigorous measures to turn economic growth into economic =
+shrinkage. To the average man the=20
+results would appear disast rous: There would be massive unemployment, s =
+hortages of commodities, etc.=20
+Even if the grosser ill effects could be avoided through superhumanly =
+skillful management, still people=20
+would have=20
+to begin giving up the luxuries to which they have become addicted. =
+Dissatisfaction would grow, the=20
+"green" pa rty would be voted out of of fice and the re volutionaries would =
+have suffered a severe setback.=20
+For this reason the revolutionaries should not try to acquire political =
+power until the system has gotten=20
+itself into such a mess that any hardships will be seen as resulting from =
+the failures of the ind ustrial system=20
+itself and not from the polic ies of the revolutionaries. The revolution =
+against technology will probably=20
+have to be a revolution by outsiders, a revolution from below and not from =
+above.=20
+
+195. The revolution must be international and worldwide. It cannot be =
+carried out on a nation-by-nation=20
+basis. Whenever it is suggested that the United States, for example, should =
+cut back on technological=20
+progress or economic growth, people get hysteric al and start screaming =
+that if we fall behin d in=20
+technology the Japanese will get ahead of us. Holy robots The world will =
+fly off its orbit if the Japanese=20
+ever sell more cars than we do! (Nationalism is a great promoter of =
+technology.) More reasonably, it is=20
+argued that if the relatively democrati c nations of the world fall behind =
+in techno logy while nasty,=20
+dictatorial nations like China, Vietnam and North Korea continue to =
+progress, eventually the dictators may=20
+come to dominate the world.=20
+That is why the industrial system should be attacked in all nations =
+simultaneously, to the extent that this=20
+may be possible. True, there is no ass urance that the industrial system =
+can be destroyed at approximately=20
+the same time all over the world, and it is even conceivable that the =
+attempt to overthrow the system could=20
+lead instead to the domination of the system by dictators. That is a risk =
+that has to be taken. And it is worth=20
+taking, sin ce the difference between a "democratic" industrial system and =
+one controlled by dictators is=20
+small compared with the difference between an industrial system and a =
+non-industrial one. [33] It might=20
+even be argued that an industrial system controlled by di ctators would be =
+preferable, because dictato=20
+r-controlled systems usually have proved inefficient, hence they are =
+presumably more likely to break down.=20
+Look at Cuba.=20
+
+196. Revolutionaries might consider favoring measures that tend to bind the =
+world economy into a unified=20
+whole. Free trade agreements like NAFTA and GATT are probably harmful to =
+the environment in the short=20
+run, but in the long run they may perhaps be ad vantageous because they =
+foster economic inte rdependence=20
+between nations. I will be eaier to destroy the industrial system on a =
+worldwide basis if he world economy=20
+is so unified that its breakdown in any on major nation will lead to its =
+breakdwon in al industrialized=20
+nations.=20
+
+the long run they may perhaps be advantageous because they foster economic =
+interdependence between=20
+nations. It will be easier to destroy the industrial system on a worldwide =
+basis if the world economy is so=20
+unified that its breakdown in any one major nat ion will lead to its =
+breakdown in all indust rialized nations.
+
+197. Some people take the line that modern man has too much power, too much =
+control over nature; they=20
+argue for a more passive attitude on the part of the human race. At best =
+these people are expressing=20
+themselves unclearly, because they fail to distingu ish between power for =
+LARGE ORGANIZATIONS an=20
+d power for INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS. It is a mistake to argue for =
+powerlessness and=20
+passivity, because people NEED power. Modern man as a collective =
+entity--that is, the industrial system--
+has immense power over nature, and we (FC) regard this as e vil. But modern =
+INDIVIDUALS and=20
+SMALL GROUP S OF INDIVIDUALS have far less power than primitive man ever =
+did. Generally=20
+speaking, the vast power of "modern man" over nature is exercised not =
+
+by individuals or small groups but by large organizations. To the extent =
+that the average modern=20
+INDIVIDUAL can wield the power of technology, he is pe rmitted to do so =
+only within narrow limits and=20
+only under the supervision and control of the system. (You need a license =
+for everything and with the=20
+license come rules and regulations). The individual has only those =
+technological powers with which the s=20
+ystem chooses to provide him. His PERSONAL power over nature is =
+slight.
+
+198. Primitive INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS actually had considerable power =
+over nature; or=20
+maybe it would be better to say power WITHIN nature. When primitive man =
+needed food he knew how to=20
+find and prepare edible roots, how to track game and take it wi th homemade =
+weapons. He knew how to=20
+protect himself from heat, cold, rain, dangerous animals, etc. But =
+primitive man did relatively little damage=20
+to nature because the COLLECTIVE power of primitive society was negligible =
+compared to the=20
+COLLECTIVE power of industrial society.
+
+199. Instead of arguing for powerlessness and passivity, one should argue =
+that the power of the=20
+INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM should be broken, and that this will greatly INCREASE the =
+power and freedom=20
+of INDIVIDUALS and SMALL GROUPS.
+
+200. Until the industrial system has been thoroughly wrecked, the =
+destruction of that system must be the=20
+revolutionaries' ONLY goal. Other goals would distract attention and energy =
+from the main goal. More=20
+importantly, if the revolutionaries permit themse lves to have any other =
+goal than the destruc tion of=20
+technology, they will be tempted to use technology as a tool for reaching =
+that other goal. If they give in to=20
+that temptation, they will fall right back into the technological trap, =
+because modern technology is a=20
+unified, tightly organized system, so that, in order to retain SOME =
+technology , one finds oneself obliged=20
+to retain MOST technology, hence one ends up sacrificing only token amounts =
+of technology.
+
+201. Suppose for example that the revolutionaries took "social justice" as =
+a goal. Human nature being what=20
+it is, social justice would not come about spontaneously; it would have to =
+be enforced. In order to enforce it=20
+the revolutionaries would have to ret ain central organization and control. =
+For th at they would need rapid=20
+long-distance transportation and communication, and therefore all the =
+technology needed to support the=20
+transportation and communication systems. To feed and clothe poor people =
+they would have to use=20
+agricultural and manufacturing technology. And so forth. So that the attemp =
+t to insure social justice would=20
+force them to retain most parts of the technological system. Not that we =
+have anything against social=20
+justice,=20
+but it must not be allowed to interfere with the effort to get rid of the =
+technological system.
+
+202. It would be hopeless for revolutionaries to try to attack the system =
+without using SOME modern=20
+technology. If nothing else they must use the communications media to =
+spread their message. But they=20
+should use modern technology for only ONE purpose: to attack the =
+technological system.
+
+203. Imagine an alcoholic sitting with a barrel of wine in front of him. =
+Suppose he starts saying to himself,=20
+"Wine isn't bad for you if used in moderation. Why, they say small amounts =
+of wine are even good for you!=20
+It won't do me any harm if I take just one little drink..." Well you know =
+what is g oing to happen. Never=20
+forget that the human race with technology is just like an alcoholic with a =
+barrel of wine.
+
+204. Revolutionaries should have as many children as they can. There is =
+strong scientific evidence that=20
+social attitudes are to a significant extent inherited. No one suggests =
+that a social attitude is a direct=20
+outcome of a person's genetic constitution, but it appears that personality =
+traits tend , within the context of=20
+our society, to make a person more likely to hold this or that social =
+attitude. Objections to these findings=20
+have been raised, but objections are feeble and seem to be ideologically =
+motivated. In any event, no one=20
+denies that child ren tend on the average to hold social attit udes similar =
+to those of their parents. From our=20
+point of view it doesn't matter all that much whether the attitudes are =
+passed on genetically or through=20
+childhood training. In either case the ARE passed on.
+
+205. The trouble is that many of the people who are inclined to rebel =
+against the industrial system are also=20
+concerned about the population problems, hence they are apt to have few or =
+no children. In this way they=20
+may be handing the world over to the sort of people who support or at least =
+accept th e industrial system.=20
+To insure the strength of the next generation of revolutionaries the =
+present generation must reproduce itself=20
+abundantly. In doing so they will be worsening the population problem only =
+slightly. And the most=20
+important problem is to ge t rid of the industrial system, because once the =
+industrial system is gone the=20
+world's population necessarily will decrease (see paragraph 167); whereas, =
+if the industrial system survives,=20
+it will continue developing new techniques of food production that may =
+enable the world's population to=20
+keep i ncreasing almost indefinitely.
+
+206. With regard to revolutionary strategy, the only points on which we =
+absolutely insist are that the single=20
+overriding goal must be the elimination of modern technology, and that no =
+other goal can be allowed to=20
+compete with this one. For the rest, revol utionaries should take an =
+empirical approach . If experience=20
+indicates that some of the recommendations made in the foregoing paragraphs =
+are not going to give good=20
+results, then those recommendations should be discarded.
+
+
+
+TWO KINDS OF TECHNOLOGY
+
+207. An argument likely to be raised against our proposed revolution is =
+that it is bound to fail, because (it is=20
+claimed) throughout history technology has always progressed, never =
+regressed, hence technological=20
+regression is impossible. But this claim is false.
+
+208. We distinguish between two kinds of technology, which we will call =
+small-scale technology and=20
+organization-dependent technology. Small-scale technology is technology =
+that can be used by small-scale=20
+communities without outside assistance. Organization -dependent technology =
+is technology that de pends=20
+on large-scale social organization. We are aware of no significant cases of =
+regression in small-scale=20
+technology. But organization-dependent technology DOES regress when the =
+social organization on which=20
+it depends breaks down. Example: When the Roma n Empire fell apart the =
+Romans' small-scale technology=20
+survived because any clever village craftsman could build, for instance, a =
+water wheel, any skilled smith=20
+could make steel by Roman methods,=20
+and so forth. But the Romans' organization-dependent technology DID =
+regress. Their aqueducts fell into=20
+disrepair and were never rebuilt.=20
+Their tech niques of road construction were lost. The Roman system of urban =
+sanitation was forgotten, so=20
+that until rather recent times did the sanitation of European cities that =
+of Ancient Rome.
+
+209. The reason why technology has seemed always to progress is that, until =
+perhaps a century or two=20
+before the Industrial Revolution, most technology was small-scale =
+technology. But most of the technology=20
+developed since the Industrial Revolution is orga nization-dependent =
+technology. Take the refr igerator for=20
+example. Without factory-made parts or the facilities of a post-industrial =
+machine shop it would be=20
+virtually impossible for a handful of local craftsmen to build a =
+refrigerator. If by some miracle they did=20
+succeed in building one it would be useless to them without a reliable =
+source o f electric power. So they=20
+would have to dam a stream and build a generator. Generators require large =
+amounts of copper wire.=20
+Imagine trying to make that=20
+wire without modern machinery. And where would they get a gas suitable for =
+refrigeration? It would be=20
+much easier to build an icehouse or preserve food by drying or picking, as =
+was done before the invention=20
+of the refrigerator.
+
+210. So it is clear that if the industrial system were once thoroughly =
+broken down, refrigeration technology=20
+would quickly be lost. The same is true of other organization-dependent =
+technology. And once this=20
+technology had been lost for a generation or so it would take centuries to =
+rebuild it, just as it took centuries=20
+to build it the first time around. Surviving technical books would be few =
+and scattered. An industrial=20
+society, if built from scratch without outside help, can only be built in a =
+series of stages: You need tools to=20
+make tools to make tools to make tools ... . A long process of economic =
+development and progress in social=20
+organization is required. And, even in the absence of an ideology opposed =
+to technology, there is no reason=20
+to believe that anyone would be interested in rebuilding industrial =
+society. The enthusiasm for "progre ss"=20
+is a phenomenon particular to the modern form of society, and it seems not =
+to have existed prior to the 17th=20
+century or thereabouts.
+
+211. In the late Middle Ages there were four main civilizations that were =
+about equally "advanced":=20
+Europe, the Islamic world, India, and the Far East (China, Japan, Korea). =
+Three of those civilizations=20
+remained more or less stable, and only Europe became dynamic. No one knows =
+why Europe became dyn=20
+amic at that time; historians have their theories but these are only =
+speculation. At any rate, it is clear that=20
+rapid development toward a technological form of society occurs only under =
+special conditions. So there is=20
+no reason to assume that long-lastin g technological regression cannot be =
+brought about.
+
+212. Would society EVENTUALLY develop again toward an =
+industrial-technological form? Maybe, but=20
+there is no use in worrying about it, since we can't predict or control =
+events 500 or 1,000 years in the=20
+future. Those problems must be dealt with by the peopl e who will live at =
+that time.
+
+
+
+THE DANGER OF LEFTISM
+
+213. Because of their need for rebellion and for membership in a movement, =
+leftists or persons of similar=20
+psychological type are often unattracted to a rebellious or activist =
+movement whose goals and membership=20
+are not initially leftist. The resulting inf lux of leftish types can =
+easily turn a non-l eftist movement into a=20
+leftist one, so that leftist goals replace or distort the original goals of =
+the movement.
+
+214. To avoid this, a movement that exalts nature and opposes technology =
+must take a resolutely anti-leftist=20
+stance and must avoid all collaboration with leftists. Leftism is in the =
+long run inconsistent with wild=20
+nature, with human freedom and with the e limination of modern technology. =
+Leftism is collectivist; it=20
+seeks to bind together the entire world (both nature and the human race) =
+into a unified whole. But this=20
+implies management of nature and of human life by organized society, and it =
+requires advanced=20
+technology. You can't have a united worl d without rapid transportation and =
+communica tion, you can't=20
+make all people love one another without sophisticated psychological =
+techniques, you can't have a=20
+"planned society" without the necessary technological base.=20
+Above all, leftism is driven by the need for power, and the leftist seeks =
+power o n a collective basis,=20
+through identification with a mass movement or an organization. Leftism is =
+unlikely ever to give up=20
+technology, because technology is too valuable a source of collective =
+power.=20
+
+215. The anarchist [34] too seeks power, but he seeks it on an individual =
+or small-group basis; he wants=20
+individuals and small groups to be able to control the circumstances of =
+their own lives. He opposes=20
+technology because it makes small groups dependent on large =
+organizations.
+
+216. Some leftists may seem to oppose technology, but they will oppose it =
+only so long as they are=20
+outsiders and the technological system is controlled by non-leftists. If =
+leftism ever becomes dominant in=20
+society, so that the technological system becomes a tool in the hands of =
+leftists, they will e nthusiastically=20
+use it and promote its growth. In doing this they will be repeating a =
+pattern that leftism has shown again=20
+and again in the past. When the Bolsheviks in Russia were outsiders, they =
+vigorously opposed censorship=20
+and the secret police, they advocated self-determination for ethnic mino =
+rities, and so forth;=20
+but as soon as they came into power themselves, they imposed a tighter =
+censorship and created a more=20
+ruthless secret police than any that had existed under the tsars, and they =
+oppressed ethnic minorities at least=20
+as much as the tsars had done. In the United States, a couple of decades =
+ago when leftists were a minority=20
+in our universities, leftist professors were vigorous proponents of =
+academic freedom, but today, in those=20
+universities where leftists have become dominant, they have shown =
+themselves ready to take away from=20
+every one else's academic freedom. (This is "polit ical correctness.") The =
+same will happen with leftists and=20
+technology: They will use it to oppress everyone else if they ever get it =
+under their own control.
+
+217. In earlier revolutions, leftists of the most power-hungry type, =
+repeatedly, have first cooperated with=20
+non-leftist revolutionaries, as well as with leftists of a more libertarian =
+inclination, and later have double-
+crossed them to seize power for them selves. Robespierre did this in the =
+French R evolution, the Bolsheviks=20
+did it in the Russian Revolution, the communists did it in Spain in 1938 =
+and Castro and his followers did it=20
+in Cuba. Given the past history of leftism, it would be utterly foolish for =
+non-leftist revolutionaries today to=20
+collabo rate with leftists.
+
+218. Various thinkers have pointed out that leftism is a kind of religion. =
+Leftism is not a religion in the=20
+strict sense because leftist doctrine does not postulate the existence of =
+any supernatural being. But for the=20
+leftist, leftism plays a psychologica l role much like that which religion =
+plays f or some people. The leftist=20
+NEEDS to believe in leftism; it plays a vital role in his psychological =
+economy. His beliefs are not easily=20
+modified by logic or facts. He has a deep conviction that leftism is =
+morally Right with a capital R, and that=20
+he has no t only a right but a duty to impose leftist morality on everyone. =
+(However, many of the people we=20
+are referring to as "leftists" do not think of themselves as leftists and =
+would not describe=20
+their system of beliefs as leftism. We use the term "leftism" because we =
+don't know of any better words to=20
+d esignate the spectrum of related creeds that includes the feminist, gay =
+rights, political correctness, etc.,=20
+movements, and because these movements have a strong affinity with the old =
+left. See paragraphs 227-
+230.)
+
+219. Leftism is totalitarian force. Wherever leftism is in a position of =
+power it tends to invade every private=20
+corner and force every thought into a leftist mold. In part this is because =
+of the quasi-religious character of=20
+leftism; everything contrary to leftists beliefs represents Sin. More impor =
+tantly, leftism is a totalitarian=20
+force because of the leftists' drive for power. The leftist seeks to =
+satisfy his need for power through=20
+identification with a social movement and he tries to go through the power =
+process by helping to pursue=20
+and attain th e goals of the movement (see paragraph 83). But no matter how =
+far the movement has gone in=20
+attaining its goals the leftist is never satisfied, because his activism is =
+a surrogate activity (see paragraph=20
+41).=20
+That is, the leftist's real motive is not to attain the ostensible goals of =
+leftism; in rea lity he is motivated by=20
+the sense of power h e gets from struggling for and then reaching a social =
+goal.[35]
+
+Consequently the leftist is never satisfied with the goals he has already =
+attained; his need for the power=20
+process leads him always to pursue some new goal. The leftist wants equal =
+opportunities for minorities.=20
+When that is attained he insists on statisti cal equality of achievement by =
+minorities. A nd as long as=20
+anyone harbors in some corner of his mind a negative attitude toward some =
+minority, the leftist has to=20
+re-educated him. And ethnic minorities are not enough; no one can be =
+allowed to have a negative attitude=20
+toward homosexuals, disabled peop le, fat people, old people, ugly people, =
+and on and on and on. It's not=20
+enough that the public should be informed about the hazards of smoking; a =
+warning has to be stamped on=20
+every package of cigarettes.=20
+Then cigarette advertising has to be restricted if not banned. The =
+activists will never be sati sfied until=20
+tobacco is outlawed, and after t hat it will be alco hot then junk food, =
+etc. Activists have fought gross child=20
+abuse, which is reasonable. But now they want to stop all spanking. When =
+they have done that they will=20
+want to ban something else they consider unwholesome, then another thing =
+and then another. They will=20
+never be satisfi ed until they have complete control over all child rearing =
+practices. And then they will=20
+move on to another cause.=20
+
+220. Suppose you asked leftists to make a list of ALL the things that were =
+wrong with society, and then=20
+suppose you instituted EVERY social change that they demanded. It is safe =
+to say that within a couple of=20
+years the majority of leftists would find some thing new to complain about, =
+some new social "evil" to=20
+correct because, once again, the leftist is motivated less by distress at =
+society's ills than by the need to=20
+satisfy his drive for power by imposing his solutions on society.=20
+
+221. Because of the restrictions placed on their thoughts and behavior by =
+their high level of socialization,=20
+many leftists of the over-socialized type cannot pursue power in the ways =
+that other people do. For them=20
+the drive for power has only one morally acceptable outlet, and that is in =
+the strugg le to impose their=20
+morality on everyone.=20
+
+222. Leftists, especially those of the oversocialized type, are True =
+Believers in the sense of Eric Hoffer's=20
+book, "The True Believer." But not all True Believers are of the same =
+psychological type as leftists.=20
+Presumably a truebelieving nazi, for instanc e is very different =
+psychologically from a t ruebelieving leftist.=20
+Because of their capacity for single-minded devotion to a cause, True =
+Believers are a useful, perhaps a=20
+necessary, ingredient of any revolutionary movement. This presents a =
+problem with which we must admit=20
+we don't know how to deal. We aren't sure how to harness the energies o f =
+the True Believer to a revolution=20
+against technology. At present all we can say is that no True Believer will =
+make a safe recruit to the=20
+revolution=20
+unless his commitment is exclusively to the destruction of technology. If =
+he is committed also to another=20
+ideal, he may want to use technology as a t ool for pursuing that other =
+ideal (see paragraphs 220, 221).
+
+223. Some readers may say, "This stuff about leftism is a lot of crap. I =
+know John and Jane who are leftish=20
+types and they don't have all these totalitarian tendencies." It's quite =
+true that many leftists, possibly even a=20
+numerical majority, are decent pe ople who sincerely believe in tolerating =
+oth ers' values (up to a point) and=20
+wouldn't want to use high-handed methods to reach their social goals. Our =
+remarks about leftism are not=20
+meant to apply to every individual leftist but to describe the general =
+character of leftism as a movement.=20
+And the gene ral character of a movement is not necessari ly determined by =
+the numerical proportions of=20
+the various kinds of people involved in the movement.=20
+
+224. The people who rise to positions of power in leftist movements tend to =
+be leftists of the most power-
+hungry type because power-hungry people are those who strive hardest to get =
+into positions of power.=20
+Once the power-hungry types have captured contro l of the movement, there =
+are many leftists o f a gentler=20
+breed who inwardly disapprove of many of the actions of the leaders, but =
+cannot bring themselves to=20
+oppose them. They NEED their faith in the movement, and because they cannot =
+give up this faith they go=20
+along with the leaders. True, SOME lefti sts do have the guts to oppose the =
+totalitar ian tendencies that=20
+emerge, but they generally lose, because the power-hungry types are better =
+organized, are more ruthless=20
+and Machiavellian and have taken care to build themselves a strong power =
+base.=20
+
+225. These phenomena appeared clearly in Russia and other countries that =
+were taken over by leftists.=20
+Similarly, before the breakdown of communism in the USSR, leftish types in =
+the West would seldom=20
+criticize that country. If prodded they would admit that the USSR did many =
+wrong things, but then th ey=20
+would try to find excuses for the communists and begin talking about the =
+faults of the West. They always=20
+opposed Western military resistance to communist aggression. Leftish types =
+all over the world vigorously=20
+protested the U.S. military action in Viet nam, but when the USSR invaded =
+Afghanistan t hey did nothing.=20
+Not that they approved of the Soviet actions; but because of their leftist =
+faith, they just couldn't bear to put=20
+themselves in opposition to communism.=20
+Today, in those of our universities where "political correctness" has =
+become dominant, there are probably=20
+many leftish types who p rivately disapprove of the suppression of academic =
+freedom, but they go along=20
+with it anyway.=20
+
+226. Thus the fact that many individual leftists are personally mild and =
+fairly tolerant people by no means=20
+prevents leftism as a whole form having a totalitarian tendency.=20
+
+227. Our discussion of leftism has a serious weakness. It is still far from =
+clear what we mean by the word=20
+"leftist." There doesn't seem to be much we can do about this. Today =
+leftism is fragmented into a whole=20
+spectrum of activist movements. Yet not all activist movements are leftist, =
+and some act ivist movements=20
+(e.g.., radical environmentalism) seem to include both personalities of the =
+leftist type and personalities of=20
+thoroughly un-leftist types who ought to know better than to collaborate =
+with leftists. Varieties of leftists=20
+fade out gradually into varieties of non-leftists and we oursel ves would =
+often be hard-pressed to decide=20
+whether a given individual is or is not a leftist. To the extent that it is =
+defined at all, our conception of=20
+leftism=20
+is defined by the discussion of it that we have given in this article, and =
+we can only advise t he reader to=20
+use his own judgment in decidin g who is a leftist.=20
+
+228. But it will be helpful to list some criteria for diagnosing leftism. =
+These criteria cannot be applied in a=20
+cut and dried manner. Some individuals may meet some of the criteria =
+without being leftists, some leftists=20
+may not meet any of the criteria. Ag ain, you just have to use your =
+judgment.
+
+229. The leftist is oriented toward largescale collectivism. He emphasizes =
+the duty of the individual to=20
+serve society and the duty of society to take care of the individual. He =
+has a negative attitude toward=20
+individualism. He often takes a moralistic ton e. He tends to be for gun =
+control, for sex e ducation and=20
+other psychologically "enlightened" educational methods, for planning, for =
+affirmative action, for=20
+multiculturalism. He tends to identify with victims. He tends to be against =
+competition and against=20
+violence, but he often finds excuses for th ose leftists who do commit =
+violence. He is f ond of using the=20
+common catch-phrases of the left like "racism, " "sexism, " "homophobia, " =
+"capitalism," "imperialism,"=20
+"neocolonialism " "genocide,"=20
+"social change," "social justice," "social responsibility." Maybe the best =
+diagnostic trait of the leftist is his=20
+tendency to sympathize with the following movements: feminism, gay rights, =
+ethnic rights, disabi lity=20
+rights, animal rights political correct ness. Anyone who strongly =
+sympathizes with ALL of these=20
+movements is almost certainly a leftist. [36]=20
+
+230. The more dangerous leftists, that is, those who are most power-hungry, =
+are often characterized by=20
+arrogance or by a dogmatic approach to ideology. However, the most =
+dangerous leftists of all may be=20
+certain oversocialized types who avoid irritating di splays of =
+aggressiveness and refrain from ad vertising=20
+their leftism, but work quietly and unobtrusively to promote collectivist =
+values, "enlightened"=20
+psychological techniques for socializing children, dependence of the =
+individual on the system, and so forth.=20
+These crypto-leftists (as we may call th em) approximate certain bourgeois =
+types as f ar as practical action=20
+is concerned, but differ from them in psychology, ideology and motivation. =
+The ordinary bourgeois tries to=20
+bring people under control=20
+of the system in order to protect his way of life, or he does so simply =
+because his attitudes are=20
+conventional. The crypto-leftist tries to br ing people under control of =
+the system because he is a True=20
+Believer in a collectivistic ideology. The crypto-leftist is differentiated =
+from the average leftist of the=20
+oversocialized type by the fact that his rebellious impulse is weaker and =
+he is more se curely socialized. He=20
+is differentiated from the ordinary well-socialized bourgeois by the fact =
+that there is some deep lack within=20
+him that makes it necessary for him to devote himself to a cause and =
+immerse himself in a collectivity. And=20
+maybe his (well-sublimated) drive for power is stronger tha n that of the =
+average bourgeois.
+
+FINAL NOTE
+
+231. Throughout this article we've made imprecise statements and statements =
+that ought to have had all=20
+sorts of qualifications and reservations attached to them; and some of our =
+statements may be flatly false.=20
+Lack of sufficient information and the need f or brevity made it impossible =
+for us to fomu late our=20
+assertions more precisely or add all the necessary qualifications. And of =
+course in a discussion of this=20
+
+kind one must rely heavily on intuitive judgment, and that can sometimes be =
+wrong. So we don't claim that=20
+this article expresses more than a crude approximation to the truth. =
+
+
+232. All the same we are reasonably confident that the general outlines of =
+the picture we have painted here=20
+are roughly correct. We have portrayed leftism in its modern form as a =
+phenomenon peculiar to our time=20
+and as a symptom of the disruption of the power process. But we might =
+possibly be wrong about this.=20
+Oversocialized types who try to satisfy their drive for power by imposing =
+their morality on everyone have=20
+certainly been around for a long time. But we THINK that the decisive role =
+played by feelings of=20
+inferiority, low self-esteem, powerlessness, identification with victims by =
+people who are not themselves=20
+victims, is a peculiarity of modern leftism. Identification with victims by =
+people not themselves victims can=20
+be seen to some extent in=20
+19th century leftism and early Christianity but as far as we can make out, =
+symptoms of low self-esteem,=20
+etc., were not nearly so evident in these movements, or in any other =
+movements, as they are in modern=20
+leftism. But we are not in a position to assert confidently that no such =
+movements have existed prior to=20
+modern leftism. This is a significant question to which historians ought to =
+give their attention.=20
+
+NOTES=20
+
+1. (Paragraph 19) We are asserting that ALL, or even most, bullies and =
+ruthless competitors suffer from=20
+feelings of inferiority.=20
+
+2. (Paragraph 25) During the Victorian period many oversocialized people =
+suffered from serious=20
+psychological problems as a result of repressing or trying to repress their =
+sexual feelings. Freud apparently=20
+based his theories on people of this type. Today the focus of socialization =
+has shifted from sex to=20
+aggression.=20
+
+3. (Paragraph 27) Not necessarily including specialists in engineering =
+"hard" sciences.=20
+
+4. (Paragraph 28) There are many individuals of the middle and upper =
+classes who resist some of these=20
+values, but usually their resistance is more or less covert. Such =
+resistance appears in the mass media only to=20
+a very limited extent. The main thrust of propaganda in our society is in =
+favor of the stated values.=20
+
+The main reasons why these values have become, so to speak, the official =
+values of our society is that they=20
+are useful to the industrial system. Violence is discouraged because it =
+disrupts the functioning of the=20
+system. Racism is discouraged because ethnic conflicts also disrupt the =
+system, and discrimination wastes=20
+the talent of minority-group members who could be useful to the system. =
+Poverty must be "cured" because=20
+the underclass causes problems for the system and contact with the =
+underclass lowers the moral of the other=20
+classes. Women are encouraged to have careers because their talents are =
+useful to the system and, more=20
+importantly because by having regular jobs women become better integrated =
+into the system and tied=20
+directly to it rather than to their families.=20
+This helps to weaken family solidarity. (The leaders of the system say they =
+want to strengthen the family,=20
+but they really mean is that they want the family to serve as an effective =
+tool for socializing children in=20
+accord with the needs of the system. We argue in paragraphs 51,52 that the =
+system cannot afford to let the=20
+family or other small-scale social groups be strong or autonomous.) =
+
+
+5. (Paragraph 42) It may be argued that the majority of people don't want =
+to make their own decisions but=20
+want leaders to do their thinking for them. There is an element of truth in =
+this. People like to make their=20
+own decisions in small matters, but making decisions on difficult, =
+fundamental questions require facing up=20
+to psychological conflict, and most people hate psychological conflict. =
+Hence they tend to lean on others in=20
+making difficult decisions. The majority of people are natural followers, =
+not leaders, but they like to have=20
+direct personal access to their leaders and participate to some extent in =
+making difficult decisions. At least=20
+to that degree they need autonomy.=20
+
+6. (Paragraph 44) Some of the symptoms listed are similar to those shown by =
+caged animals.=20
+
+To explain how these symptoms arise from deprivation with respect to the =
+power process:=20
+
+Common-sense understanding of human nature tells one that lack of goals =
+whose attainment requires effort=20
+leads to boredom and that boredom, long continued, often leads eventually =
+to depression. Failure to obtain=20
+goals leads to frustration and lowering of self-esteem. Frustration leads =
+to anger, anger to aggression, often=20
+in the form of spouse or child abuse. It has been shown that long-continued =
+frustration commonly leads to=20
+depression and that depression tends to cause guilt, sleep disorders, =
+eating disorders and bad feelings about=20
+oneself. Those who are tending toward depression seek pleasure as an =
+antidote; hence insatiable hedonism=20
+and excessive sex, with perversions as a means of getting new kicks. =
+Boredom too tends to cause excessive=20
+pleasure-seeking since,=20
+lacking other goals, people often use pleasure as a goal. See accompanying =
+diagram. The foregoing is a=20
+simplification. Reality is more complex, and of course deprivation with =
+respect to the power process is not=20
+the ONLY cause of the symptoms described. By the way, when we mention =
+depression we do not=20
+necessarily mean depression that is severe enough to be treated by a =
+psychiatrist. Often only mild forms of=20
+depression are involved. And when we speak of goals we do not necessarily =
+mean long-term, thought out=20
+goals. For many or most people through much of human history, the goals of =
+a hand-to-mouth existence=20
+(merely providing oneself and one's family with food from day to day) have =
+been quite sufficient.=20
+
+7. (Paragraph 52) A partial exception may be made for a few passive, inward =
+looking groups, such as the=20
+Amish, which have little effect on the wider society. Apart from these, =
+some genuine small-scale=20
+communities do exist in America today. For instance, youth gangs and =
+"cults". Everyone regards them as=20
+dangerous, and so they are, because the members of these groups are loyal =
+primarily to one another rather=20
+than to the system, hence the system cannot control them. Or take the =
+gypsies. The gypsies commonly get=20
+away with theft and fraud because their loyalties are such that they can =
+always get other gypsies to give=20
+testimony that "proves" their innocence. Obviously the system would be in =
+serious trouble if too many=20
+people belonged to such groups. Some of the=20
+early-20th century Chinese thinkers who were concerned with modernizing =
+China recognized the necessity=20
+of breaking down small-scale social groups such as the family: "(According =
+to Sun Yat-sen) The Chinese=20
+people needed a new surge of patriotism, which would lead to a transfer of =
+loyalty from the family to the=20
+state. . .(According to Li Huang) traditional attachments, particularly to =
+the family had to be abandoned if=20
+nationalism were to develop to China." (Chester C. Tan, Chinese Political =
+Thought in the Twentieth=20
+Century," page 125, page 297.)=20
+
+8. (Paragraph 56) Yes, we know that 19th century America had its problems, =
+and serious ones, but for the=20
+sake of breviety we have to express ourselves in simplified terms.=20
+
+9. (Paragraph 61) We leave aside the underclass. We are speaking of the =
+mainstream.=20
+
+10. (Paragraph 62) Some social scientists, educators, "mental health" =
+professionals and the like are doing=20
+their best to push the social drives into group 1 by trying to see to it =
+that everyone has a satisfactory social=20
+life.=20
+
+11. (Paragraphs 63, 82) Is the drive for endless material acquisition =
+really an artificial creation of the=20
+advertising and marketing industry? Certainly there is no innate human =
+drive for material acquisition.=20
+There have been many cultures in which people have desired little material =
+wealth beyond what was=20
+necessary to satisfy their basic physical needs (Australian aborigines, =
+traditional Mexican peasant culture,=20
+some African cultures). On the other hand there have also been many =
+pre-industrial cultures in which=20
+material acquisition has played an important role. So we can't claim that =
+today's acquisition-oriented=20
+culture is exclusively a creation of the advertising and marketing =
+industry. But it is clear that the=20
+advertising and marketing industry has had an=20
+important part in creating that culture. The big corporations that spend =
+millions on advertising wouldn't be=20
+spending that kind of money without solid proof that they were getting it =
+back in increased sales. One=20
+member of FC met a sales manager a couple of years ago who was frank enough =
+to tell him, "Our job is to=20
+make people buy things they don't want and don't need." He then described =
+how an untrained novice could=20
+present people with the facts about a product, and make no sales at all, =
+while a trained and experienced=20
+professional salesman would make lots of sales to the same people. This =
+shows that people are manipulated=20
+into buying things they don't really want.=20
+
+12. (Paragraph 64) The problem of purposelessness seems to have become less =
+serious during the last 15=20
+years or so, because people now feel less secure physically and =
+economically than they did earlier, and the=20
+need for security provides them with a goal. But purposelessness has been =
+replaced by frustration over the=20
+difficulty of attaining security. We emphasize the problem of =
+purposelessness because the liberals and=20
+leftists would wish to solve our social problems by having society =
+guarantee everyone's security; but if that=20
+could be done it would only bring back the problem of purposelessness. The =
+real issue is not whether=20
+society provides well or poorly for people's security; the trouble is that =
+people are dependent on the system=20
+for=20
+their security rather than having it in their own hands. This, by the way, =
+is part of the reason why some=20
+people get worked up about the right to bear arms; possession of a gun puts =
+that aspect of their security in=20
+their own hands.=20
+
+13. (Paragraph 66) Conservatives' efforts to decrease the amount of =
+government regulation are of little=20
+benefit to the average man. For one thing, only a fraction of the =
+regulations can be eliminated because most=20
+regulations are necessary. For another thing, most of the deregulation =
+affects business rather than the=20
+average individual, so that its main effect is to take power from the =
+government and give it to private=20
+corporations. What this means for the average man is that government =
+interference in his life is replaced by=20
+interference from big corporations, which may be permitted, for e xample, =
+to dump more chemicals that=20
+get into his water supply and give him cancer. The conservatives are just =
+taking the average man for a=20
+sucker, exploiting his resentment of Big Government to promote the power of =
+Big Business.=20
+
+14. (Paragraph 73) When someone approves of the purpose for which =
+propaganda is being used in a given=20
+case, he generally calls it "education" or applies to it some similar =
+euphemism. But propaganda is=20
+propaganda regardless of the purpose for which it i s used.=20
+
+15. (Paragraph 83) We are not expressing approval or disapproval of the =
+Panama invasion. We only use it=20
+to illustrate a point.=20
+
+16. (Paragraph 95) When the American colonies were under British rule there =
+were fewer and less effective=20
+legal guarantees of freedom than there were after the American Constitution =
+went into effect, yet there was=20
+more personal freedom in pre-industria l America, both before and after the =
+War of Independence, than=20
+there was after the Industrial Revolution took hold in this country. We =
+quote from "Violence in America:=20
+Historical and Comparative perspectives," edited by Hugh Davis Graham and =
+Ted Robert Gurr, Chapter 12=20
+by Roger Lane, pages 476-478: "The progressive heightening of standards o f =
+property, and with it the=20
+increasing reliance on official law enforcement (in 19th century America). =
+.. .were common to the whole=20
+society. . .[T]he change in social behavior=20
+is so long term and so widespread as to suggest a connection with the most =
+funda mental of contemporary=20
+social processes; tha t of industrial urbanization itself. . =
+.."Massachusetts in 1835 had a population of some=20
+660,940, 81 percent rural, overwhelmingly preindustrial and native born. =
+It's citizens were used to=20
+considerable personal freedom. Whether teamsters, farmers or artisa ns, =
+they were all accustomed to setting=20
+thei r own schedules, and the nature of their work made them physically =
+dependent on each other. .=20
+..Individual problems, sins or even crimes, were not generally cause for =
+wider social concern. . ."But the=20
+impact of the twin movements to the city and to the fac tory, both just =
+gathering force in 1835, had a=20
+progressive effect on personal behavior=20
+throughout the 19th century and into the 20th. The factory demanded =
+regularity of behavior, a life=20
+governed by obedience to the rhythms of clock and calendar, the demands of =
+foreman and supervisor. In=20
+the city or town, the needs of living in closely packed neighborhoods =
+inhibited many actions previously=20
+unobjectionable.=20
+
+Both blue- and white-collar employees in larger establishments were =
+mutually dependent on their fellows.=20
+as one man's work fit into another's, so one man's business was no longer =
+his own. "The results of the new=20
+organization of life and work were appar ent by 1900, when some 76 percent =
+of the 2,8 05,346 inhabitants=20
+of Massachusetts were classified as urbanites. Much violent or irregular =
+behavior which had been tolerable=20
+in a casual, independent society was no longer acceptable in the more =
+formalized, cooperative atmosphere=20
+of the later period. . . The move to the cities had, in short, produc ed a =
+more tractable, more socialized,=20
+more 'civilized' generation than its predecessors."=20
+
+17. (Paragraph 117) Apologists for the system are fond of citing cases in =
+which elections have been=20
+decided by one or two votes, but such cases are rare.=20
+
+18. (Paragraph 119) "Today, in technologically advanced lands, men live =
+very similar lives in spite of=20
+geographical, religious and political differences. The daily lives of a =
+Christian bank clerk in Chicago, a=20
+Buddhist bank clerk in Tokyo, a Communist bank clerk in Moscow are far more =
+alike than the life any one=20
+of them is like that of any single man who lived a thousand years ago. =
+These similarities are the result of a=20
+common technology. . ." L. Sprague de Camp, "The Ancient Engineers," =
+Ballentine edition, page 17.=20
+
+The lives of the three bank clerks are not IDENTICAL. Ideology does have =
+SOME effect. But all=20
+technological societies, in order to survive, must evolve along =
+APPROXIMATELY the same trajectory.=20
+
+19. (Paragraph 123) Just think an irresponsible genetic engineer might =
+create a lot of terrorists.=20
+
+20. (Paragraph 124) For a further example of undesirable consequences of =
+medical progress, suppose a=20
+reliable cure for cancer is discovered. Even if the treatment is too =
+expensive to be available to any but the=20
+elite, it will greatly reduce their incen tive to stop the escape of =
+carcinogens into the environment.=20
+
+21. (Paragraph 128) Since many people may find paradoxical the notion that =
+a large number of good things=20
+can add up to a bad thing, we will illustrate with an analogy. Suppose Mr. =
+A is playing chess with Mr. B.=20
+Mr. C, a Grand Master, is looking over Mr . A's shoulder. Mr. A of course =
+wants to win his game, so if Mr.=20
+C points out a good move for him to make, he is doing Mr. A a favor. But =
+suppose now that Mr. C tells Mr.=20
+A how to make ALL of his moves. In each particular instance he does Mr. A a =
+favor by showing him his=20
+best move, but by making AL L of his moves for him he spoils the game, s =
+ince there is not point in Mr.=20
+A's playing the game at all if someone else makes all his moves.=20
+
+The situation of modern man is analogous to that of Mr. A. The system makes =
+an individual's life easier for=20
+him in innumerable ways, but in doing so it deprives him of control over =
+his own fate.=20
+
+22. (Paragraph 137) Here we are considering only the conflict of values =
+within the mainstream. For the=20
+sake of simplicity we leave out of the picture "outsider" values like the =
+idea that wild nature is more=20
+important than human economic welfare.=20
+
+23. (Paragraph 137) Self-interest is not necessarily MATERIAL =
+self-interest. It can consist in fulfillment of=20
+some psychological need, for example, by promoting one's own ideology or =
+religion.=20
+
+24. (Paragraph 139) A qualification: It is in the interest of the system to =
+permit a certain prescribed degree=20
+of freedom in some areas. For example, economic freedom (with suitable =
+limitations and restraints) has=20
+proved effective in promoting economic growth. But only planned, =
+circumscribed, li mited freedom is in=20
+the interest of the system. The individual must always be kept on a leash, =
+even if the leash is sometimes=20
+long( see paragraphs 94, 97).=20
+
+25. (Paragraph 143) We don't mean to suggest that the efficiency or the =
+potential for survival of a society=20
+has always been inversely proportional to the amount of pressure or =
+discomfort to which the society=20
+subjects people. That is certainly not the c ase. There is good reason to =
+believe that ma ny primitive=20
+societies subjected people to less pressure than the European society did, =
+but European society proved far=20
+more efficient than any primitive society and always won out in conflicts =
+with such societies because of the=20
+advantages conferred by te chnology.=20
+
+26. (Paragraph 147) If you think that more effective law enforcement is =
+unequivocally good because it=20
+suppresses crime, then remember that crime as defined by the system is not =
+necessarily what YOU would=20
+call crime. Today, smoking marijuana is a "crime ," and, in some places in =
+the U.S.., so is p ossession of=20
+ANY firearm, registered or not, may be made a crime, and the same thing may =
+happen with disapproved=20
+methods of child-rearing, such as spanking. In some countries, expression =
+of dissident political opinions is=20
+a crime, and there is no certaint y that this will never happen in the =
+U.S., s ince no constitution or political=20
+system lasts forever.=20
+
+If a society needs a large, powerful law enforcement establishment, then =
+there is something gravely wrong=20
+with that society; it must be subjecting people to severe pressures if so =
+many refuse to follow the rules, or=20
+follow them only because forced. Man y societies in the past have gotten by =
+with little or no formal law-
+enforcement.=20
+
+27. (Paragraph 151) To be sure, past societies have had means of =
+influencing behavior, but these have been=20
+primitive and of low effectiveness compared with the technological means =
+that are now being developed.=20
+
+28. (Paragraph 152) However, some psychologists have publicly expressed =
+opinions indicating their=20
+contempt for human freedom. And the mathematician Claude Shannon was quoted =
+in Omni (August 1987)=20
+as saying, "I visualize a time when we will be to robots what dogs are to =
+humans, and I'm rooting fo r the=20
+machines."=20
+
+29. (Paragraph 154) This is no science fiction! After writing paragraph 154 =
+we came across an article in=20
+Scientific American according to which scientists are actively developing =
+techniques for identifying=20
+possible future criminals and for treating the m by a combination of =
+biological and psychol ogical means.=20
+Some scientists advocate compulsory application of the treatment, which may =
+be available in the near=20
+future. (See "Seeking the Criminal Element", by W. Wayt Gibbs, Scientific =
+American, March 1995.)=20
+Maybe you think this is OK because the trea tment would be applied to those =
+who might be come drunk=20
+drivers (they endanger human life too), then perhaps to peel who spank =
+their children, then to=20
+environmentalists who sabotage logging equipment,=20
+eventually to anyone whose behavior is inconvenient for the system. =
+
+
+30. (Paragraph 184) A further advantage of nature as a counter-ideal to =
+technology is that, in many people,=20
+nature inspires the kind of reverence that is associated with religion, so =
+that nature could perhaps be=20
+idealized on a religious basis. It is tr ue that in many societies religion =
+has serve d as a support and=20
+justification for the established order, but it is also true that religion =
+has often provided a basis for=20
+rebellion. Thus it may be useful to introduce a religious element into the =
+rebellion against technology, the=20
+more so because Weste rn society today has no strong religious fou ndation. =
+
+
+Religion, nowadays either is used as cheap and transparent support for =
+narrow, short-sighted selfishness=20
+(some conservatives use it this way), or even is cynically exploited to =
+make easy money (by many=20
+evangelists), or has degenerated into crude irrati onalism (fundamentalist =
+Protestant sects, "c ults"), or is=20
+simply stagnant (Catholicism, main-line Protestantism). The nearest thing =
+to a strong, widespread, dynamic=20
+religion that the West has seen in recent times has been the quasi-religion =
+of leftism, but leftism today is=20
+fragmented and has no cle ar, unified inspiring goal.=20
+
+Thus there is a religious vaccuum in our society that could perhaps be =
+filled by a religion focused on nature=20
+in opposition to technology. But it would be a mistake to try to concoct =
+artificially a religion to fill this=20
+role. Such an invented religion would probably be a failure. Take the =
+"Gaia" religion for example. Do its=20
+adherents REALLY believe in it or are they just play-acting? If they are =
+just play-acting their religion will=20
+be a flop in the end.=20
+
+It is probably best not to try to introduce religion into the conflict of =
+nature vs. technology unless you=20
+REALLY believe in that religion yourself and find that it arouses a deep, =
+strong, genuine response in many=20
+other people.=20
+
+31. (Paragraph 189) Assuming that such a final push occurs. Conceivably the =
+industrial system might be=20
+eliminated in a somewhat gradual or piecemeal fashion. (see paragraphs 4, =
+167 and Note 4).=20
+
+32. (Paragraph 193) It is even conceivable (remotely) that the revolution =
+might consist only of a massive=20
+change of attitudes toward technology resulting in a relatively gradual and =
+painless disintegration of the=20
+industrial system. But if this happens we'll be very lucky. It's far more =
+probably that the transition to a=20
+nontechnological society will be very difficult and full of conflicts and =
+disasters.=20
+
+33. (Paragraph 195) The economic and technological structure of a society =
+are far more important than its=20
+political structure in determining the way the average man lives (see =
+paragraphs 95, 119 and Notes 16, 18).=20
+
+34. (Paragraph 215) This statement refers to our particular brand of =
+anarchism. A wide variety of social=20
+attitudes have been called "anarchist," and it may be that many who =
+consider themselves anarchists would=20
+not accept our statement of paragraph 215. It should be noted, by the way, =
+that there is a nonviolent=20
+anarchist movement whose members probably would not accept FC as anarchist =
+and certainly would not=20
+approve of FC's violent methods.=20
+
+35. (Paragraph 219) Many leftists are motivated also by hostility, but the =
+hostility probably results in part=20
+from a frustrated need for power.=20
+
+36. (Paragraph 229) It is important to understand that we mean someone who =
+sympathizes with these=20
+MOVEMENTS as they exist today in our society. One who believes that women, =
+homosexuals, etc., should=20
+have equal rights is not necessarily a leftist. The f eminist, gay rights, =
+etc., movements that ex ist in our=20
+society have the particular ideological tone that characterizes leftism, =
+and if one believes, for example, that=20
+women should have equal rights it does not necessarily follow that one must =
+sympathize with the feminist=20
+movement as it exists today .=20
+
+If copyright problems make it impossible for this long quotation to be =
+printed, then please change Note 16=20
+to read as follows:=20
+
+16. (Paragraph 95) When the American colonies were under British rule there =
+were fewer and less effective=20
+legal guarantees of freedom than there were after the American Constitution =
+went into effect, yet there was=20
+more personal freedom in pre-industria l America, both before and after the =
+War of Independence, than=20
+there was after the Industrial Revolution took hold in this country. In =
+"Violence in America: Historical and=20
+Comparative Perspectives," edited by Hugh Davis Graham and Ted Robert Gurr, =
+Chapter 12 by Roger=20
+Lane, it is explained how in pr e-industrial America the average person had =
+greater independence and=20
+autonomy than he does today, and how the process of industrialization =
+necessarily led to the restriction of=20
+personal freedom.
+
+
+End of message.
+
+
+.
+RSET
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+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
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+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No. 7 - MIME text and attachment
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-6>
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+
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+
+
+.
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+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.6 - Encoded "=" characters
+Date: date-replacement-string-
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+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.5 - Empty message body
+Date: date-replacement-string-
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+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.4 - Trailing spaces and tab characters
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-9>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
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+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.3 - Wrapped lines
+Date: date-replacement-string-
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+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.2 - Dot stuffing test
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-11>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+This message contains a block of dot characters,=20
+arranged into the shape of a triangle. There are=20
+four rows in the triangle; the first row contains
+4 dots, the last row contains 1 dot.
+
+.....
+....
+...
+..
+
+..This line should contain a "dot" as its first character.
+
+End of message.
+
+.
+RSET
+MAIL FROM:<test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+RCPT TO:<recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra>
+DATA
+From: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+Reply-to: "SMTP Test1" <test@psion9.demon.co.uk>
+To: recyclebin@lon-msgtest06.intra
+Subject: Test message No.1 - 1000 character line in message
+Date: date-replacement-string-
+Message-ID: <message-id-replacement-string-12>
+X-Mailer: EPOC Email Version 2.10
+MIME-Version: 1.0
+Content-Language: i-default
+Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
+Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
+
+The line in the following 3 paragraphs each contain 1000 characters: =
+
+the maximum limit of linelength for SMTP mail. Each should arrive as
+one wrapped paragraph in the received message. The dot-stuffed
+paragraph is the absolute maximum line length permissable in SMTP
+protocol - although in practice IMCV wraps the data into shorter
+lines before it is actually sent.
+
+1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
+5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
+1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
+5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
+1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+901234567890
+
+The following paragraph will be dot stuffed into 1001 characters:
+
+..123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
+6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
+2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
+8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123=
+4567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789=
+0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
+6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
+2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
+8901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123=
+4567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789=
+0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345=
+6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901=
+2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567=
+890123456789
+
+Start67890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
+5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
+1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+9012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234=
+5678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890=
+1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456=
+7890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012=
+3456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678=
+901234567End
+
+End of message.
+
+.
+QUIT