Sundance pointed to this thread on Twitter. I think it’s important information and worth sharing for everyone! It explains why people are so easily brainwashed, coerced, quieted and willing to turn on their neighbors…even their own families….
BENJAMIN CARLSON: What can an unfree society teach you about freedom? In 6+ years living in China as a journalist, I was informed on, spied on, tailed when traveling. This is nothing compared to what Chinese go through if targeted [by the CCP.]
Here are 14 lessons—and warnings—that many need to hear:
People will adapt to oppression sooner than they will rebel.
It's human nature to seek the path of least resistance.
The most effective censorship is first legal, then social, then internal. Once people have learned to avoid certain topics ("that's too sensitive") - they cease to have anything to say on it.
A repressive system makes selfish behavior rational.
When the law is seen as an instrument of coercion, and enforcement is selective, a reasonable response is to ignore the law. This is why much of daily life in China felt paradoxically free.
Ruining 1 person who threatens the regime sends a message that will be heard by 10,000.
"Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys" is the old Chinese expression. Bring down a powerful person, intimidate society.
If you can limit the words people use, you can limit the thoughts they think. Since despots can never limit speech completely, they seek ever-more intrusive methods of intervention. Chat software wouldn't let you send certain words. Even workarounds were banned.
Even decent people will choose to be blind if seeing injustice would hurt their interests. We're all prey to this. Only those with nothing to lose—and the rare great soul—will stick out their necks when another has run afoul of the system.
If the government lies, many will still accept it as true because of the authority of the office. It's very difficult to accept that someone you believe should be respected is willing to deceive you.
Destroying a people's cultural & religious identity, severing them from their history, punishing their defenders, and making them ashamed of who they are, is a brutally effective way to annihilate a threat.
Ever wonder why Hollywood stopped talking about Tibet?
The goal of an unfree system is to protect itself by transferring your distrust of the state to fellow citizens.
Making you mistrust, suspect, and undermine your neighbors is its great defense.
"Divide and conquer" works at home too. [Turning children against their parents.]
In an unfree society, the wealth and privileges amassed by politicians become state secrets.
Protected from the threat of exposure, politicians do not hesitate to sell the public's interests to those who make them rich.
If the government shows it has your interests at heart, many are happy to trade freedoms for it. The state can earn immense goodwill so long as people believe it is working to make life better for them. In a society long used to suffering, change is good.
Corruption corrupts everything. Once people know the privileged have taken shortcuts, they are justified in seeking shortcuts themselves. The less freedom you have, the less responsibility you feel.
Even politicians who fight like dogs will protect one another against the people.
This is because they live by different laws. Corruption is inevitable. If one is exposed, they all are.
History must continually be rewritten to serve the purposes of the present. Yesterday's villains become today's heroes. Yesterday's heroes are dragged through the mud. The people must play along as if nothing has happened.
None of this is unique to China, of course. In daily life, people I met were warm, dynamic, optimistic. I still miss many things since leaving in 2018. But the lessons have stayed with me. Freedom is a fragile thing.
The morning after I published Benjamin’s thread on Facebook I awoke to a message from Facebook asking me if I was OK and if I was suicidal and needed help. I kid you not.
My profile now includes a flag that says I have “some issues.”
I didn’t screenshot the message about being suicidal (I wish I would have) but when I clicked on it in my Google history this came up. They called the message a “support tip from Facebook.” Hmm.
Trust me - I’m not suicidal and have no plans to Epstein myself. But this is the kind of tactic that Communist regimes use against anyone who resists.
Then they removed my post about election results on election night showing that Trump won and called it hate speech - like they always do.
Flagging posts as hate speech and flagging users as suicidal is a common CCP tactic. They are doing this right now in Europe.
Why? They can use this kind of "smear" strategy - and red flag laws - to label you as a threat - turn your fellow citizens against you - remove you from social media - enter your home without warrants, seize your weapons and your bank accounts - under the guise of helping you and helping society. That's what they do in Communist China and Socialist Europe now to shut down resistance.
People laugh when their friends and family get sent to Facebook jail. I realize that often laughter and sarcasm is a way to cover fear. I get that. But, people should realize this type of censorship is a step by step method of oppression that ends in total enslavement. They’ve been working on this for years. Nothing funny about it at all.
What can you do? Spread the truth, protect yourself & your family and BE THERE FOR THE INNOCENT when the time comes. May God Bless America!
If you like my work, please donate to me by credit card here. Or upgrade your subscription to paid if you have not already. Or you can send a check to Peggy Tierney, PO Box 242, Spooner, Wisconsin 54801. Or just send me a note or a card or an email! I love hearing from you. Thank you to all who have donated in the past. I truly appreciate your generosity!
You can find all my current newsletters at my website at TierneyRealNewsNetwork.substack.com. You can always send me an email at TierneyRealNewsNetwork@substack.com. I try to respond to every request or question.
Please follow me on Telegram at t.me/TierneyRealNews. Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079025148615. Or you can find me on Truth Social, GETTR, Parler, Gab and Instagram at @MaggiePeggy123.
Thanks again, and please share my newsletter and encourage your friends to subscribe! It’s free and always will be!