What a brilliant Substack. But where are all the commenters?
Just a suggestion, this Substack post could have been in several instalments. I, for instance have forgotten what I was thinking when reading the early parts.
I did however note to ask if you are familiar with W.Bruce Lincoln's book "The Conquest of a Continent. Siberia and the Russians"?
There's a part in it where a shopkeeper has to put a propaganda slogan amongst his display of meat or whatever in the window. He pays the sign no heed. His customers pay the sign no heed. But all know that if that sign is not in the centre of the window, well, then the butcher would be dead meat.
During our March 2020 Lockdown here in NZ most everyone in this neighborhood had a teddy bear or similar soft toy looking out of their window. Cindy said that it would be nice to do it. People posted photos of the bears.
I wondered if I was going to be ostracized for not playing along.
Then there was the 6pm standing at the gate clapping for the essential workers ritual.
That felt like totalitarianism, and the bliss that people expressed over doing it.
I am writing from NZ, where we have famously had low levels of government corruption and thus high levels of trust in government institutions. Generally we can trust all manner of people to do what they are paid to do.
This trust has been taken advantage of, unfortunately showing NZers as naive.
What a brilliant Substack. But where are all the commenters?
Just a suggestion, this Substack post could have been in several instalments. I, for instance have forgotten what I was thinking when reading the early parts.
I did however note to ask if you are familiar with W.Bruce Lincoln's book "The Conquest of a Continent. Siberia and the Russians"?
There's a part in it where a shopkeeper has to put a propaganda slogan amongst his display of meat or whatever in the window. He pays the sign no heed. His customers pay the sign no heed. But all know that if that sign is not in the centre of the window, well, then the butcher would be dead meat.
During our March 2020 Lockdown here in NZ most everyone in this neighborhood had a teddy bear or similar soft toy looking out of their window. Cindy said that it would be nice to do it. People posted photos of the bears.
I wondered if I was going to be ostracized for not playing along.
Then there was the 6pm standing at the gate clapping for the essential workers ritual.
That felt like totalitarianism, and the bliss that people expressed over doing it.
Ah, the humanised mice.
I am writing from NZ, where we have famously had low levels of government corruption and thus high levels of trust in government institutions. Generally we can trust all manner of people to do what they are paid to do.
This trust has been taken advantage of, unfortunately showing NZers as naive.
Brilliant piece, thank you!