How modern authoritarianism preys on our perceived need for “safety” and uses censorship to shape our view of the world.
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THE TOPLINE
- A new form of ‘soft’ authoritarianism has emerged that relies on psychological manipulation and censorship rather than overt oppression or violence. This new order creates an illusion of prioritizing safety above all else, as we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, using it as a pretext to remove our freedoms.
- Traditionally, countercultures that have opposed dominant political systems and ideologies, especially on the left, have distrusted ‘the establishment’. The new left does the opposite: it strives for acceptance and compliance, while endorsing censorship and other mechanisms that infringe on our freedoms. This realignment has resulted in unreserved buy-in to globalist public health and related ideologies, with dissenters being silenced and marginalized.
- Unlike historical authoritarian regimes centered on a single leader, the new brand of authoritarianism is characterized by a diffusion of power among various global interests, including billionaires, corporations, political elites and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF). These entities collaborate to shape policies that serve corporate interests, often at the expense of individual autonomy and decentralized decision-making.
The dawn of a new form of authoritarianism is upon us, but it is markedly different from its predecessors. This softer, more insidious authoritarianism doesn’t rely on brute force, or overt oppression or violence; instead, it employs psychological manipulation, censorship, as well as social and economic control mechanisms. COVID provided both a fast-track and a test-run of many of these ideas—if we don’t do something about it, we can expect these same strategies to be employed more uniformly in the years to come. It’s why those who value freedom and health sovereignty need to unite against the New Normal that the global elites are attempting to enforce.
Realignment of political ideologies
Historically, the left has been synonymous with challenging the establishment, resisting “the Man,” and championing countercultural movements, especially during the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, however, there is a noticeable realignment. The left now finds itself aligned with Big Pharma and the censorship industrial complex. Journalist Matt Taibbi has highlighted this shift, noting how the left, which once was so vehemently opposed to the Bush-era Patriot Act, has aligned itself with the surveillance state and heavy-handed censorship. Instead of the cultural rebels of yesteryear who challenge the status quo, we now have individuals who enforce conformity, urging adherence to public health directives like mask mandates, lockdowns, and mass vaccination campaigns. Those who disobey such directives are viewed as being selfish, endangering public health, and worthy of being silenced.
Historically, most authoritarian regimes have silenced dissent through extreme oppression and the threat, or use, of violence. The acolytes of the New Normal are not holding little red books like Mao’s followers during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s—but is it really that hard to imagine Mao’s Little Red Book being replaced with CDC or WHO health guidelines as it’s shoved in the face of those who dare to not wear a mask during the next declared pandemic? Or reporting on neighbors who do not comply with top-down health measures?
The ideology of ‘safety first’
The new authoritarianism operates under the guise of prioritizing the human primal need for safety above all else. People who decided not to get the COVID vaccine or wear masks were seen as selfish, putting their own interests above the welfare of others. Never mind that the COVID vaccines were rushed through approval and associated with a number of significant safety signals. Never mind that assurances that COVID vaccination prevented transmission were overblown. The ideology of ‘Safety First’ that characterizes this new authoritarianism does not let small things like science and truth stand in its way.
This ideology doesn’t employ traditional tools of violence and coercion. Instead, it uses psychological tactics like gaslighting, shadowbanning, and deplatforming to silence dissent. Those who question vaccines safety or efficacy are conspiracy theorists, firmly in the “tin foil hat” or “far right” crowd. Lockdowns—a term borrowed from prisons when inmates get too unruly—vaccine passports, and travel restrictions conditioned us to accept a new and unprecedented level of control over our lives by the state and its health authorities. This will make it easier to go a step further next time.
And don’t be fooled into thinking COVID was a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. The “next time” is already being contemplated. None other than Nicole Schwab, Klaus Schwab’s daughter (more on him below), stated in June 2020 that COVID proved governments could exert tremendous control over populations once people felt an extreme threat to their livelihoods, and that there are opportunities post-COVID to “position nature at the core of the economy.” Might this be a wink and a nod towards climate lockdowns and 15-minute cities, whereby freedoms are further curtailed or eliminated in the name of saving the planet? The playbook has already been written.
Diffusion of power
Unlike historical authoritarian regimes centered around a singular figurehead, this new form of control is diffused among various power brokers and global special interests. Entities like Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Chemical, Big Tech, and Big Government collaborate to shape policies that serve their interests. This nexus of power includes influential figures such as Bill Gates and organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), all working in concert to maintain their influence and protect the bottom lines of the corporate and billionaire elite they serve.
Klaus Schwab, the incumbent executive chairman of the WEF, is a key architect of the New Normal and the Great Reset—a grand and disturbing plan to reshape the world post-COVID.
>>> Read ANH International articles on The Great Reset here and here.
A key concept of the Great Reset is the development of “stakeholder capitalism,” a transformation of global society whereby corporations do not exclusively service shareholders but customers, suppliers, employees, communities, and other “stakeholders.” More power to the corporations, less to democratic institutions—and bye-bye to personal liberties! Long live the Republic of Pfizer and Nestle!
As a black cloud gathers over Schwab’s head following the Wall Street Journal’s recent exposée of a toxic and discriminatory culture inside the WEF, Schwab has conveniently announced he will be resigning his post after 53 years. His replacement is Borge Brende, former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and currently the President of the WEF. If you think this changes anything, think again: Brende recently wrote an article contemplating how best to return to an era of “global cooperation.” Our translation: more top-down, centralized medicine like the WHO wants, less local decision-making, less individual autonomy.
The COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst
The COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies this new authoritarianism’s modus operandi. Government actions ostensibly aimed at public health often served Big Pharma’s interests, sidelining natural health options and censoring alternative viewpoints. Regulatory bodies like the FDA and FTC have long sought to restrict natural remedies, but the pandemic amplified these efforts. Claims about the benefits of supplements like vitamins D and C, quercetin and N-acetyl-cysteine were censored, and off-label uses of off-patent drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were aggressively suppressed—positions that agencies have been forced to walk back. Medical professionals who deviated from the official narrative faced severe repercussions, including loss of their licenses. Again, when “Safety First” is the operative ideology, it makes it easy to sideline or vilify anyone who moves against the grain—who, after all, would be anti-safety?
Central to this new authoritarianism is the belief that exercising power over dissenters is justified—and in fact, a necessity for order under the conditions of the ‘new normal’. This mindset rationalizes the suppression of alternative viewpoints as a pre-requisite for the greater good, particularly in the context of public health. The ideology of “Safety First” thus becomes a tool for enforcing conformity, marginalizing dissent, and shifting more power towards corporations. Who, after all, gains the most from one-size-fits-all and prophylactic medicines? We doubt it’s the recipients; much more likely the patent-holders and manufacturers.
The dawn of this softer form of authoritarianism represents a profound shift in how power is wielded and justified. It eschews overt violence in favor of psychological control and censorship, all under the banner of public safety—a type of public safety that requires that your health choices are severely limited to drugs and vaccines produced by preferred suppliers.
This new global order is characterized by a realignment of political ideologies, a diffusion of power among global interests, and a readiness to suppress dissent in the name of the common good. As we navigate this evolving landscape, it is crucial to remain vigilant and critically examine the narratives that shape our society.
Dear reader: we ask you to be hyper-vigilant in the face of any top-down orders suggesting you surrender freedoms or healthcare choices in the name of safety. Let’s remind ourselves regularly that America was built on a platform of liberty of conscience, not safety.
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