This is a continuation of my reading of Victor Herman’s book, Coming Out Of The Ice, An Unexpected Life, out of print for some time. Just a reminder of why I am doing this. I consider this book to be extremely important, because it is a glimpse into what we can expect if we do not resist the oncoming tyranny. Victor Herman, in discussing his experiences in the Soviet gulag emphasized: “Don’t think it can’t happen here.” And, it is now happening here.
The series begins here.
Absurdity.
In his book, The Psychology Of Totalitarianism, Mattias Desmet asserts that in totalitarian societies:
What one thinks does not matter; what counts is that people think it together. In this way, the masses come to accept even the most absurd ideas as true, or at least to act as if they were true. (p. 97)
In this chapter of Victor’s book, we find a classic example of such bureaucratic absurdity.
“This Tribunal has reviewed your case, and finds that no case exists.”
Consider the huge insanity of that statement - the examination of something nonexistent proving its nonexistence!
During the time period of this chapter, Stalin dies.
All of the U.S.S.R. would change as a result . . .
and later
Had anything really changed?
Not much.
Military and government bureaucrats promulgate absurdity; meanwhile, children starve.
The reading is here. As always, I hope you appreciate Victor’s words.