'Amway' and 'Scientology' are totalitarian States in microcosm

Shyam

At the risk of being called an 'alarmist,' I have come to the inescapable conclusion that it is actually impossible to exaggerate the potential menace posed by the creators of cults. Given unrestricted access to the historical evidence (and fully-functioning critical faculties), it's not that difficult to see that organization's like 'Amway' and 'Scientology' are unoriginal, abusive, reality-inverting, totalitarian States in microcosm. For decades, their wealthy self-appointed sovereign leaders have steadfastly pretended moral and intellectual authority whilst pursuing various, hidden, criminal objectives. These sanctimonious charlatans have cowered behind aggressive echelons of amoral attorneys, and apologists, and have attempted to control the reality of not just their followers, but also of casual observers.

With the benefit of hindsight, all free-thinking people now accept that, for long periods in the 20th century, the majority of contemporary observers refused to recognize the global spread of abusive, reality-inverting, totalitarianism dressed up as 'Communism', 'Fascism', 'National Socialism', etc. Indeed, the people who first tried to warn the world of the horror lurking behind an apparently absurd, little gang of sanctimonoious charlatans - calling themselves the 'National Socialist German Workers Party' and led by a hitherto unknown, German army veteran playing the comic-book role of ordinary man turned superman - were dismissed as 'alarmists.'

Currently, various world leaders recognize the reality-inverting, totalitarian phenomenon, but only when it is dressed up as 'Radical Islam.' However, large-scale totalitarian regimes don't just suddenly appear from nowhere. Like the 'Nazi party,' they all start out as small-scale cults. Obviously, by their very nature, totalitarian cults never announce themselves, whilst their many disguises continue to adapt to mirror the changing spirit of the times. Throughout the ages, a dangerous minority of mythomaniacs, charlatans and would-be demagogues have always been able to get their human prey to sail blindly into positions of subjection, by first bedazzling them with all manner of false beacons which seemed so welcoming and authentic that the majority of people could not have been expected to determine exactly what was lurking behind them. Even though most of us want to deny it, at a moment of weakness all of us can need to listen to the latest cultic voice of insanity; especially when it appeals to our existing beliefs and instinctual desires, and originates from the apparent face of reason. To casual observers, the phenomenon might seem to be a ridiculous anachronism, but cultism or occultism has survived the tide of history and continues to wreck countless lives, simply because its instigators keep updating the lyrics of their siren song.

Totalitarianism itself is enduring, its camouflage is ephemeral.

David Brear (copyright 2010)