Posted on 09/30/2018 10:45:16 AM PDT by caww
That’s the collapse of the Democrats, not the Senate.
What we just witnessed was:
The Practice of Ritual Defamation
How values, opinions and beliefs are
controlled in democratic societies.
Laird Wilcox
1990
Defamation is the destruction or attempted destruction of the reputation, status, character or standing in the community of a person or group of persons by unfair, wrongful, or malicious speech or publication. For the purposes of this essay, the central element is defamation in retaliation for the real or imagined attitudes, opinions or beliefs of the victim, with the intention of silencing or neutralizing his or her influence, and/or making an example of them so as to discourage similar independence and “insensitivity” or non-observance of taboos. It is different in nature and degree from simple criticism or disagreement in that it is aggressive, organized and skillfully applied, often by an organization or representative of a special interest group, and in that it consists of several characteristic elements.
Ritual Defamation is not ritualistic because it follows any prescribed religious or mystical doctrine, nor is it embraced in any particular document or scripture. Rather, it is ritualistic because it follows a predictable, stereotyped pattern which embraces a number of elements, as in a ritual.
The elements of a Ritual Defamation are these:
In a ritual defamation the victim must have violated a particular taboo in some way, usually by expressing or identifying with a forbidden attitude, opinion or belief. It is not necessary that he “do” anything about it or undertake any particular course of action, only that he engage in some form of communication or expression.
The method of attack in a ritual defamation is to assail the character of the victim, and never to offer more than a perfunctory challenge to the particular attitudes, opinions or beliefs expressed or implied. Character assassination is its primary tool.
An important rule in ritual defamation is to avoid engaging in any kind of debate over the truthfulness or reasonableness of what has been expressed, only condemn it. To debate opens the issue up for examination and discussion of its merits, and to consider the evidence that may support it, which is just what the ritual defamer is trying to avoid. The primary goal of a ritual defamation is censorship and repression.
The victim is often somebody in the public eye - someone who is vulnerable to public opinion - although perhaps in a very modest way. It could be a schoolteacher, writer, businessman, minor official, or merely an outspoken citizen. Visibility enhances vulnerability to ritual defamation.
An attempt, often successful, is made to involve others in the defamation. In the case of a public official, other public officials will be urged to denounce the offender. In the case of a student, other students will be called upon, and so on.
In order for a ritual defamation to be effective, the victim must be dehumanized to the extent that he becomes identical with the offending attitude, opinion or belief, and in a manner which distorts it to the point where it appears at its most extreme. For example, a victim who is defamed as a “subversive” will be identified with the worst images of subversion, such as espionage, terrorism or treason. A victim defamed as a “pervert” will be identified with the worst images of perversion, including child molestation and rape. A victim defamed as a “racist” or “anti-Semitic” will be identified with the worst images of racism or anti-Semitism, such as lynchings or gas chambers.
Also to be successful, a ritual defamation must bring pressure and humiliation on the victim from every quarter, including family and friends. If the victim has school children, they may be taunted and ridiculed as a consequence of adverse publicity. If they are employed, they may be fired from their job. If the victim belongs to clubs or associations, other members may be urged to expel them.
Any explanation the victim may offer, including the claim of being misunderstood, is considered irrelevant. To claim truth as a defense for a politically incorrect value, opinion or belief is interpreted as defiance and only compounds the problem. Ritual defamation is often not necessarily an issue of being wrong or incorrect but rather of “insensitivity” and failing to observe social taboos.
An interesting aspect of ritual defamation as a practice is its universality. It is not specific to any value, opinion or belief or to any group or subculture. It may be used for or against any political, ethnic, national or religious group. It may, for example, by anti-Semites against Jews, or by Jews against anti-Semites; by rightists against leftists or by leftists against rightists, and so on.
The power of ritual defamation lies entirely in its capacity to intimidate and terrorize. It embraces some elements of primitive superstitious belief, as in a “curse” or “hex.” It plays into the subconscious fear most people have of being abandoned or rejected by the tribe or by society and being cut off from social and psychological support systems.
The weakness of ritual defamation lies in its tendency toward overkill and in its obvious maliciousness. Occasionally a ritual defamation will fail because of poor planning and failure to correctly judge the vulnerability of the victim or because its viciousness inadvertently generates sympathy.
It’s important to recognize and identify the patterns of a ritual defamation. Like all propaganda and disinformation campaigns it is accomplished primarily through the manipulation of words and symbols. It is not used to persuade, but to punish. Although it may have cognitive elements, its thrust is primarily emotional. Ritual Defamation is used to hurt, to intimidate, to destroy, and to persecute, and to avoid the dialogue, debate and discussion upon which a free society depends. On those grounds it must be opposed no matter who tries to justify its use.
Link: http://www.lairdwilcox.com/news/defame.html
Perhaps Nunes and other R's need to come to the moment that they realize they and ChiDi are not on the same front. She and millions across the nation will go away thinking she did a great job and even could have done better. It is certainly time to face the effort to remake America.
Perhaps another FReeper can help me recall if it was ChiDi or Pelosi who said at the funeral of an avowed American communist that the deceased was a "role model" for our times.
“Nunes was on Fox last night — Judge Janine, I think. The look on his face was so sad. I think he knows more than we think he knows, and it isn’t good”
I saw that...What we already know tells us that none of this is good. The corrupt state is in our face and they don’t care if they’re out in the open about it.
Too bad we only have a handful like Nunes...
[ “When you take a Supreme Court justice and you have senators talking about high school yearbooks, you are watching the collapse of the Senate. Collapse of the republic. It’s really, really dangerous.” ]
That’s correct. Since the Obamanation that caused desolation (with a bit license) the values America were built on have been rapidly eradicated and/or under severe attack. The Democrats with all of their insanity, lies, falsehoods, etc. will destroy what’s left of America. They are truly that dangerous and fruity.
I’ve always thought of the Senate as a bunch of windbags that pass a lot of gas.
...swinging from the end of a rope. By our hands or her own.
Well you’re likely correct in some respects....what they use to do behind closed doors is certainly showing itself in full view of the audience. I suspect phones have been ringing throughout the weekend no doubt.
Oh they get it....some just have ‘another agenda’ of their own.
Nunes knows history.
This is exactly how ancient Greece went under.
In Greece, Senate intrigue became subterfuge became calumny became warfare.
As for Feinstein, Like Pelosi, Hillary and others, it's obvious their brains are not firing on all cylinders.....
I think he knows more than we think he knows, and it isn’t good.
What is that supposed to mean?
“...really, really dangerous.” ...not to mention disgusting and pathetic.
Well that’s what they always do and is their mantra.....creating havoc and chaos and with it hiring those groups to do violence when needed. That is how they work.. Be it flooding overwhelming mounds of information to hide the truth somewhere within it all....to withholding and concealing information.
To call the Demorats a ‘Political Party’, when it has obviously become a party of obstruction, lies and destruction of our country and it’s governing bodies and institutions, is just flat out wrong. It’s anything but that!
Well it’s a HOT HOUSE of corruption throughout so when truth enters the arena their only recourse is to stomp it out by whatever means....instead we find far too many still ‘playing’ their roles in the old way of doing things. Nunes stands outside that.
Sadly, both. For DECADES, we voting fodder for the Republican Party were told we should vote for the "lesser of two evils".
Then they said "if we don't like the choices, vote for different candidates". President Trump, pro-US conservatives, and now Deplorables are OUR candidates. The reason for this recent mess is that they let Roy Moore lose rather than have someone they didn't approve of in DC. Remember when Murkowski lost the primary? Didn't make one bit of difference. They played a trick and kept her in the US Senate. And how about the shenanigans to keep McDaniel out of the US Senate? And now? Republican powerbrokers are as deep in the coup as are the dems.
And look at what Senator Flake did. Assuming that was not a staged event, his life and every US Senator's life is in danger at their place of work. Of course those women should've been detained and investigated. Instead, sicko Flake insists they get their way. What the heck do the manipulators have on him?
I don't know how it comes back together unless the sickos in the Republican Party get behind us voters and figure out a way to win in November. And then start doing their Constitutionally described job.
(had to get those thoughts in order)
The Pol Pot Leftist are on the March. Get ready for years of Red Terror.
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