Thank you for this powerful excavation of history. What strikes me most is how little has changed in the behavioral script: cruelty is never incidental, it’s instrumental. From Hoover’s raids to today’s “war within,” the same pattern repeats…fear manufactured, dissent criminalized, and human beings reduced to props in a theater of control.
I’ve been writing about this for months: cruelty isn’t a byproduct of authoritarianism, it’s the point. It’s the loyalty test, the spectacle, the signal that law has been hollowed out into performance. Your piece underscores that lesson with clarity, and reminds us that silence only feeds the machinery.
— Johan
Professor of behavioral economics and applied cognitive theory
This is a FANTASTIC piece, one I hope to share. It will certainly serve as a backdrop in my thoughts as I head out for yet another local rally on Oct 18th♥️♥️♥️
If you have any interest in this subject, read "American Midnight" by Adam Hochschild. A deep but super accessible dive into this dark time of repression and fear. Lots of scary parallels to now but I suppose a little encouraging, considering that people who did nothing more than protest WWI ended up in jail. We still have more freedom of speech than a century ago ... sort of.
This is critical to national security. Stop what you are doing and if you are a flag officer, be in Quantico pronto to hear the TOP TWO civilian leaders of the U.S. military establish new instructions.
Fascinating—I am unaware of Red Scare I … I was a child during Red Scare II. But it’s interesting to note that the targets of both - real for RS I, in effect for RS II - were Jews. RS III focuses on Latinos so far; but also seems aimed at the feared “other”.
Such a timely and moving reminder of our history. I share Judge Young's fear about American complacency. Will we rise to the occasion? If history is our guide, the prospects aren't good.
Our history shows that eventually, we do rise to the occasion. Our job now is to make sure that we rise to the occasion much more quickly than in the past.
Thank you for this powerful excavation of history. What strikes me most is how little has changed in the behavioral script: cruelty is never incidental, it’s instrumental. From Hoover’s raids to today’s “war within,” the same pattern repeats…fear manufactured, dissent criminalized, and human beings reduced to props in a theater of control.
I’ve been writing about this for months: cruelty isn’t a byproduct of authoritarianism, it’s the point. It’s the loyalty test, the spectacle, the signal that law has been hollowed out into performance. Your piece underscores that lesson with clarity, and reminds us that silence only feeds the machinery.
— Johan
Professor of behavioral economics and applied cognitive theory
Former Foreign Service Officer
Couldn't have said it better!
Cruelty … and an adoration of white skin.
This is a FANTASTIC piece, one I hope to share. It will certainly serve as a backdrop in my thoughts as I head out for yet another local rally on Oct 18th♥️♥️♥️
If you have any interest in this subject, read "American Midnight" by Adam Hochschild. A deep but super accessible dive into this dark time of repression and fear. Lots of scary parallels to now but I suppose a little encouraging, considering that people who did nothing more than protest WWI ended up in jail. We still have more freedom of speech than a century ago ... sort of.
This is critical to national security. Stop what you are doing and if you are a flag officer, be in Quantico pronto to hear the TOP TWO civilian leaders of the U.S. military establish new instructions.
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/omg-no-bopping?r=3m1bs
And let’s also remember that the “proof” for all these scares is flimsy or, in the case of McCarthy, nonexistent.
Fascinating—I am unaware of Red Scare I … I was a child during Red Scare II. But it’s interesting to note that the targets of both - real for RS I, in effect for RS II - were Jews. RS III focuses on Latinos so far; but also seems aimed at the feared “other”.
Such a timely and moving reminder of our history. I share Judge Young's fear about American complacency. Will we rise to the occasion? If history is our guide, the prospects aren't good.
Our history shows that eventually, we do rise to the occasion. Our job now is to make sure that we rise to the occasion much more quickly than in the past.