Where a community is run by a criminal minority, where groupism and devilry are predominant, where the state is a police state with secret police everywhere, where everyone spies on and betrays everyone, where dishonesty, treachery, untrustworthiness and lying are the norm, the atmosphere of wickedness is institutionalized, permeating all levels of society. Promises are simply rhetorical tools for getting out of tight spots, or surviving a single day. No one expects to keep their word, nor anticipates such from others.
Sage Hoffer knew the Russian people as well as anyone else. Totalitarianism and groupism has morally and culturally crippled this most collectivist of white peoples. Hoffer said the Russian people would readily confess guilt (that collectivist, primitive admission of wrongdoing) if cornered, but rarely express shame (Shame is Hoffer's word for the individual's conscious, the person's admitted sense of wrongdoing.). This facility for recognizing and accepting personal responsibility for wrongdoing is the wellspring of bringing to the fore in society a higher level of morality basic for doing well and living well in Mavellonialist society. In short the personal sense of expressed shame where applicable by the individual taking ownership of it is a moral revolution critical to societal advancement keeping pace with new technologies.
Like so many people in the world the Russian cause since 1989, foundering now into a soft Putin police state, mediocre economic performance, rampant corruption, cheating, bribes and dishonesty, is morally suspect. The Russian people must rise up, but morally and politically, not so much violently or extremistically. Together and alone they must confess their personal shame over wasting lives and treasure to maintain a connection with their Stalinist, imperial past.
The second step of liberation of this great people is their adopting capitalism, bourgeois democracy, and pushing for the withering and downsizing of most state institutions. The masses need to write a US-style constitution proclaiming their love of liberty.
The third step of their liberation would be to evolve into living in a state of Mavellonialist anarchism. They can do this as they become quite skilled, prosperous, confident, patient, endlessly stubborn, endlessly focused on achieving their new ends and energized by hope for real and lasting change. Their transformation could serve as that beacon of light on the hill for all nations, free or authoritarian.
We all lie. We all cheat. We all steal. We all betray. We are all capable of committing the most wicked deeds in special circumstances under terrible pressure brought to bear. Being moral, honest and true are being such relatively not absolutely. Being virtuous is not the same as never lying, bullying, cheating, stealing or betraying. Good people do these things not very often, not openly, and not to any great degree, with little intent to injure or profit by petty wrongdoing.
Furthermore, it would be cruel and inhuman and unrealistic to demand moral perfection from anyone, starting with ourselves. Expecting high standards is reasonable and moral; demanding perfection is unreasonable and immoral. Demanding perfection will make good people rebel, spreading more evil in the world, not reducing its levels as the cruel demanders were hoping for with their hopelessly high standards.
Good people that are mostly good mostly tell the truth, mostly do not steal, lie, rob, cheat or assault others. The wise individual is a woman of her word. She makes few promises, not wanting to give more than she should, not wanting to be taken advantage of, not wanting to over commit beyond her means, talent or will.
She will extract few promises or oaths of loyalty from others. As an individualist, as self-sufficient as possible, she hesitates to expect others to do things for her. What promises she makes, she will honor. She expects them to honor the the pledges that they make to her. This is how the new Russians will need to act. When one gives one's word, that is gold.
Yes, to others she will keep the promises that she made to them as best she can. She considers carefully before committing but is resolved to honor her word, once given. Her word is her bond. She is an honorable woman and takes her vows seriously. Her conscience and sense of propriety as an individual will not allow her to settle for anything less. May future Russian citizens act as she does.
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