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Joel Kramer: When a person or
ideology or group is what we call "feedback proof," meaning
that no one or nothing external to the authority in the group can change
things then it is authoritarian. We also define authoritarian as any
person or ideology that assumes they know what's best for others. Under
these definitions, many of the social structures of the world are
authoritarian. The very nature of being unchallengeable and of wanting
an authority to tell you what is right for you, or what to do, is a deep
part of how the world works.
In a static world, where change is either slow or not valued
at all, as it has been throughout much of human history,
authoritarianism although it has caused human suffering has also been
the fast way to get things done. However, we now live in a world of
accelerated change. It is our thesis that in order to properly problem
solve in a time of accelerated change it is essential to be sensistive
and take into account the nature of the changes that are taking place
around you. Authoritarianism by its nature and structure is a filtering
device that keeps new information out because it is predicated on
maintaining the power that has come through tradition. It is our point
that as a species we no longer have the luxury to do that. So I would
say authoritarianism itself as a mode of information transference is
essentially unhealthy for these times.
People tend to think of cults as an information
problem, a doctrinal problem. They are missing the point: cults are a
family problem, since a cult is an artificial family that seeks to
supercede your own and ultimately destroy it.
R. Watters, Feb 1998
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