Then They Came For Me – a Cautionary Tale

I was going to write a more humorous, satirical take on the Canadian Government’s very controversial decision to prorogue (suspend) parliament, but instead, I’ll simply relate this to you, and you can come to your own conclusions. I welcome all comments.

What does a dictatorship mean to you?

When we hear about dictatorships in North America, many people are inclined to think of some far off “banana republic” with a peasant class that “is probably better off with a firm government anyway”.

But my wife’s family fled a dictatorship in the 70’s in Uruguay, South America. Uruguay had a highly educated, politically active population. There was no peasant class. My wife’s father, their family, their friends and neighbors, were just like us.

Until one day, they weren’t…

My father in law, Miguel, related a poem to me – that was often quoted in his circles around the time of the cout d’etat:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out–
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out–
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out–
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me–
and there was no one left to speak out.

-Martin Niemoller (see history and discussion here)

Now this poem was actually written by a German, Martin Niemoller, after the atrocities of WWII.

But the poem was as apt a warning to my father in-law during a South American dictatorship in the 70s as it is today in Canada, the US or wherever overreaching governments attack our liberties by stealth as opposed to brute force.

It does not matter whether you are a liberal or a conservative, a Democrat or a Republican, a socialist or a capitalist. Control by stealth thrives when the population is under the misconception that they will be protected if they just choose the right (or the left!) side.

But contemporary government leaders are often astute students of history and political science. The more insidious and intelligent among them have learned that controlling a population is too messy, inefficient and obvious when you roll tanks down Main Street.

You no longer need to overtake a TV station to get your message across. Instead, you get the reporters to do it for you. You simply change the language – or “reframe” the issue.

Reset THIS!

So last night on the national news in Canada, the talking heads weren’t talking about a subversion of democracy via the arbitrary shutting down of parliament by Prime Ministerial decree, they were talking instead about a government simply deciding to “reset” its agenda.

W h i z zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

That was the sound of George Orwell spinning in his grave.

Students of Orwell will recognize that language and history or rather the co-opting and “reframing” of both is a much more effective tool to control the masses. If you’re lucky (not fortunate!) you don’t even have to fire a shot these days – except when it’s done overseas and only then as a means to keep the fires of fear at home fully stoked.

Some of you may smile, or sneer, or curse at my association between prorogation and dictatorship.

Some of you may not be concerned because you happen to share the same stripe as the ruling party. Some of you may not be concerned because you’re still wondering whatever happened to balloon boy…

But remember this…

Today, it may not be your colors
Today, it may be some others
Today will they come for you?

Democracy now!

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Tagged as: all po, Canada, control, dictatorship. prorogation, Scritti Politti, stealth