For many years, authors have included in their stories, warnings of what and how we can be exploited and turned into serfs
Here is a good example from "The Fairy Godmother" by Mercedes Lackey:
These spiders spun a cunning web, beginning as they always did by eroding conditions gradually, with rights converted to privilege, then the privilege revoked on one pretence or another, always for an excellent reason, always on a "temporary" basis, until the next "privilege" was taken and the previous grievance forgotten. Then as one hand took away, the other, the King's, would give - something trivial, but pleasurable. Games perhaps, or entertainments. Nothing controversial, of course. A competition that would elevate the winner into the ranks of the wealthy and prominent - so that the illusion was maintained that this was possible for everyone. It was as if wholesome bread was being taken, and a tastier bread made with sawdust used to replace it.
Or, perhaps the one behind the throne would start a war on some trumped-up cause - a little war, of course, against a weak but convenient enemy, one that would be difficult to lose, that would stir up patriotic fervour, one that would, of course, entail "sacrifices for the good of all and the security of the realm" under cover of which more "privileges" could be "temporarily" taken.
Clever and insidious, and damnably difficult to counter. And all the while, the spider spun his web, battening on the misery and depression, growing fat and ever more powerful
Isn't it remarkable how we are shown a truth and at first all we can see is clouded by our own fears of appearing to be 'conspiracy theorist' followers, instead of being part of the herd.
I consider all these authors a part of the process needed to wake us up to the truth, even if we think we ignored them at the time, as our subconscious was more aware than we were and it helped open us to the truth.
- posted: 17th Oct, 2020
Hi @arthur.grafo, I sure hear you, but it doesn't really sound like you are talking about US authors, but rather
About the world/society/politics in general. I am aghast that I can say I agree with you.
Not aghast at you, but at the conditions we live under now.
Upvoted and reblogged.
Thanks. The author I quoted:
Mercedes Ritchie Lackey is an American writer of fantasy novels. (born 1950)
Otherwise, I agree, writers of many nationalities have tried to warn us, but an unfortunate side effect of being ignorant and 'conservative' in keeping an open mind, is that we think we know it all.
Actually, no rule applies - not if using wealth, education and so on, only if we look to find people who are open to ideas and are willing to think for themselves. This is rare; I find that even among my own family it rarely happens that any of them are willing to think for themselves - they prefer to quote the last tv announcer they watched.
I know who Mercedes Lackey is, one of my all time favorite sci fi/fantasy writers is Marion Zimmer Bradley and her "Darkover" novels, who partnered with Ms Lackey on several of the later entries.
Sadly it is indeed rare to find anyone today (especially in the US) who will step out and think for themselves rather than accept the pablum being fed to us by the lamestream media.