Unabomber Manifesto - ouroboros ponderosa

don't mean to sneer at "plantation darkies" of the Old South. To theircredit, most of the slaves were not content with their servitude. Wedo sneer at people who are content with servitude.)79. Some people may have some exceptional drive, in pursuingwhich they satisfy their need for the power process. For example,those who have an unusually strong drive for social status mayspend their whole lives climbing the status ladder without ever gettingbored with that game.80. People vary in their susceptibility to advertising and marketingtechniques. Some people are so susceptible that, even if they makea great deal of money, they cannot satisfy their constant craving forthe shiny new toys that the marketing industry dangles before theireyes. So they always feel hard-pressed financially even if theirincome is large, and their cravings are frustrated.81. Some people have low susceptibility to advertising and marketingtechniques. These are the people who aren't interested in money.Material acquisition does not serve their need for the power process.82. People who have medium susceptibility to advertising andmarketing techniques are able to earn enough money to satisfy theircraving for goods and services, but only at the cost of serious effort(putting in overtime, taking a second job, earning promotions, etc.)Thus material acquisition serves their need for the power process.But it does not necessarily follow that their need is fully satisfied.They may have insufficient autonomy in the power process (theirwork may consist of following orders) and some of their drives maybe frustrated (e.g., security, aggression) (We are guilty ofoversimplification in paragraphs 80-82 because we have assumedthat the desire for material acquisition is entirely a creation of theadvertising and marketing industry. Of course it's not that simple).83. Some people partly satisfy their need for power by identifyingthemselves with a powerful organization or mass movement. Anindividual lacking goals or power joins a movement or anorganization, adopts its goals as his own, then works toward thesegoals. When some of the goals are attained, the individual, eventhough his personal efforts have played only an insignificant part inthe attainment of the goals, feels (through his identification with themovement or organization) as if he had gone through the powerprocess. This phenomenon was exploited by the fascists, Nazis andcommunists. Our society uses it, too, though less crudely. Example:Manuel Noriega was an irritant to the U.S. (goal: punish Noriega).The U.S. invaded Panama (effort) and punished Noriega (attainmentof goal). The U.S. went through the power process and manyAmericans, because of their identification with the U.S., experiencedthe power process vicariously. Hence the widespread public approvalof the Panama invasion; it gave people a sense of power.[15] We seeintentionally be distorted and intemperate language should beavoided. This does not mean that no appeal can be made to theemotions, but in making such appeal care should be taken to avoidmisrepresenting the truth or doing anything else that would destroythe intellectual respectability of the ideology.188. On a second level, the ideology should be propagated in asimplified form that will enable the unthinking majority to see theconflict of technology vs. nature in unambiguous terms. But even onthis second level the ideology should not be expressed in languagethat is so cheap, intemperate or irrational that it alienates people ofthe thoughtful and rational type. Cheap, intemperate propagandasometimes achieves impressive short-term gains, but it will be moreadvantageous in the long run to keep the loyalty of a small number ofintelligently committed people than to arouse the passions of anunthinking, fickle mob who will change their attitude as soon assomeone comes along with a better propaganda gimmick. However,propaganda of the rabble-rousing type may be necessary when thesystem is nearing the point of collapse and there is a final strugglebetween rival ideologies to determine which will become dominantwhen the old world-view goes under.189. Prior to that final struggle, the revolutionaries should not expectto have a majority of people on their side. History is made by active,determined minorities, not by the majority, which seldom has a clearand consistent idea of what it really wants. Until the time comes forthe final push toward revolution[31], the task of revolutionaries will beless to win the shallow support of the majority than to build a smallcore of deeply committed people. As for the majority, it will be enoughto make them aware of the existence of the new ideology and remindthem of it frequently; though of course it will be desirable to getmajority support to the extent that this can be done withoutweakening the core of seriously committed people.190. Any kind of social conflict helps to destabilize the system, butone should be careful about what kind of conflict one encourages.The line of conflict should be drawn between the mass of the peopleand the power-holding elite of industrial society (politicians, scientists,upper-level business executives, government officials, etc..). It shouldnot be drawn between the revolutionaries and the mass of thepeople. For example, it would be bad strategy for the revolutionariesto condemn Americans for their habits of consumption. Instead, theaverage American should be portrayed as a victim of the advertisingand marketing industry, which has suckered him into buying a lot ofjunk that he doesn't need and that is very poor compensation for hislost freedom. Either approach is consistent with the facts. It is merelya matter of attitude whether you blame the advertising industry formanipulating the public or blame the public for allowing itself to bemanipulated. As a matter of strategy one should generally avoidblaming the public.