The Threat From Within
Like dictatorships, Democracies are vunerable to military invasion. But, Democracies can be even more vunerable to internal take-over than dictatorships. I said “can be more vunerable” because this vunerability for a democracy exists mainly under the following circumstances.
Vunerability
Large religious and racial divisions make a society vunerable to an internal take over. The reason for this is that the unscrupless can exagerate the divide. For example, the very wealthy can spread the idea that one religion or race is exploiting another. The reason the very wealthy might exagerate a divide is to draw attention away from their explotation of the whole society. They may not use this form of deception, but if they do it often works.
Dominators
Another source of conflict arises from dominators who advance their own power and presitge by formenting conflict. Dominators are persons who seek power and prestige by lies that generate fear on one side of a divide. They hope to become leaders or otherwise profit from promoting fear. During the ensuing conflict the fear turns to hate and the conflict intensifies. The losers in such conflict are everyone besides the very wealthy and the successful dominators.
The Pawns
Those who have developed a hatred for others are struggling with what they perceive as a good and necessary fight. Yet, this fight leaves them economically worse off. Still, they may feel real accomplishment as they pursue the lies they have been told about supposed moral issues. These are the pawns that the wealthy and dominators think of as fools, but who they need to reach their own ends without concern for anyone else.
Protecting Yourself
If you have not considered the possibility that you might be a pawn in someone elses manuvers, you should. If you determine that you are not a pawn and actually are pursing a noble cause you can consider your efforts worthy of your sacrifices. However, at any one time there are millions of pawns. You owe it to yourself to examine your situation carefully. Being played as a pawn has many disasterous consequences so you do not want to allow yourself to be used.
Follow the Money
In weighing your situation keep in mind that Pawns will not have the money nor will those persons who are the objects of hatred. Consequently, follow the money. Some of those who have it are gleaful to have pawns and laugh all the way to the bank. You do not want to be their unwitting servant.
Beware of Hate
Beware of those who preach hate. They will tell you your body and even your way of life is in grave danger. They will insist that this threat must be met by action and sacrifice. As realitic as their impending doom sounds, looking at the data and talking to your enemies should alert you to the fact that what your leader tells you is not the truth.
Pawns In a Cult
Most people are sure they could spot a cult a mile away and would never get involvd. Yet, there are about twenty million people in various cults in the U.S. at any given time. And with the political rise of Donald Trump there are tens of millions more. Cults allow theirt leaders greater power over their flock while those in the flock remain convinced that they themselves are still fully in contol of what they are doing. Not only does this become a form of slavery, but very importantly cults are notoriously difficult to leave. Being sucked into a cult can happen to almost anyone under the right conditions. Consequently, a person in a cult is clearly the cult leaders pawn. When you are told something that you passionately wanted to hear, you may think you have finally found your place in this world. Unfortunately, if you are unaware that you are being told lies, you may in fact be a pawn stuck in a cult.
The Death of a Democracy
Democracies are a way of sharing power among its citizens. But sometimes those citizens willingly give up that power and bring about the death of their democracy.