Re: [MV] Coercive persuasion - a warning

acfarer@juno.com
Tue, 23 Nov 1999 11:25:03 -0800

Here, here Nige! What in the heck was that all about? Are we being led
down the path to subservience?
Jonathan
On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 17:16:41 -0000 "NIGEL HAY"
<Nigelhay@tanksrus.freeserve.co.uk> writes:
>Try as I have, I seem unable to comprehend this or find any possible
>relevance to military vehicles, am I missing something?
>
>NIGE
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Terry Waitzkin <javabean4@hotmail.com>
>To: <mil-veh@skylee.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 3:50 PM
>Subject: [MV] Coercive persuasion - a warning
>
>
>> Excerpts from "Six Conditions for Thought Reform," by Margaret
>Thaler
>Singer
>>
>>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>------
>>
>> 1. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is
>being
>> changed a step at a time. Potential new members are led, step by
>step,
>> through a behavioral-change program without being aware of the final
>agenda
>> or full content of the group. The goal may be to make them
>deployable
>agents
>> for the leadership, to get them to buy more courses, or get them to
>make a
>> deeper commitment, depending on the leader's aim and desires.
>> 2. Control the person's social and/or physical environment;
>especially
>> control the person's time. Through various methods, newer members
>are kept
>> busy and led to think about the group and its content during as much
>of
>> their waking time as possible.
>> 3. Systematically create a sense of powerlessness in the person.
>This is
>> accomplished by getting members away from the normal social support
>group
>> for a period of time and into an environment where the majority of
>people
>> are already group members. The members serve as models of the
>attitudes
>and
>> behaviors of the group and speak an in-group language.
>> 4. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments and experiences in
>such a
>way
>> as to inhibit behavior that reflects the person's former social
>identity.
>> Manipulation of experiences can be accomplished through various
>methods of
>> trance induction, including leaders using such techniques as paced
>speaking
>> patterns, guided imagery, chanting, long prayer sessions or
>lectures, and
>> lengthy meditation sessions.
>> 5. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments, and experiences in
>order
>to
>> promote learning the group's ideology or belief system and
>group-approved
>> behaviors. Good behavior, demonstrating an understanding and
>acceptance of
>> the group's beliefs, and compliance are rewarded while questioning,
>> expressing doubts or criticizing are met with disapproval, redress
>and
>> possible rejection. If one expresses a question, he or she is made
>to feel
>> that there is something inherently wrong with them to be
>questioning.
>> 6. Put forth a closed system of logic and an authoritarian structure
>that
>> permits no feedback and refuses to be modified except by leadership
>approval
>> or executive order. The group has a top-down, pyramid structure. The
>leaders
>> must have verbal ways of never losing. (Singer, 1995)
>>
>> For more see:
>>
>> http://members.theglobe.com/bgross3
>> http://members.xoom.com/bgross3
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
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>>
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>
>
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