Re: [MV] Coercive persuasion - a warning

Tim Clark (glengar@bellatlantic.net)
Wed, 24 Nov 1999 01:45:10 -0500

acfarer@juno.com wrote:
>
> Here, here Nige! What in the heck was that about? Are we being led down a
> 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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Maybe it is a reference to our discussions about the MVPA Board....

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