Paine, Jefferson and the Fear Mask

Guest Post by Eric Peters

In the years just before the American movement for separation from Great Britain (it was not a “revolution,” properly speaking, as the American separatists had no desire to transform the government of Great Britain; they merely wished to be free of it) there was something called the committees of correspondence.

They were the 18th century equivalent of non-“authoritative” (i.e., official/corporate-government propaganda) Internet sites, such as the one you’re reading right now. A means by which people could share information – especially heretical information – among themselves, sidestepping the “authoritative” pabulum.

They spread more than information, too.  They also spread hope, almost as important as the information itself. The people reading and back-and-forthing realized they were not alone. That others – intelligent, thoughtful people – shared their views.

The importance of this cannot be overstated.

They powers arrayed then – as now – count on isolation to demoralize the opposition. It is not mere coincidence that “social distancing” accompanies the tyrannizing of Americans today. People can’t easily communicate when they have to shout because they’re forced to stand no closer than six feet from the people they’re trying to talk with – and aren’t permitted to gather in groups.

Even their commerce must be conducted remotely – via “apps” and such. They wait curbside for a Fear Masker to hurriedly push the (sanitized) bag through the window.

And, of course, it is very hard to communicate ideas – and facts – contrary to all of this when the public discourse is subject to the approval (and redaction) of “authoritative” Lictors of the Allowable.

It is not coincidental that Fear Masking rises – even as the cold-equals-death narrative has become as transparently ridiculous as the “weapons of mass destruction” narrative – because millions of Americans are being programmed – the word has dual meaning – by their TeeVees and the other “authoritative” sources of orthodoxy. It is just as important – from the standpoint of the people behind the programming – to terrify people as to isolate them.

In the years preceding the outbreak of physical resistance to the British government, the government of Great Britain did the same. It warned the people of the American colonies that without the protection of the redcoats, they would be at the mercy of savage indians and rampaging French – the Coronavirus equivalents of the 18th century.

The fear, of course, was much greater than the threat – then as now.

But the good news- and we need it – is that we have even more effective means of discussing this truth among ourselves and spreading the truth to others, who join our side every day the “authoritative” elaboration of falsehood continues. It is critically important – psychologically – to understand that.

The Lictors of the Allowable will do all they can to prevent us knowing that.

They desperately need us to believe we’re doomed and alone – or small in number. That the battle is already over – and they have won it.

Not so! Do not believe this, ever.

Lenin and Hitler did not believe it. And while those men were evil beyond articulation, that doesn’t mean one can’t learn some valuable lessons from them. Both started out almost alone, with literally a handful of people on their side. They were regarded – derided – as fools, crazy and worse.

Both never gave up – even at the bleakest, most depressing and hopeless seeming moment. Their refusal to accept defeat is why they changed the world.

And so can we – for better.

In part because we have better means. We have committees of correspondence beyond the imaginings of the men of the 18th century, who had to mail copies of their correspondence to each correspondent. It generally took days if not weeks to correspond.

One way.

And then again, the other way.

The correspondence was also greatly limited by who could access it. A letter had to be mailed to someone whose name was known to the writer; you could only attend a meeting if invited. Most Americans of that time had no idea there was correspondence – although this changed as the correspondents grew in number and boldness and began to publish public correspondence, in the form of leaflets and pamphlets, the most famous of these being Thomas Paine’s explosive – because devastating in its dissection of the illegitimacy of royal rule – little book, Common Sense.

I have long admired Paine – even more so than Jefferson – because Paine was a better writer and had more backbone. Jefferson talked about Paine’s ideas – but often fell short of them (especially as regards slavery).

Paine also never compromised his principles – even if it meant jail. Even if meant death. Which he came within a hair’s breadth of, in France, for having annoyed the “authoritative” creatures who controlled the guillotine in post-revolutionary France.

Which brings up correspondence I’ve received from a reader urging me to compromise, with regard to Fear Masking, which I print here – along with my reply, which follows:

I’ve studied some of your writings over the years.  You are quite talented and a man of principle. I can’t say that of most people these days. That being the case, we can’t afford to lose people like you. Ask yourself this: What might have happened, if we had lost Thomas Paine or Jefferson to an early conflict with the British? It might well have changed the course of history.  In an age of information overload, people who can reach others though the power of words alone are more valuable than the slick graphics and cut and paste talking heads ever will be. . .

My reply:

Thank you for the kind words, first of all. I’m honored to be mentioned in such company. Paine (even more so than Jefferson) is a man I’ve admired since I was a teenager in part because of the brilliance of his style but also because of his moral courage. His refusal to compromise. I respect that.

And I’d lose respect for myself if I ever don a Fear Mask. Thus, I will not. If it means they Hut! Hut! Hut! me, so be it. I regard the Fear Mask as the Rubicon of our times – or the Lexington and Concord of our times. If this line is crossed – if we do not resist, now – then there will be no resistance when “authoritative voices” demand we submit to being vaccinated or denied the right to live (via denial of the right to engage in commerce, to leave our homes).

Understand that we are already at war.

It is not always necessary for shots to be fired for a people to be subjugated. Are we not in the process of subjugation? To deny this is to deny reality.

Which is why I will fight – by refusing to wear a Fear Mask.

Because I am not afraid of catching a cold.

Because I know I am not sick and refuse to pretend I am for the sake of the anxieties of neurotics and because I understand that submitting to this is submitting in advance to everything that will come. That if we submit, there will be more demands for submission to even more loathsome things.

To endless things.

These are the times that try men’s souls. If you’re not willing to risk the consequences of refusing to wear a Fear Mask – to not play your part in Sickness Kabuki – because you’re worried you might not be able to go shopping or because you might get a fine or even arrested, then by god what will you do when worse comes along and the populace, by dint of already accepting the former now demands your submission to the latter?

Blood spilling can be avoided – if we resist, now.

We have a moment, right now, to put a stop to all of this. If we have the heart. And in the strength of the knowledge that we are not alone.

And that we can win.

That we must win.

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