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It's not a character thing, really. Grotesque subservience is a firm requirement to be successful in authoritarian environments. He wants to remain successful
by ajross 2y ago
It's not a character thing, really. Grotesque subservience is a firm requirement to be successful in authoritarian environments. He wants to remain successful and will play the game by the rules presented. Lots of people operate that way, probably more than those that don't.
That this has not been historically true in the United States is the notable outlier.
- bwestergard 2y ago"Grotesque subservience" is what _creates_ authoritarian environments.
- ajross 2y agoMeh, so does violence and conquest and coups. Certainly there's a feedback cycle between them, but the path to autocracy has many forks. Again it's the rule of law that's the exception, not autocracy.
- unsui 2y ago> That this has not been historically true in the United States is the notable outlier. So, bootlicker, got it. And yes, it is very much a character thing...
- know-how 2y ago[dead]
- spacechild1 2y agoIt's still a character thing, though.
- ajross 2y agoTo be clear: it's not a notable character thing. Yes, yes, some people are uncorruptible paragons who'd never bend to the will of an autocrat, not matter the personal cost. Most of us aren't. Bezos isn't. The notable people are the paragons, not the bland rule-followers.