Soft Tyranny –How It Affects Our Daily Lives
Opinion by Dave Johnson, SVGOP Chairman
Soft Tyranny: Absolute, minute, regular, provident and mild.
Most of us have heard of tyranny, but how many of us have more than a passing idea what it is, or how to recognize it when they encounter it? As we go through this, I ask that everyone consider where they encounter tyranny as they move about their lives, businesses, etc.
The Oxford dictionary definition of tyranny is “cruel and oppressive government or rule”. Some synonyms of tyranny are: oppression, cruelty, dictatorship, and authoritarianism. Webster lists it as “oppressive power exerted by government”. It is essentially an autocratic form of rule in which one individual exercises power without any legal restraint. In its modern usage, the word tyranny connotates the illegitimate possession or use of such power.
But rather than focus on the classic definition of tyranny, let’s turn to what is called “soft tyranny”. In order to discuss soft tyranny, we need to distinguish it from “hard tyranny”. Hard tyranny is despotism, characterized by an autocratic group wielding absolute power and suppressing dissent.
Soft tyranny, on the other hand, is a more insidious (gradual, subtle, drip, drip, drip – but without seemingly harmful effects) form of oppression where a majority of the people, or the state itself, rather than a single ruler, exerts control through intricate regulations and a system of subtle coercion, leading to a loss of individual liberty and a sense of powerlessness.
In 1830, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote “Democracy in America”. Tocqueville saw that the greatest danger to democracy was that public opinion would become an all-powerful force, and that the majority could tyrannize unpopular minorities and marginalized individuals. Tocqueville offered this definition of soft tyranny: Absolute, minute, regular, provident and mild.
Moving to present times, as one looks around, it is not hard to spot soft tyranny. We are living in the middle of it here in Santa Clara County. But let’s look at some examples, which I hope will illuminate the idea of soft tyranny, so that more of us will recognize it when it happens TO US.
1. Our “mainstream” media pushing a narrative that is not true. Liberalism good, Trump bad, etc.;
2. Creating “free speech areas” as the only spot where people are free to express their views;
3. The State of California’s gas taxes, electrification mandates, and endless regulations all designed to force people to comply. Think “COVID”;
4. All vaccine mandates (for example, to go to college in CA, one needs to provide proof of vaccination);
5. Any and all laws or mandates passed that we did not get to vote on. Think Ranked Choice Voting, or No Voter ID;
6. Local police allowing Democrat Socialists of America to protest at a local Tesla dealership, and when those protestors attacked our peaceful patriotic demonstrators, the police did nothing, the Mercury news did nothing and the Mayor’s office said, “We do not condone violence.” – BUT REFUSED TO GO AFTER THOSE WHO WERE AGGRESSIVE;
We could go on and on, and I want to hear from some of you who may have an example of how you have experienced soft tyranny.
Conclusion: One way for the Republican Party here in Santa Clara County to be more effective is that we all understand when we are in a situation where we are experiencing soft tyranny. We need to be loud and vocal in our pointing it out to let other people and “authorities” know that we do not agree with the stated “official” position, or that we did not vote for it, etc.
Only if we stand strong against soft tyranny, will we be able to avoid the hard tyranny or despotism that is soon to follow.