This is a classic symptom of a Totalitarian entity. Message discipline is considered absolutely critical, because message chaos means you lose control of your constituency, and thus, your power base. That is why the recent spat between Google and China is so threatening to China. Google is the embodiment of free speech. It provides access to all the world's information, uncensored. China simply can't have that, because in this world, there are plenty of criticisms of China, which if the Chinese people read about it, would engender a questioning of Chinese policies.
In the Republican party, message discipline has always been a hallmark and it has been their historical source of strength. However, we're now seeing the downsides to a party system that simply does not allow dissent. It creates inbred thinking, resists the flow of new and innovative thinking, and resists change of any kind. When change is introduced, the backlash is immediate and vitriolic, because it is seen as an existential threat. Negotiation with anything that looks different becomes impossible. This kind of thinking, therefore, is systemically anti-Democratic. Democracy in its very essence allows for dissent and message chaos. It seeks to build consensus and the middle path through negotiation. As we've seen, the GOP has become so inbred, that no negotiation is possible. Historical source of strength notwithstanding, I think we are now seeing the implosion of the GOP. If America loves Democracy, then she cannot stand for a party that is Totalitarian in its modus operandi.
Below is a good article on the subject:
andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com
"One of the more striking features of the contemporary conservative movement is the extent to which it has been moving toward epistemic closure. Reality is defined by a multimedia array of interconnected and cross promoting conservative blogs, radio programs, magazines, and of course, Fox News. Whatever conflicts with that reality can be dismissed out of hand because it comes from the liberal media, and is therefore ipso facto not to be trusted. (How do you know they’re liberal? Well, they disagree with the conservative media!) This epistemic closure can be a source of solidarity and energy, but it also renders the conservative media ecosystem fragile. Think of the complete panic China’s rulers feel about any breaks in their Internet firewall: The more successfully external sources of information have been excluded to date, the more unpredictable the effects of a breach become. Internal criticism is then especially problematic, because it threatens the hermetic seal." |
