What we are seeing with the “Douglass Mackey Affair” is Anarcho-Tyranny in action.
In 2016, Mackey posted an obviously satirical meme encouraging Hillary Clinton supporters to “Avoid the line. Vote from home.” To anyone with half a brain, this was obviously a joke, a literal meme.
The federal government in its infinite wisdom then decided to file criminal charges against Mackey.
The prosecution couldn’t prove that Mackey’s actions swayed one single vote, but he was still nonetheless charged with “conspiring to deprive others of their right to vote” and sentenced to 7 months in federal prison.
By definition, anarcho-tyranny, as first articulated by the great Sam Francis, is a deliberate process of governmental dysfunction, in which the state is anarchically hopeless at dealing with societal-wide matters that are relevant, but ruthlessly tyrannical in the enforcement of smaller ones, that are generally irrelevant.
More to the point, it is often those who oppose the reigning ideology of the ruling elites, along with other entrenched centers of power perpetuating this ideology of dysfunction, who find themselves on the receiving end of the proverbial stick, rather than actual criminals causing harm to society.
Mackey’s actions did not change a single vote, but as Tucker Carlson most recently stated in the opening monologue to his interview with Douglass Mackey:
“If someone had told you even ten years ago that you could be indicted by the federal government and go to prison for 10 years for making fun of Hillary Clinton on social media, you would not have believed it. It’s a free country, we have free speech. But it turns out that not only is that possible, it has likely become much more common, because the actual war is over information.”
Information is any stimuli that has meaning in some context for its receiver. Mackey’s actions may not have changed a single vote, but they did, however, change the context of the conversation.
His satirical meme, while not directly impacting the outcome of the election, contributed to a broader discussion on the American electoral process and the growing sense that elections are not as “free, fair or open” as they are portrayed, while also highlighting the absurdity that characterizes contemporary politics.
This, in essence, is the power of information — the ability to influence and provoke critical thought, even through something as seemingly harmless as humor, and the reason why the Regime tyrannically crushes all dissent.
In the case of Mackey, his memes, though presented in jest, were perceived as a threat to the established order, particularly because they aligned with his support for Donald Trump, a then political candidate whose 2016 political platform of “America First” challenged the reigning powers that be.
This Trumpian alignment made Mackey’s satirical content even more dangerous in the eyes of those who opposed Trump and what he stood for. The reaction to Mackey’s satire epitomizes anarcho-tyranny in action, highlighting the increasing sensitivity of the Regime towards any form of dissent or mockery, especially when it not only challenges the status quo but also gives support to a controversial figure like Donald Trump, whose very political platform was a threat to the system.
The “Douglass Mackey Affair” serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of free expression in an era where any and all means can, and will be weaponized by the state to crush those challenging its monopolization of power.
Furthermore, this scenario underscores the Regime’s progressively precarious hold on power, compelling it to adopt more aggressive measures against any dissent: perceived, real, or otherwise. It’s a trend that suggests an increasing move towards more overt and merciless forms of anarcho-tyranny in the coming years.
@RWDUSA: Both anarcho-tyranny and traditional forms of tyranny share a foundational element of oppression, yet they manifest in distinctly different ways.
Anarcho-tyranny is marked by a selective enforcement of the law, characterized by neglect or willful ignorance of critical societal issues. A prime example is the failure to address significant issues like unchecked illegal immigration, while simultaneously imposing stringent, often disproportionate, measures on comparatively minor offenses, exemplified by the harsh penalization of something as trivial as an internet meme.
In contrast, traditional tyranny operates through a more overt and indiscriminate exercise of power. Here, the state employs direct and forceful suppression of any dissent, regardless of the nature of the issue. This approach doesn’t differentiate between major or minor offenses; instead, it uniformly applies an iron fist to maintain control and suppress opposition.
In the case of the “Douglass Mackey Affair,” the characteristics of anarcho-tyranny are evident in the selective and excessive use of legal power against what essentially amounts to political satire, reflecting the state’s disproportionate and selective reaction to what it conceptualizes as a challenge to its authority. (Credit: Chad Crowley/X, 11/10/2023) (Archive)