In March 2020, the British government used psychological tactics to force compliance with covid restrictions.
Realising the public were not ‘sufficiently threatened’ as the SARS-Cov2 outbreak emerged, a SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) meeting was held and the paper, ‘Options For Increasing Adherence to Social Distancing Measures’ was prepared.
The document identified that 'social disapproval for failure to comply' could be a ‘highly practical’ way to rapidly increase social distancing. The government launched a media campaign to ‘increase sense of responsibility to others’ and shame those who 'selfishly' refused to follow orders.
Stating that 'the perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent', the government pledged to, ‘use media to increase sense of personal threat.’
In April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that by disobeying guidelines, people were risking their own lives and the lives of others. He shamed the “small minority” of the public who were not toeing the line, addressing non-conformists as if they were naughty children who were, “breaking rules and pushing the boundaries”. News outlets circulated the message, fuelling furious arguments between friends, relatives, and strangers who held opposing views. The public had taken the bait and allowed themselves to be divided.
We were told the virus “thrives on social contact and the human bonds that bring so much to life” in a faux-emotional performance from Hancock, which left people terrified and darting off pavements to avoid each other. Loneliness and isolation became commonplace as those who were susceptible to the propaganda grew ever more fearful of the virus.
The Queen hypnotised us into a state of wartime consciousness, suggesting that “if we all remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it”. The monarch made reference to WW2 heroine Dame Vera Lynn and ended her speech with the phrase, “we’ll meet again”. Just a few weeks later, the great British public were encouraged to throw socially-distant street parties to celebrate V.E. Day, which further served to solidify the war mentality of doing one’s duty. The decision for Her Majesty to address the nation was made in ‘close consultation’ with Downing Street.
We have been pitted against each other in a sea of ever-changing and conflicting information. Anyone bold enough to question the official narrative has been silenced and ridiculed, sometimes quite viciously. People have lost their jobs for being outspoken. Censorship is at an all-time high, leaving concerned citizens wondering whether we are heading towards a future where freedom of speech is a crime.
In George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘1984’ the rebellious protagonist is tortured, isolated, and de-humanised to force compliance with party views. In 2020, in real life, we keep each other in check so diligently that authoritarian enforcement is largely unnecessary. We police each other because we have been subliminally trained to do so by our governments and news corporations. We scoff at North Korea's totalitarianism and take comfort in our own relative freedom, but state overreach is becoming a creeping reality for us, too.
Anti-communist writer Edward Hunter first coined the term ‘brainwashing’ in 1950, describing how the Chinese government appeared to make people cooperate with the Maoist regime. Brainwashing is altering or controlling the mind by use of certain psychological techniques; the aim is to reduce the subject’s abilities to think critically or independently in order to allow introduction of new, unwanted thoughts and ideas.
Professor Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment, described mind control as “the process by which individual or collective freedom of choice and action is compromised by agents or agencies that modify or distort perception, motivation, affect, cognition or behavioural outcomes. Any human is susceptible to such manipulation”.
Another behaviour modification technique is coercive control, which became a crime in the U.K. in 2015. Abusive partners use this method to keep victims isolated and compliant. World-leading victim advocate Laura Richards says that coercive control is a range of behaviours that can be subtle or nuanced and deprive the victim of their basic rights and needs: “The abuser creates an unreal world of contradiction, confusion, and fear. Furthermore, 51% of victims do not even know they are being abused, manipulated, and controlled”.
Two key aspects of coercive control are isolation and restricting autonomy. It is a domestic abuse crime that carries a maximum five-year jail term. If we look at our government’s attempts to change our behaviour and shame us into submission, perhaps we need to ask if we have been collectively subjected to a campaign of psychological abuse.
Anyone know a lawyer?
(c) Louize Small / One Little Warrior, September 2020
This article (which has since been revised and edited) first appeared in issue 1 of The Light paper (September 2020).
All Rights Reserved
If you enjoy my work and would like to support me, why not 'buy me a coffee'? It's quick and easy, just click on the button below :-)
Comments