GB And Change: Lessons From Soviet History

by metatron 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  I read an interesting book - "Spymaster" by Tennent Bagley in which he offers a biography of a senior consultant to the KGB, based on long interviews with a man who was once his enemy (Sergey Kundrashev). I believe the book proves some powerful insights into the workings of secretive totalitarian cults.

  There are many parallels between the two organizations: they were both born out of 1914 events, they addressed each other as Comrade/Brother, they encouraged youth to become "Pioneers/Red Pioneers", they were started as very individualistic (revolutionaries) -were then taken over and structured by an amoral thug-dictator (Stalin/Rutherford) , worshipped the "Party/Organization", emphasized collective thought over the individual, and ended up ruled by an elderly Politboro/Governing Body - who were forced to contend with disruptive change.

  But here's where the similarities get interesting:

  Behind the secretive facade of idealism, they were petty, endlessly jealous and vindictive. They commonly appointed men who were cronies who were ineffective. Perhaps the more individual achievement is downplayed, the worse this gets.

  They freely and thoughtlessly demoted, shafted and grossly mistreated those amoung them that were often most loyal and hardworking. No practical sense of real gratitude whatsoever. They offered pensions that were a pathetic pittance - if you lived to get one at all.

  And now the big one:

  When the Soviet empire collapsed, how did it happen that it was the leadership that made big changes that resulted in the whole thing imploding? Most surprizing of all, why did top KGB officials (the people most known for brutal repression) demand the changes?

  Yes, that's the odd thing. Of all the groups in the empire - academics, bureaucrats, Party leaders- it was the top KGB men who insisted on the changes that eventually led to collapse. Why? Because they were the only ones who knew the real truth of how bad the system was. Everyone else was fed lies by the KGB and believed accordingly.

  These internal security rulers had the REAL statistics and genuine hard facts about their Empire that showed that it was fake, rotten and falling behind the rest of the world. They DIDN'T want collapse but knew that they had to risk making changes, having no other choice.

  So, you see, in a secretive totalitarian cult that has gone on too long, it is entirely possible that the men at the top are little more than cynics holding on to their positions AND forced into radical changes BECAUSE they alone KNOW THE TRUTH about how corrupt and rotten it all is. Everyone else foolishly believes the lies they are given.

  And that, I think. gives us a more accurate view of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  metatron
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  Bobcat

  Metatron:

  Very interesting post and food for thought. There is a lot in there that I can identify with such as: ". . . thoughtlessly demoted, shafted and grossly mistreated those among them that were often most loyal and hardworking. No practical sense of real gratitude whatsoever."

  Thanks for posting this.

  Take Care
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  designs

  A few select men at the top and their wives get taken care of in their old age but the COs and DOs get kicked to the curb at 70 to keep costs down.

  Just think how many of these xCOs and DOs will be exposing the rot in the Organization in a few years after being discarded.
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  Fernando

  Thanks for sharing the interesting parallels metatron.
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  metatron

  I posted this because the one point jumped out at me - the small group in power controls the lies but knows the real truth.

  If they are making desperate, radical changes, what does that tell you?

  metatron
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  LV101

  Love these Soviet/JW topics of yours, Metatron. This JW cult is sure slow in collapsing (not that it will) but, hopefully, history repeats itself.

  LV
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  konceptual99

  Interesting parellels. One point that is different however is that the Soviet setup had to contend with growing discontent and rebellion at the grass roots level. East Germany and Poland had rejected their communist masters with large numbers of people on the streets and little push back from the army and police.

  The Soviets knew they had to do something that would allow control to be maintained and open rebellion prevented.

  The difference with the GB and JWs in general is that there is no open rebellion. There is no route for authorised or even tolerated criticism. It's "our way or the highway". Dissenters are not seen, most importantly, by their peers as heros of the rank and file but as wicked, apostate rebels who deserve everything they get.

  I see no burning need for change from the top down. Sure, they will have some concerns about money and the shedding of numbers in the more developed nations but they have plenty in the bank, assets to be realised, plenty more people coming in from developing nations and no need to take into the account the opinion of a kind of disgruntled underclass of intelligentsia.
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  metatron

  Ah, but it's possible to misinterpret those riots that happened at the end of the Soviet empire!

  What is most remarkable about the collapse was the lack of violence or armed resistance. In countless cases, troops refused to fire on civilians. There was a rumor that Russian troops failed to mobilize to invade Poland. The Ukraine gave up a huge number of nuclear weapons voluntarily (they aren't happy they did that!)

  My point: by the time the riots arrived, it was already broken beyond repair, played out, defunct. It was the climax to decades of rot.

  And now let's look at the Watchtower. Obviously, there's no shooting going on but the evidence of underlying rot is the same.

  I got into this analogy because there is more and more evidence of Watchtower decay that is not simply economic (although failing to contribute is another symptom of decay). They cut down on meetings, allow some downloading of porn (BOE letter), can't get enough elders or MS's, cut pioneer hours, create 15 minute publishers...... shall I go on?

  My conclusion of desperate change remains the same because the decay transcends contributions or legal threats.

  And by the way, there's no lack of "defectors", is there?

  metatron
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  Bugbear

  Metadron

  Very interesting thoughts. The parallels are obvious. First Idealism, then Power, greed, corruption, …

  The pattern is valid almost everywhere. Very few of the idealistic sort, comes into power, they are to nice and weak. But those who can, often play with un hidden agenda. And they are smart enough, to fool everyone in their neighborhood. You have discovered one of the tricky thing being a human..

  Bugbear
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  konceptual99

  True, there is a good number of defectors however they are in one of three camps:

  - outside the org and vocal. These are viewed as hideous apostates and avoided like the plague

  - outside the org and quiet. These are faders, df'ed/da'ed ones with no obvious axe to grind etc. They have little to no influence on those inside.

  - inside the org and quiet. These are ones like me - fading, dissenters and "fifth column". We can't make much noise otherwise we very quickly get put outside the org. Sure, we can try and take a few down with us but once exposed we simply become lumped in with all the other apostates.

  My point is that no matter how many people really feel it's a waste of time and wish they could do less, stop etc. no one really knows. In the old eastern bloc the dissenters eventually got together and changed things. As we have both alluded to, the police and army did nothing.

  In WT land you cannot be a dissenter. The apostate badge is one easily applied, difficult to shake and made of dog shite. It's a badge of dishonour to anyone embedded in the WT loyalty regime. It will never be seen as something symbolising reform, inclusiveness and good sense. The "police and army" - the elders - will never avoid action against dissenters and give them tacit support. This is not a world power concerned about compromise, pragmatism and relations with other countries. This is a group of deluded men who think they are right and cannot be wrong.

  Sure there might be catalysts for change and perhaps even the eventual collapse of the WTS but I don't see a grass roots "rebellion" ever gaining traction.