The State - ambient abuse part 4

"The abuser gradually and surreptitiously takes over functions and chores previously adequately and skilfully performed by the victim. The prey finds itself isolated from the outer world, a hostage to the goodwill – or, more often, ill-will – of her captor.

This quote is from a site discussing the ambient abuse that occurs in a controlling relationship.

But I am unplatting this kind of abuse to encompass what society endures at the hands of the state, Remember that ambient abuse is always hard to precisely put one's finger on. It is invisible as abuse but is felt by the victim of it. Our society is the victim, our rulers, the abusers.

When we live with "the sword of Damacles" haging over our heads, we don't feel free to be ourselves, spontaneous and confident in our society, we are "walking on egg shells", to mix metaphors! then we know there is ambient abuse in our relationship with our state.

An example of this, is the fear of new mothers, too frightened to admit to post partum depression in case their babies are taken into care.

Smokers have endured this abuse since the anti tobacco industry started to sculpt government.

We all feel it travelling on our roads in the presence of profitable speed cameras. If caught, we have "points" added to our licences, which up the cost of our insurances and costs us in status and character references. 

In the simple art of conversation, people have to feel guarded in everything they say if it skirts into the not politically correct because thought police are out there telling us what we may think. How weird is that? No matter how we feel it, or how we believe it, we may not say it.

We are guided on what to eat, not to eat, drink, not to drink, excercise or not to excercise. We feel ashamed if our BMI is not the BMI it should be. And, of course, because The National Health Service doctors and hospitals which are "free", they may dictate their terms because we have become beholden to the. But The National Health Service is not "free" - we have paid for it with our money.

We are nervous if our bins are on the streets on the wrong day, in case we are fined for making an error even though it is US that are paying for the service.

Most people make extreme efforts to conform to all the legislation that entangle us. Just this fact should alert us to the fact that we are living in a society that is abusing us!

The state is our servant - well it should be - but we all believe it is our master.

The abuser makes sure that his knowledge, his skills, his connections, or his traits are the only ones applicable and the most useful in the situations that he, himself,wrought. The abuser generates his own indispensability."