“The powerful have historically tried to impose their will through mechanisms of enforced ignorance such as censorship, secrecy, threats, physical intimidation and violence. This model is difficult to sustain in a networked world based on Enlightenment values. This is not to say that Western democracies have abandoned these heavy-handed tactics, but more often the methods have shifted to more sophisticated ways of maintaining power such as media management, public relations and legal intimidation. In the midst of all this information and misinformation how can we filter out what is important and true?”

— Heather Brooke

Page 72.
The Revolution Will Be Digitised: Dispatches From the Information War, 1st Edition

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Heather Brooke 61

American journalist 1970

Marco Respinti (1964)

Source: "Pakistan’s Independent Journalists Killed, Wounded, Tortured" https://bitterwinter.org/pakistans-independent-journalists-killed-wounded-tortured/

“The world’s democracies need to defend and sustain their Enlightenment values. A global retreat from balancing power with legitimacy will cause the social contract to disintegrate both domestically and internationally.”

Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) United States Secretary of State

The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Forever Alter the World Order, by Henry A. Kissinger, The Wall Street Journal https://www.henryakissinger.com/articles/the-coronavirus-pandemic-will-forever-alter-the-world-order/, April 3, 2020
2020s

“To arm a hand more powerful than your own
Is an ill method to maintain the throne.”

Ludovico Ariosto book Orlando Furioso

Non è la via di dominar, se vuoi
Por l'arme in mano a chi può più di noi.
Canto XX, stanza 52 (tr. W. S. Rose)
Orlando Furioso (1532)

“The government will not be intimidated. Orders have been given to maintain order at all costs.”

John Vorster (1915–1983) politician from South Africa and seventh Prime Minister of South Africa

On 18 June 1976 to parliament after the Soweto riots, as quoted in Down with Afrikaans - Oakes, D. (ed.), 1988. Illustrated history of South Africa – The real story, Reader’s Digest: Cape Town http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/down-afrikaans-oakes-d-ed1988-illustrated-history-south-africa-%26ndash%3B-real-story-reader%E2%80%99s-digest-, sahistory.org.za

“Ignoring the problem means abandoning the next victims to their fate; even worse, it means abandoning the core values that sustain Western society.”

Ayaan Hirsi Ali (1969) Dutch feminist, author

Source: 2010s, Nomad: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations (2010), Chapter 15, “Dishonor, Death, and Feminists” (p. 232)

“Violence and intimidation against our elected representatives are a red line in our democracy.”

Gérard Larcher (1949) President of the Senate (France)

Source: Gérard Larcher (2022) cited in: " 'Unacceptable': France's Macron denounces latest MP assault in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/10/unacceptable-france-s-macron-denounces-latest-mp-assault-in-saint-pierre-et-miquelon" in Science Alert, 10 January 2022.

“The violence and intimidation we have seen should never have happened. It is the work of extremists. It is the enemy within.”

Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) British stateswoman and politician

TV Interview for BBC2 Newsnight (27 July 1984) http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/105565
Second term as Prime Minister

“Congress leaders have been intimidating me and threatening me with physical violence. I am deeply grateful that the Supreme Court has noted the violence against me and my wife.”

Arnab Goswami (1973) Indian news anchor

https://www.opindia.com/2020/04/arnab-goswami-grateful-supreme-court-interim-protection-congress-fir/ https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/grateful-to-sc-for-upholding-constitutional-right-to-report-broadcast-arnab-goswami20200424155249/ https://www.newsx.com/national/arnab-goswami-deeply-grateful-to-sc-for-defending-his-freedom-of-expression-says-congress-filed-over-150-firs-to-intimidate-him.html

“The threat of China is not military. The threat of China is they can't be intimidated… Europe you can intimidate. When the US tries to get people to stop investing in Iran, European companies pull out, China disregards it. You look at history and understand why — they've been around for 4,000 years, they have contempt for the barbarians, they just don't give a damn. OK, you scream, we'll go ahead and take over a big piece of Saudi or Iranian oil. And that's the threat, you can't intimidate them — it's driving people in Washington berserk. But, you know, of all the major powers, they've been the least aggressive militarily.”

Noam Chomsky (1928) american linguist, philosopher and activist

Quotes 2000s, 2006, Discussion with Robert Trivers, 2006

“Russia's leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world's oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of re-assembling the Russian empire.”

John McCain (1936–2018) politician from the United States

2000s, 2008, (2008)

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