Collectivism is the belief that the group is more important than the individual and that individuals must be sacrificed, if necessary, for the greater good of the greater number.
Below are the 7 pillars of collectivism as identified by G. Edward Griffin.
Let’s not lose touch…Your Government and Big Tech are actively trying to censor the information reported by The Exposé to serve their own needs. Subscribe to our emails now to make sure you receive the latest uncensored news in your inbox…
In 2023, G. Edward Griffin published a 49-page booklet called ‘The Chasm: Collectivism vs. Individualism’.
Introducing what Griffin refers to as “the chasm,” he said, “It may surprise you to learn that most of the political debates of our time – at least in the Western world – can be divided into just two viewpoints … the ethics of collectivism and individualism. Those words have profound meaning, and they represent an ideological chasm that divides the entire Western world.”
Griffin has studied collectivist literature for over 60 years. From “early on, it was clear that there are certain recurring themes, what may be considered as the seven pillars of collectivism,” he wrote. “If they are turned upside down, they become the seven pillars of individualism.”
“In other words, there are seven concepts of social and political relationships; and, within each of them, collectivists and individualists have opposite viewpoints.”
The 7 pillars of collectivism Griffin identified are:
1. The Origin And Nature of Human Rights. The individualist assumption is that rights are inalienable and the innate possession of the people. The purpose of the state is not to grant rights, but to secure them and protect them. Individualists believe the state derives its power from the people.
By contrast, all collectivist political systems embrace the opposite view that rights are granted by the state. Collectivists believe states have powers that are greater than those of their citizens, stemming from the doctrine of “the greatest good for the greatest number.”
2. Group Supremacy. Collectivism is based on the belief that the group is more important than the individual. Therefore, the individual must be sacrificed, if necessary, for “the greater good of the greater number.”
On the other hand, individualists say that the word group is an abstraction and doesn’t exist as a tangible reality. You can’t touch a group. You can’t see a group. All you can touch and see are individuals.
3. Coercion vs Freedom. Rights and responsibilities go together. If only individuals have rights, then it follows that only individuals have responsibilities. If groups have rights, then groups also have responsibilities.
Individualists are champions of individual rights. Therefore, they endorse the principle of individual responsibility, not group responsibility, and voluntary collaboration in collective action to solve problems.
Collectivists declare that individuals are not responsible for charity, raising their own children, providing for ageing parents or even for themselves. These are group obligations of the state.
In short, individualists expect to do it themselves; collectivists want the government to do it for them and see government as the one group that can legally force everyone to participate.
One of the quickest ways to spot a collectivist is to see how he reacts to public problems. No matter what bothers him in his daily routine – whether it’s littering the highway, smoking in public, dressing indecently, bigotry, sending out junk mail – you name it, his immediate response is ‘There ought to be a law!’,” Griffen wrote. “Collectivists believe in coercion; individualists believe in freedom.”
4. Private Property. The abolition of private property is collectivism’s mantra. “No matter whether it is Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Nazism, or any other variant [e.g. Technocracy], all the high priests of collectivism are in agreement that private property must be replaced by so-called public property under the direction of benevolent administrators for the good of all,” Griffen said.
“Private property is a prerequisite for independence and freedom. Without private property (including money, which is a form of property) we cannot obtain the necessities of life … If we have no property, then we are [the] property” because we depend on others for our survival. “That is why every variant of collectivism … demands the abolition of [all] private property.”
5. Money without coercion. Griffin is still working on this section and so has not expanded on this point as of yet.
6. Equality vs. Inequality Under Law. Individualists believe that no two people are exactly alike, and each one is superior or inferior to others in many ways but, under law, they should all be treated equally.
Collectivists believe that the law should treat people unequally to bring about desirable changes in society.
7. The Great Leader. Collectivist politicians promise sweeping changes and bountiful benefits because they operate on the principle of winner-take-all. They believe that winning the election gives them the right to do anything they wish and the power to force those who did not vote for them to pay for it.
The concept of a Great Leader is not unique to collectivist systems; it is a major feature of all totalitarian states. Why? “Under collectivism, all problems are the responsibility of the state and must be solved by the state,” Griffen wrote. “The more problems there are, the more powerful the state must become. Once you get on that slippery slope, there is no place to stop until you reach all the way to the end of the scale, which is total state control over everything.”
Waiting in the wings to take over from elected national governments is Technocracy, another collectivist ideology. In a technocratic system, “the science” is the Great Leader. Griffen explained:
“The statement that the Great Leader is a feature of all collectivist systems is true, but in the age of technocracy, the Great Leader is thought to be an idea, a supreme solver of problems, an impartial arbiter of conflicts, a benign force of justice. In the minds of the true believers, it even is thought to be God.
“The reality, however, is that technocracy is merely another variant of collectivism. Behind the façade of “science,” the Great Leader will be the highest-ranking member of the ruling council of humans who write the algorithms of the system. Behind all the scientific jargon and technical wizardry is the inescapable mantra of collectivism: ‘You are being denied freedom because it’s for the greater good of the greater number’.”
Griffin ends his booklet with the statement: “It’s amazing, isn’t it, how much is contained in that one little word: collectivism.”
You can download and read the full booklet for free HERE.
Related: G. Edward Griffin: The oligarchs want us to know how bad things are
The Expose Urgently Needs Your Help…
Can you please help to keep the lights on with The Expose’s honest, reliable, powerful and truthful journalism?
Your Government & Big Tech organisations
try to silence & shut down The Expose.
So we need your help to ensure
we can continue to bring you the
facts the mainstream refuses to.
The government does not fund us
to publish lies and propaganda on their
behalf like the Mainstream Media.
Instead, we rely solely on your support. So
please support us in our efforts to bring
you honest, reliable, investigative journalism
today. It’s secure, quick and easy.
Please choose your preferred method below to show your support.
Categories: Breaking News, Latest News, World News