With respect to the Rajneesh cult in Oregon that Alex mentioned in his wrap up, just a thought...
I think it entirely likely that Jonestown, Synanon, Rajneshpuram and others were all started with good intentions but the inevitable Cult of the Leader (and a certain enforced philosophical narrowness and rigidity) eventually morphed them int…
With respect to the Rajneesh cult in Oregon that Alex mentioned in his wrap up, just a thought...
I think it entirely likely that Jonestown, Synanon, Rajneshpuram and others were all started with good intentions but the inevitable Cult of the Leader (and a certain enforced philosophical narrowness and rigidity) eventually morphed them into something other than a positive influence. Or far worse. The Soviet Union - a product of 19th century utopianism and a reaction to an unresponsive and exploitative nobility- bled its peoples and failed exactly in that way. But at its heart was the idea of building something new and better. Even something as odious as Nationalist-Socialism in Germany had its utopian aims but only for a narrowly defined "in" group. And, of course, it had no real philosophy or theory of governance - there was no body of reasoning (economic or otherwise) to draw on - just the whims and musings of a Leader of the worst stripe.
With respect to the Rajneesh cult in Oregon that Alex mentioned in his wrap up, just a thought...
I think it entirely likely that Jonestown, Synanon, Rajneshpuram and others were all started with good intentions but the inevitable Cult of the Leader (and a certain enforced philosophical narrowness and rigidity) eventually morphed them into something other than a positive influence. Or far worse. The Soviet Union - a product of 19th century utopianism and a reaction to an unresponsive and exploitative nobility- bled its peoples and failed exactly in that way. But at its heart was the idea of building something new and better. Even something as odious as Nationalist-Socialism in Germany had its utopian aims but only for a narrowly defined "in" group. And, of course, it had no real philosophy or theory of governance - there was no body of reasoning (economic or otherwise) to draw on - just the whims and musings of a Leader of the worst stripe.