“Rules are Rules”

Summary

The text critiques the blind adherence to rules, equating it with totalitarianism and a step towards dystopia, while also discussing the role of anarchism and the importance of questioning authority to maintain a balance between freedom and control.

Abstract

The article titled "Rules are Rules" challenges the notion that rules should be followed unquestioningly, suggesting that such an attitude paves the way for totalitarian regimes and dystopian societies. The author argues that the unchecked power given to rulers through unquestioned obedience leads to a society where individual freedoms are sacrificed for the sake of following rules, as seen during the pandemic. The piece also touches on the natural opposition that arises in the form of anarchism when rules become too oppressive, highlighting the dynamic interplay between control and freedom. Furthermore, the author posits that true freedom lies beyond labels and ideologies, in a state of consciousness where one does not identify with any particular position, thus transcending the duality of utopia and dystopia.

Opinions

The author believes that the statement "rules are rules" is a dangerous justification for totalitarianism and leads to a society where people obey without questioning.
The pandemic is cited as an example where unquestioned adherence to rules resulted in a shift towards a totalitarian dystopia.
The author refutes the claim of being an anarchist but acknowledges a sense of validation when associated with the term.
Anarchism is seen as a natural counterbalance to totalitarianism, preventing the establishment of a dystopian society by questioning and resisting oppressive rules.
The article suggests that the concept of dystopia cannot exist without its opposite, utopia, and that a higher state of consciousness can transcend these polarities.
Labels, including anarchism, are viewed as limiting and contributing to a war mindset that perpetuates conflict and division.
True freedom and rebellion are found in a state of non-identification, where one's existence itself becomes an act of rebellion against the system.

That shit leads to dystopia

“Rules are rules,” they say.

“What the fuck does that even mean?” I ask.

“You are an anarchist,” they say.

“I am not,” I answer.

Although, I need to admit — I do blush a little bit when I hear that. “Stop it.”

“Stop it!”

No, but seriously, what does that even mean? Rules are rules? By legitimising the idea that rules are rules, we are legitimising totalitarianism. We are basically giving all the power to the rulers and making their laws unquestionable — no matter how ridiculous they are. Such a viewpoint inevitably leads to dystopia — a society where people don’t question the governing decisions and rulers do whatever serves the purpose. People obey for the sake of obeying.

We don’t want to give Putin that power, do we? But yes, that is what widely happened during the pandemic. People stopped questioning, and we found ourselves in a society that was heading towards dystopia; towards totalitarian dystopia where we don’t hug, where we eat with masks, get boosters every month and hung out via zoom. It does sound dystopian, doesn’t it? All that while not being provided with proper information and studies about those measures. They say those were “exceptional circumstances”, but if every single person followed all the rules at all times in those “exceptional circumstances”, I believe the rules, the measures, would stay with us forever. I don’t need to remind you that there were some people who kept benefiting from that situation.

However, as the word dystopia says for itself, just as utopia, it is not an achievable state of affairs. The reason it is not achievable is because one perspective must create the opposite one. Just as absolute good doesn’t exist without absolute bad, God without Satan, dystopia doesn’t exist without utopia. (It is achievable though, the state of consciousness, where good equals bad, which is something Eckhart Tolle calls good beyond good and bad, and therefore there is such a thing as God beyond God and Satan and utopia beyond utopia and dystopia, but let’s stick to the mind-created world of polarities for now.)

I wrote before that totalitarianism and anarchism are two parallel processes. As soon as rules are perceived as totalitarian by a group of people, anarchism develops and dystopia can’t be achievable anymore. Anarchists are essentially people who don’t believe in that viewpoint “rules are rules,” and they are in a big measure the reason we don’t wear masks anymore. Yeah, I know, data now shows that the virus is not that dangerous anymore. But also, it seems the notion of what is dangerous has been lessening as anarchism has been rising. The power of protests is the article where I described what happened when anarchists took streets.

However, although the idea of anarchism sounds sexy to me, I believe anarchism is just another label. By accepting any kind of label, we are limiting ourselves and narrow our perspective. Also, the root of the war mind-set, that is currently prevailing in the world, is always in labelling and identifying with a certain position. For those who identify as anarchists, the system is the enemy, and individual peace can hardly be found. For those who identify as anti-vaxxers, vaxxers are enemies. And the other way around. Politicians will eventually find enemies for those with a strong national identity.

The whole of the system is based on the war mind-set. Power implies enemies. The only way to deal with that is to not identify strongly with a certain position, or as Albert Camus famously wrote — to become so absolutely free that our very existence is an act of rebellion.

I believe that that freedom comes with not-identification. When there is no identification, there is no war mind-set, and naturally our existence is an act of rebellion. That is when deeply entrenched patterns of the system starts dissolving. But that rebellion is then not for the sake of rebellion or freedom. That rebellion is freedom itself; it makes you free no matter under what kind of terror you happen to be. That is utopia beyond utopia and dystopia. Anarchism beyond anarchism and totalitarianism. Good beyond good and bad.