The downward spiral into totalitarianism goes something like this:
1. "We are the most exceptional society on Earth. What makes us so great is that our citizens and government uphold moral values such as compassion, mercy, innovation, equal opportunity, and human rights. This ethical code makes us who we are, and so we must perennially defend against any threats to it. A society only runs smoothly when people are free and prosperous; by really getting it right, we are modeling a better way of life for other societies. Working with our elected leaders, we will eventually convince more and more foreign societies to follow our example, which we hope will usher in a Golden Age of morality for the whole planet."
2. "Our society's moral code is so exceptional, compared to most others, that we must occasionally make small compromises in order to make sure that our core values are still here tomorrow. Most citizens aren't up to the job (bless 'em), so we need to elect strong leaders who are willing to make these kinds of tough decisions on everyone's behalf."
3. "As a society, we must always hold onto and defend the idea of our values, but that doesn't mean we need to follow them to the letter. Just so long as we remember the moral code that made us so exceptional before these looming threats made our situation more complex, we're good. When the major threats have passed, our leaders will voluntarily relinquish the semi-authoritarian powers society has granted them, ushering in a Second Golden Age!"
4. "Most people hold on to the antiquated idea of an absolute moral code; this is a sweet sentiment, but it is unrealistic. Absolute morality is a weakness which could potentially expose our society to Looming Threats. Because of the dire nature of these Threats, we must elect leaders who are strong enough to set aside certain ethical considerations, as well as shadowy unelected overlords with even fewer moral compunctions."
5. "We have to do whatever it takes to ensure that we can defend against all future threats to the idea of our values, or else our society will perish. Our rulers can't afford to be moral most of the time, given all the looming threats out there, but we can still romanticize the bygone days when we were a morality-based society... and this memory of the glorious Golden Age is what makes us so exceptional."
6. "We must do whatever it takes in the face of these looming threats. If this means following oligarchical rulers who constantly push the envelope on human rights abuse, then so be it. If it means establishing repressive policies regardless of whether there is currently a need for them, we will not raise our voices in protest, because we trust our rulers and know that silence is patriotic. We recall a simpler and gentler time before the Endless Threats fell upon us, but we also recognize the need to leave the past behind. It is this very fortitude—this patriotic, forward-thinking—outlook which make us so exceptional, especially when compared with societies that are holding on to idealistic notions like universal human rights."
7. "The only societal model that makes any sense is one in which people stand by whenever their government commits atrocities in the name of a vaguely-defined 'security.' Nothing should be off the table: torture, bioterrorism, sexual humiliation, wars of choice, corruption, collusion, coups, rampant inequality, undue process, assassinations, suppression of speech, brutalizing peaceful protesters, taking political prisoners... hey, whatever it takes. It is unfortunate that we've had to sacrifice so many of our original moral values, but these compromises have made us stronger as a people."
8. "We must persevere in the face of all threats. This means endless war, because when you get down to it, the Social Darwinists got it right: the world is just a bunch of sinister forces out to get us, and so we must unite and become an even bigger threat than those we face daily. It's a brave new world and we will do whatever it takes to protect our interests. Oh, right... freedom, democracy, exceptionalism, beacon of hope, terror, bla bla bla."
9. "Wake up, people; morality is for the gullible. Most of you are doe-eyed chumps with no self-control. Deep down, you know that everyone is innately selfish and mean. Like children, we all crave a strong parent figure to curb these impulses—a Stern Father with the godlike power it takes to keep us in line. You should really be grateful—if you think that all the casual violence and cruelty is bad now, just imagine what it would be like without Stern Father maintaining order.
10. Questioning the State/Corporate Complex in any way is unpatriotic, because a society only runs smoothly when most people live in abject terror of being punished by their overlords. It's a dog-eat-dog world we live in, and those people or societies which cling to moral codes deserve to suffer for their insolence. The weakness of conscience threatens the founding principle of our society ("whatever it takes to dominate"), and must never be tolerated lest we all return to the chaos of the past. We, your Supreme Rulers, are the biggest threat that humankind has ever faced... and that's what makes us so exceptional."
11. [EPILOGUE] "Please have mercy on us, society. As your self-appointed rulers, we have committed heinous crimes, but remember the bygone days when you were still moral? No? Damn... off to the gallows, then."
