Importantly, Leo is not just a common guy but is an enforcer, and even he couldn't be sure of guilt because the crimes were only loosely defined, likely by design. So how could he enforce the law? Easy, just arrest or kill the suspect on the grounds that if you were a suspect you were guilty. Unfortunately, becoming a suspect was as simple as a cranky neighbor casting aspersions and even minor officials were not immune to accusations.While it was easy to comfort yourself that you would never steal or rape or murder, no one could ever be sure they weren't guilty of anti-Soviet agitation, counterrevolutionary activity, and espionage, since no one, including Leo, could ever be sure exactly what these crimes were.
Since big government and government control are hotly debated issues in today's political clime, the foregoing excerpt is relevant to us. The scenario described in Child 44 is a result of out-of-control big government. This is what people fear in our government.
If government controls all, it becomes out-of-control. When they are in control, they may expect you to do things you don't wish to do. You may live in fear of your neighbor as well as your government.
"Oh," you say, "I trust our goverment to take away my concerns and make my decisions for me. They'll make everything even and fair - level the playing field. I want to grant them control."
Ah, so perhaps you trust the present administration. Fine. This administration is not forever. Who or what comes next? They will inherit control over you. You have party affiliations? Maybe the next administration will decide to interpret the control laws in a different way. Maybe they'll decide that former party affiliations are punishable by death. Who's to question it? After all, you've granted the government total control over you. And as Lord Acton, historian and moralist, said in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Make government a servant of the people, or people will be slaves of the government.
OofDah!
Child 44 is a great book, I loved it. The follow up to Child 44 is the Secret Speech and is also a very good book. As a writer Tom Rob Smith really makes one feel and understand the heavy weight of oppression, sadly I fear that we are heading that way as a Country right now.
ReplyDeleteThere are signs that people are starting to pay attention and push back. I just hope it is not too late......
"Secret Speech" is on my wish list. So many books on my reading list - so little time. I need to retire to get caught up with my reading list, but who dares retire these days?
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