I read the article, and I’m sympathetic to its points, 15 years old though they may be.
And I’ll be damned if I can understand what your comparison is intended to mean. I’m not disagreeing with whatever you meant; I just can’t figure out what you meant.
It’s how they keep the downtrodden, repressed, disadvantaged, marginalized, neglected, exploited, and abused in line.
Thank you. I only knew the German phrase in the highly cynical Nazi usage. Not the preceding historical / philosophical contexts.
Now that I understand your meaning I agree completely. I’m reminded of a bumper sticker from, WAG, the Reagan years. It wasn’t specifically about Reagan or Republicans or anything like that. Just about the general zeitgeist. It said
If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention