‘The
central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious
conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.’
The above quote was written by…by…we’ll come back to it. For the meantime
read it again and make your mind up about what you think about it.
Does it matter who wrote it? Should we dismiss or champion the message on
the strength of its author, or should we absorb the message and decipher it in
relation to our own values and beliefs accordingly?
What the author of the quote is describing is a form of persecution
complex.
Persecution complex can be defined as an array of psychologically intricate
behaviours that specifically deal with the perception of being victimised or
maltreated, for various possible reasons, imagined or real.
People who hold marginal beliefs or theories often display some features of
this malady, as a way of explaining why their views are not more widespread or
universally accepted as fact.
To counteract this dissonance they seek out and join forces with others
holding similar beliefs.
The
formation of such a tribe, in the sociological sense, relies on there being a
common interest or goal strong enough that the group would in some way
delimitate itself from the larger society. Religious cults or football fans
form such tribes.
Persecution
complexes are not inherent in all cults or football fans, but do lend
themselves to the polarization of such groups. Communal reinforcement reassures
group members that they are indeed correct by posing the question: How could all of us be wrong?
At
extremes this leads to the groupthink that places continued membership of a
group and conformity to its norms above rational and critical evaluation. Such
a process is highly evident in fundamentalist religion, but is almost a given
for any group expressing sufficiently extreme ideology. Nothing brings people
together like having a common enemy.
Groupthink occurs when individuals in a group fail to express their
doubts about the group's dynamic, direction or decisions because of a desire to
maintain consensus or conformity. Thus the group may be on a headlong rush to
error or disaster and no-one speaks up because they don't want to rock the
boat.
Affected group members tend to ignore their own doubts for the good of the
group. The group itself may also ignore external suggestions, and can become
paranoid when faced with criticism, even when the criticism is helpful or
well-meant. Groups are most vulnerable to the results of groupthink when their
members are of similar backgrounds, when the group is insulated from outside
opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making.
Groupthink is why everyone in that online forum you just joined not only
doesn't go for any outsider’s perspicacious and radical ideas, chances are they’d
be mocked too.
The word sheeple originated to describe those who tend to accept and take
statements at face value, especially if the source reinforces the beliefs of
the group and reduces cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive
dissonance is a large part of why hazing builds loyalty. If you experience
exceptional highs and lows with that group, and you’ve invested heavily
emotionally you'll go to tremendous lengths to convince yourself it is
deserving enough to have been worth the love you give it.
Most
people will eventually change their beliefs on a subject after enough
contradictory evidence emerges. Because sometimes evidence emerges that is so
solid and undeniable that it is easier to give up a complex worldview than
having to constantly generate excuses why this evidence is false.
Other
individuals, especially when they have support networks of others reinforcing a
delusion or worldview, will go to such great lengths to rationalize away
dissenting ideas that after a certain point, an admission of error would cause
the collapse of an entire web of mutually supporting beliefs.
Many
supporters of smaller football teams have always shared scepticism and signs of
a persecution complex when it comes to decisions going against their clubs in
favour of the bigger ones.
How
many times have they gone home convinced the referee was persuaded to award
that dodgy penalty because of inbuilt psychological mechanisms geared towards
satisfying the appetites and loud cries of the home crowd?
They
go home quietly though and, for some, the thought of being persecuted helps
them deal with the truth that their club just isn’t very good.
To
feel hard done by is not only part of the game, for many it’s also part of the
fabric of society.
But
it’s not only the smaller teams who suffer this unfortunate psychological state.
Throughout
their history Celtic fans felt they were up against an unseen hand when it came
to decisions against their team. Many of those claims were labelled as
paranoia, nothing more than sour grapes from sore losers, thus gaining a
reputation among others as being constant whiners always claiming to be cheated
and never defeated.
Their
persecution complex had its roots in the history of its people’s struggles to
be accepted in not only, the West of Scotland, but the whole of Scotland.
For
example, in 1923 John White, who became the Moderator of the General Assembly
of the Church of Scotland two years later, was Convener of the Church and
Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland. During his time as convener he was
instrumental in the report titled: The
Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationality.
This report accused the Roman Catholic population in
Scotland of subverting Presbyterian values and of drunkenness, crime and
financial imprudence. The report further called for the ending of immigration
of Irish Catholics to Scotland and the deportation of any convicted of a
criminal offence or living on state benefits. White urged a "racially
pure" Scotland, and went as far declaring, "Today there is a movement
throughout the world towards the rejection of non-native constituents and the
crystallization of national life from native elements."
It wasn’t long after that Hitler took Germany on a course
of ethnic cleansing during his quest for world domination.
I’m sure if White were alive today he’d be a vocal
supporter of Nick Griffin and the ideology of similar extremist groups.
That
was, of course, another era, another century, another millennium. Scotland not
only rejected those ideals, it embraced multiculturalism, eventually, like most
of the rest of the civilised world.
Although
the fact it took until the 1990s for Irish Catholics to achieve parity with the
rest of the population is still a reminder of our sectarian past. As a
benchmark the Irish Catholic immigrants who headed west instead of east
achieved parity in the United States in 1901.
However,
a section of Scottish society still lives in the past. A section of Scottish
society believes it’s alright in this day and age, to gather in numbers inside
a football ground and sing songs about sending Irish immigrants home because
the famine, which prompted those immigrants coming in the first place, is now
over.
Imagine
the outcry if Manchester United or Liverpool fans started singing songs about
sending Pakistanis or West Indians back to where they came from.
Imagine
the outcry if similar chants where heard at any other sports venue.
Yet
in Glasgow, even with its chequered past regarding sectarian troubles and
religious divide, this offensive singing goes on with only the minimum of
reporting in the media and even fewer charges brought against the perpetrators.
Yet
in Glasgow, and across Scotland, it is, unbelievably, the offenders who sing
these songs that are now suffering from a persecution complex.
To
be fair, the instances of hearing the Famine Song or Billy Boys at Ibrox are on
the decline, and one Rangers fan group has proposed a donation towards a Famine
Memorial Monument in Glasgow. But if one spends a little time surfing online
forums there can be no doubt that those harbouring strong feelings about the
negative impact of Irish Catholic immigrants in Scotland are still numerous and
vocal.
As
each new day brings more revelations about the underhand going-ons at Ibrox
during both the Murray and Whyte eras fans of other clubs are, quite rightly,
outraged. The sheer scale of the undisclosed payments, tax-evasion, unpaid
creditors and the downright lies those concerned continue spouting in gushes of
self-preservation sickens everyone.
David
Murray will forever be adamant he did nothing wrong. Even if found guilty of
deliberately evading tax he’ll always protest his innocence, saying he’d taken
expert advice and was just doing his best for Rangers.
Craig
Whyte will also be forever adamant he did nothing wrong. If found guilty of any
wrongdoing, especially with regards to the circumstances of his takeover, he’ll
widen his big Bambi eyes and continue to spout the line that he was just doing
his best for Rangers, and that the damage had already been done by Murray.
Rangers
fans will also be forever adamant they did nothing wrong. To a certain extent
they are right. They didn’t deliberately avoid paying taxes. They didn’t spend
huge sums bringing unaffordable players to Ibrox. Like all football fans they
cheered when their team was winning and hoped the good times would last
forever. Who can blame them for that?
They,
however, seem hell-bent on defending the indefensible. Sure, they blame Murray,
partly, and they blame Whyte too for his part in their downfall. But they
refuse to blame the club. They refuse to see why the club should be held
responsible for the actions of individuals. They refuse to see that those
individuals who owned the club were the club. They refused to take heed of the
warning signs, even though they were in the public domain, because they either
didn’t want to know, or they didn’t trust the source. They refused to believe
the message because of the messengers. The believed the messengers had a hidden
agenda to deliberately destroy Rangers with misinformation. This belief was
backed-up by the reluctance of the complicit mainstream media to print any of
the same information, even though they had access to it.
This
was when the seeds of Rangers fans persecution complex were first sown. How
dare so-called experts with online blogs and desire to share hard facts say
anything negative about the mighty Rangers. To Rangers fans there was only one
logical explanation: it had to be a conspiracy.
That
takes us back to the first quote:
‘The central belief of every moron is
that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and
true deserts.’
The
irony is these messengers were telling the truth about Rangers precarious
financial situation. They were not false prophets spinning yarns. The false
prophets turned out to be mainstream journalists churning out Press Release
after Press Release promising pots of gold at the end of rainbows.
Unfortunately, no rainbow appeared, and the rain hasn’t yet stopped.
The
storm clouds continue to gather as the results of the First Tier Tax Tribunal
and investigation into undisclosed payments loom on the near horizon. As the
saying here in Scotland goes, ‘The dark nights are fair drawin’ in.’
The
results of both of these are outwith the control of the fans, but that doesn’t
mean they haven’t been vocal.
If
they’ve learned one thing this year it’s that the club belongs to the fans.
They may not have, yet, bits of paper stating they’re the owners, or shareholders,
but there can be no doubt they are the main stakeholders.
Realising,
belatedly perhaps, the power a concerted campaign involving large numbers of
fans can have in protecting and projecting the club’s image, fans have taken to
internet forums and social media platforms to develop and implement battle
plans for this war they’re fighting.
The
use of terms like battle, war and fighting is perhaps a tad unfortunate, but
that is what the fans believe is happening. They believe there is a coordinated
campaign against them and the club. They believe everyone from the SFA to SPL to
city law firms are out to get them and won’t be satisfied until their club is
destroyed.
What
they perceive as hatred others perceive as seeking justice.
These
are the polar opposites in the continuum currently dividing Scottish football.
Non-Rangers
fans have been perplexed, to say the least, at the way Rangers old owner David
Murray, new owner Charles Green and the club’s fans have refused to acknowledge
the extent of rule breaking that occurred over many years, and the reluctance
to accept the consequences and punishments for the catalogue of misdemeanours. They’re
also critical of the governing bodies for attempting to gerrymander Rangers
into a higher league and the mainstream media for continuing to promote Charles
Green’s agenda unquestioningly. And with James Traynor appearing to be on a one
man quest to protect the legacy of David Murray, the Daily Record, once
Scotland’s pride and joy, is now seen as nothing more than a second-rate Pravda.
Rangers
fans that started off apologetic for the mess their club created have since been
disgusted at the handling of the club’s plight by the governing bodies,
mainstream media and fans of other clubs. They perceive others vocal quest for
integrity and justice as nothing more than hatred for Rangers.
At
least some common ground has been found. It seems everyone is agreed the
governing bodies and mainstream media are pursuing their own agendas.
Unfortunately,
the opposite sides can’t agree on what those agendas are.
Non-Rangers
fans think authorities and media are doing their best to bend rules for
Rangers.
Rangers
fans think authorities and media are out to get them.
As
mentioned earlier, having a persecution complex is nothing new for most of us. But
this flourishing persecution complex of Rangers is growing into one so deep
you’d think they’d been cultivating it for years. They haven’t. They had no
need. Being the establishment club put it in a unique position whereby they
could sit atop their perch and mock those complaining about bias towards them.
Things have changed in 21st century Scotland and they’ve been forced
to awaken from their deep slumber, but they’re catching up, and catching up
fast.
Sites
like The Rangers Standard and Copeland Road seek out negative stories about
Rangers and attempt to discredit the authors. They appear to have little
interest in the message, only the messenger. If the messenger is perceived as a
non-Rangers man then the message is dismissed as part of the concerted campaign
against the club.
This
strategy resulted in an embarrassing campaign to tarnish a book without even
reading it, all because they didn’t like the author.
You’d
think that having been here before they might have at least learned to look at
each new message objectively, but that is seldom, if ever, the case.
The
siege mentality building down Edmiston Drive is only succeeding in isolating
Rangers from the rest of the Scottish footballing world. As they become more
entrenched their persecution complex grows at an alarming rate.
In
recent weeks the Vanguard Bears published a piece titled Leadership, which
opened with this quote from Martin Luther King:
‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments
of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’
Using
a Martin Luther King quote is certainly a bold attempt to add gravitas to the
statement. Who doesn’t see Luther King as a visionary of everything that is
good? Who can ignore the message of such an illustrious messenger?
However,
the piece itself argues that Rangers, Unionism, Protestantism and indeed the
whole of society is being attacked, devalued and eroded by religious fanatics,
deluded nationalists and an Axis of Evil run by the SFA, SPL and Peter Lawwell.
No,
I didn’t make that up. In what looks, to me, like a classic case of persecution
complex, they believe the country is being attacked and everyone is out to
destroy Rangers and their way of life.
Fans
who are not usually found agreeing with such views have been slowly working
their way along the continuum towards that group. As we have seen, there is
strength and comfort in numbers. Communal reinforcement reassures group members
that they are indeed correct. How could
all of us be wrong?
It
is twenty years since Irish Catholics achieved parity, leading some to question
the effect this has had on Scottish society. The Vanguard Bears statement reads
like John White’s 1923 Report: The Menace
of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationality.
Is
this how little some have travelled in almost a hundred years? Have they
learned nothing from history?
Allow
me to reiterate that many of us have felt persecuted at some stage in our
lives. At the moment a growing number of Rangers fans are living the dream, or
nightmare. Some may not like it. Others may be enjoying the trip. Feeling
persecuted can be a powerful drug.
Writer John Rogers sums it up like this:
‘One of the
great secrets of human nature is that the one thing people want more than love,
security, sex, chocolate or big-screen TV's is to feel hard done by.
Why?
Because being hard done by is the shit.
Feeling hard done by is the sweetest of drugs. If you're being persecuted -- it
must mean you're doing the right thing, right? You get the mellow buzz of the
moral high ground, but without arrogantly claiming it as your own. You get an
instant, supportive community in a big dark scary world of such scope it may
well literally be beyond rational human processing. When you are hard done by,
you get purpose in a life where otherwise, you'd have to find your own. And
when you ride that high, then no amount of logic-- is going to pry that sweet
crack-pipe of moral indignation from your hands.’
Let
me take you back to that opening quote about morons believing they are victims
of a mysterious conspiracy. It was written by Henry Louis Mencken. Mencken was
a journalist, satirist, essayist and critic of American life. When appraising
his short quote does it matter that he sympathised with Germany during and
after World War One and was suspicious of British propaganda? Or is it more
important to note that he admired Friedrich Nietzsche and was the
first writer to provide a scholarly analysis in English of Nietzsche's writings
and philosophy? What should we make of the fact that in 1926 he deliberately
had himself arrested for selling an issue of The American Mercury that
was banned in Boston under the Comstock Laws?
It
is clear Mencken was a controversial character. Does that mean we give any less
weight to his words?
Regarded
by many as one of the most influential American writers of the early twentieth
century, his legacy is one of challenging longstanding beliefs. In 1923, the
same year as John White’s Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland published: The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish
Nationality, Mencken countered the arguments for Anglo-Saxon
superiority prevalent in his time in an essay entitled The Anglo-Saxon, which argued that if there was such a thing as a
pure Anglo-Saxon race, it was defined
by its inferiority and cowardice.
Both Mencken and White were
obviously men of their time. Divided by more than the width of an ocean their
distinctly polar opposite opinions are still being cultivated and harvested in
some minds in Scotland today.
We can grab our hard hats and
popcorn and sit on the sidelines to watch the carnage or proactively seek to
bring those at the extreme end of the continuum back to the centre, where we
may still have our persecution complexes, but they’re put into perspective by
an overwhelming desire to separate football from religion and politics.
As for the persecution complex of
Rangers fans today, I hope they’ll forgive me, and many like me, if we allow
ourselves a wry smile at their current state of mind. After all, they are only
experiencing what the rest of us have experienced at various stages of our
lives, whether on the football field or in the world around us.
Seeing as religion continues to
seep into the consciousness of the Vanguard Bears and others who believe
Rangers’ downfall is all part of some huge conspiracy, let us finish with a quote that
will not only whet their appetite for feeling persecuted, but may give hope to
us all the next time we find ourselves in a similar situation because of our
beliefs.
‘Blessed are those who are
persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’
Of course, one can always
question the source of this quote like any other, but if claiming persecution
because of Christian beliefs, whether Catholic or Protestant, surely the word
of Jesus from his Sermon on the Mount are beyond reproach, or is The Bible part
of one big conspiracy too? I think that may be a question for another time.
It goes without saying this blog
will be dismissed by Rangers fans as the insane ranting of a Rangers-hater, and
the empathetic message of ‘we’ve all been there’ will be roundly ignored. More
erudite writers than me have tried and failed to communicate with their closed
mindset, and few will try again in the future. What they need, but don’t seem
to want just yet, is someone from within challenging the groupthink of the
tribe. Maybe then they’ll begin to see light at the end of their persecution
complex tunnel.
