The New Criterion

The most successful form of intimidation, because it is the most economical for the party doing the intimidating, is preemptive intimidation. It works like this: You get the party being intimidated to do all the heavy lifting. They supply whatever element of coercion is needed, which is often very little. They make the concessions, often without a murmur. Overt threats or acts of violence are mostly in the past. Every now and then, a ritual show of power might erupt to keep memories fresh, but for the most part the really successful intimidator relies on his victims to provide the stick with which to keep themselves cowed. They don’t call it a stick, of course. They call it “prudence,” being “responsible,” acting with “sensitivity towards the feelings of others.”

Remember, to take one example, the action of Yale University Pre ...

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