“[Tyranny is] to compel men not to think as they do, to compel men to express thoughts that are not their own.”

And not to say anything slightly negative toward the state or you are in for a lot of trouble. An example is Jesus. His teachings made the Roman rulers a little nervous so he was executed.

Tyranny is much more broad in scope than the above definition but, it is a very good start. One of tyranny's components under the above stated is, the changing of word's and concept's meaning(s). For an extremely terse example; the word and concept "law", has been so perverted in the administrations of man that tyranny compels man's thought.

jim, it was more the local theocracy's intent and insistence that moved the Romans to execute Jesus (rather than His teachings). By Jesus' birthright, he was to be the king of Israel (see Matthew 1:) His influence and position scared the Sanhedrin, not the Romans. At the end, Pilate, the Roman's ruling head in the area ask: "Shall I crucify your king ?", then the chief priests and their patrons shouted: "We have no king but Caesar" In the banter with the rabble, Pilate even offered Barabbas in exchange for Jesus (Barabbas being translated 'son of the father' - a carnal similitude of Jesus' position). Also, by government declaration, Caesar was a god incarnate, the savior of the world, the peace maker and corporeal emperor. Even at that, it was the most closely impacted theocracy that moved to have Jesus executed. The locals did not have authority or power over capital punishment, so was the reason for insistence upon the Romans.

And with television, 'opinion-making' is the order of the day. Through constant repetition and other techniques of mass psychology, it isn't long that the viewers start parroting the party line. Most of us have been warned not to trust our own thoughts if they contradict the custom of submission to church and state. Remember that Liberty is a relatively new concept -- historically, and by tradition, the common man is considered the subject of a ruling class playing 'god.' Has the Age of Reason come and gone? THINK! ;-)

Okay Mike, let's just say that Jesus made the Roman Rulers nervous and that's what got him executed.

By Jolly, I think I've got it!