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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
139
After
a
great
deal
of
searching,
Barrent
found
a
small
work
entitled,
"The
Postwar
Dilemma,
Volume
1,"
by
Arthur
Whittler.
It
began
where
the
other
histories
had
left
off;
with
the
atomic
bombs
exploding
over
Hiroshima
and
Nagasaki.
Barrent
sat
down
and
began
to
read
carefully.
He
learned
about
the
Cold
War
of
the
1950's,
when
several
nations
were
in
possession
of
atomic
and
hydrogen
weapons.
Already,
the
author
stated,
the
seeds
of
a
massive
and
stultifying
conformity
were
present
in
the
nations
of
the
world.
In
America,
there
was
the
frenzied
resistance
to
communism.
In
Russia
and
China,
there
was
the
frenzied
resistance
to
capitalism.
One
by
one,
all
the
nations
of
the
world
were
drawn
into
one
camp
or
the
other.
For
purposes
of
internal
security,
all
countries
relied
upon
the
newest
propaganda
and
indoctrination
techniques.
All
countries
felt
they
needed,
for
survival's
sake,
a
rigid
adherence
to
state-approved
doctrines.
The
pressure
upon
the
individual
to
conform
became
both
stronger
and
subtler.
The
dangers
of
war
passed.
The
many
societies
of
Earth
began
to
merge
into
a
single
superstate.
But
the
pressure
to
conform,
instead
of
lessening,
grew
more
intense.
The
need
was
dictated
by
the
continued
explosive
increase
in
population,
and
the
many
problems
of
unification
across
national
and
ethnic
lines.
Differences
in
opinion
could
be
deadly;
too
many
groups
now
had
access
to
the
supremely
deadly
hydrogen
bombs.
Under
the
circumstances,
deviant
behavior
could
not
be
tolerated.
Unification
was
finally
completed.
The
conquest
of
space
went
on,
from
moon
ship
to
planet
ship
to
star
ship.
But
Earth
became
increasingly
rigid
in
its
institutions.
A
civilization
more
inflexible
than
anything
produced
by
medieval
Europe
punished
any
opposition
to
existing
customs,
habits,
beliefs.
These
breaches
of
the
social
contract
were
considered
major
crimes
as
serious
as
murder
or
arson.
They
were
punished
similarly.
The
antique
institutions
of
secret
police,
political
police,
informers,
all
were
used.
Every
possible
device
was
brought
to
bear
toward
the
all-important
goal
of
conformity.
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