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People are being targeted for having their own opinion
Austria has become more authoritarian than it used to be.
29/08/2024
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
I don’t remember Austria being as authoritarian in the past as it is now, but my experiences over the past few years are certainly reminiscent of pre-WWII dynamics.
Dr. Raphael M. Bonelli recently shared in a video that people in Austria have been excluded and discriminated against in ways he has not seen before.
This happened to me after I spoke up about the abuse I experienced.
It’s difficult to determine who is being targeted.
In my opinion, Austria has a high percentage of malignant narcissists nowadays. Such a prevalence of malignant narcissism is typically found in times when dictators attempt to eradicate other religions, cultures, ‘races,’ or countries. From my own observation, at least one in three, but likely closer to one in two people you encounter is a malignant narcissist. This is not only true in Austria but also in other countries.
Observing what is happening in Germany, we see that people have become more aggressive and violent, with a noticeable increase in incidents of violence.
Who is being targeted?
Those who didn’t get the COVID-19 vaccine, or didn’t do so immediately, are certainly one group that has been attacked and shunned by their families and society. I belonged to that group. I didn’t get the vaccine due to health reasons, and when I eventually did, I almost died from a severe allergic reaction that nearly cost me my life.
My family put a lot of pressure on me, which led me to eventually get the vaccine. Instead of receiving the usual three doses, I only got two because a third shot could have been fatal for me.
I was shunned by certain family members, and the reason remains unclear to me. However, others, such as German narcissism expert Susanne Lohrey, have reported observing similar patterns on a large scale. According to Lohrey, the targets are often individuals who are not significantly different from other family members; they are targeted either because they are highly sensitive people (HSPs) or because a narcissist has turned others against them.
I am a natural-born truth-teller, and I’ve noticed that in Austria, people often don’t appreciate it when I confront issues directly. When I’ve done so, I’ve experienced exclusion, smear campaigns, and attacks—both to my face and indirectly behind my back.
I once even lost my job because I spoke up about having experienced discrimination and harassment at work.
One of the people who had a significant issue with me, without confronting it directly, was one of my sisters. Certain family members ensured I was excluded from the family because I was a free thinker and didn’t hold back from expressing critical opinions—opinions they didn’t like because they went against the mainstream.
When I truly needed help and reached out, no one was there for me, and no one offered any assistance.
I believe that everyone has become more extreme. Dr. Raphael M. Bonelli mentioned in another video that we used to be able to meet up with people who had different opinions in a group setting, and people would still be tolerant of each other. However, this has changed, and it’s often no longer possible. I’ve had the same experience.
Because I was the one who was excluded, I understand the dynamics at play. Not everyone has been shunned and excluded, but some share my experience.
I once went to a hairdresser near where I live, who told me this situation reminded him of WWII dynamics. Many of his clients had been completely excluded and shunned by their families because they didn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine. People have become very intolerant of differing opinions, and speaking your mind now often leads to negative consequences.
Those who speak up about injustices they’ve experienced or observed will be punished.
Women can be particularly targeted because we now live in a deeply patriarchal and inherently misogynistic society.
Over the past few years, I’ve experienced being excluded from my family. Living in Austria has not been enjoyable; it feels like living in a dictatorship, which is not how I remember Austria was like 15 years ago.
In the past, I was allowed to speak freely as a woman without being harassed or punished, but now, whenever I do, I am punished.
Have you experienced exclusion or being shunned by your family or society?