A nation or society filled with those who blindly obey is a hazard to itself as well as those around it. The destruction of the young men of Europe through the senseless commands and blind obedience of officers and men alike in World War I is a prime example. Rather than being able to conquer the world, an army of such people often destroys itself by perpetuating and magnifying the errors of the leadership through the ranks. In the case of World War I, the moral bankruptcy found in blind obedience resulted in fiscal bankruptcy and loss of empires plus the liquidation of a large portion of an entire generation.
"No" is a word that people should be trained to use early and often. It is anathema to autocratic organizations, but training people how to think critically and ask hard questions is vital to any group's long term survival. The famine, poverty, and stunting of scientific progress found in North Korea and the former Soviet Union are prime examples of the problems with blind obedience. No one person or group is sufficiently learned and wise to control even a portion of the decisions for others.
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