Ah, but, you see, they’re “dissenting,” albeit in a very conformist way. And any failure to “dissent” – on demand, as instructed – will be punished. Compliance under duress being the way of the dissenter.
The rhetorical inversions may, I grant you, take some getting used to. But you will start celebrating now, comrade, spontaneously, and with great joy.
We have ways of making you march. h/t to Sergeant Schulz
Just what Canada needs … another ridiculous drip stamping his little feet.
Solzhenitsyn from The Gulag Archipelago
At the conclusion of the conference, a tribute to Comrade Stalin was called for. Of course, everyone stood up (just as everyone had leaped to his feet during the conference at every mention of his name). … For three minutes, four minutes, five minutes, the stormy applause, rising to an ovation, continued. But palms were getting sore and raised arms were already aching. And the older people were panting from exhaustion. It was becoming insufferably silly even to those who really adored Stalin.
However, who would dare to be the first to stop?