No. Would you?
I am deeply aggreived at the path our country has taken in both its domestic and foreign policy, which is to say, it has shifted ever closer to facism. But who's to bear the responsibility for this?
Held up for your scrutiny is a cross-section analysis of American society. There appears to be - to a greater or lesser degree - 3 distinct types of contemporary American political thought and character. The first type warmly and openly embraces this movement towards facism because they have a classic authoritarian personality profile. They receive gratification from dominance hierarchies, territoriality, ritual, superstition, the abuse of power and the exploitation of others. Even if they aren't high in the pecking order, they identify with the repressive, the brutal, the greedy and the rapacious; legitimitizing and rationalizing these agendas with the trappings of religion. And because these unenlightened tendencies are unfortunately our evolutionary baggage; ancient legacies hard-wired genetically into our R-complex they are a common thread in our shared humanity. It is a commonality that bestows unity and comraderie and a shared purpose. Accordingly, they are better organized and a strong political voice in America because of it.
The second is indifferent, impassive, indolent, apathetic and negative by consequence of their ineffectuality. They whine, bitch and moan nonetheless about the current state of affairs . . . . even though they live in a society where they can peacefully influence the political process in a constructive fashion. They do not vote or participate in their society to any effective degree, but expect, in some childish wish-fullfilment fantasy, that it will self-correct magically without effort or strife. And when this doesn't happen they throw a little hissy fit, demonstrating contempt for their society through their personal mien and then proceed to bury themselves deeper into the protective bubble of TV, video games and the internet. They are the majority.
And then we have those who have an active, deep and abiding love for the traditions of American democracy. They understand what's at stake and fight to preserve our constitutional birthrights. In return for demonstrating the higher virtues of good critical thinking, rationalism, humanitarianism and selflessness they are given hypocritical lip service by the second group all the while being shown open contempt by the first. They are the minority and their voice is often ignored.
This is a profile of my fellow countrymen and society in the early years of the 21st century. In spite of all our great virtues (and we have many) and, by extension, through the actions of our elected officials we have shown our hand to the world. We have allowed our dark animus to prevail and corrupt our own underlying principles in the name of corporate greed, ethnocentrism, national vanity, bloodlust and laziness.
I defy anyone who cares a wit about America and traditional American values not to feel deep humiliation at this.
And it is a good topic for discussion....
