Copyright 2008,

by Surly

If individuals can be mentally ill or dysfunctional, why can't a society? When sufficient numbers of individuals have mental problems, then society must reflect them and should be deemed ill. Those in pain, whether physical or mental, will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it - even to irrational beliefs and behaviors. When social problems are symptoms of these individual pains then society will begin to act irrationally. This mass behavior is certainly dysfunctional because society will behave in ways inimical to the best interests of its citizens.

Currently, Americans are very fearful of crime despite the declining statistics; they are also fearful of losing jobs and social status despite the growing economy. And there are those who believe for various reasons that the apocalypse or social destruction is nigh because of the growth of alternative lifestyles and beliefs and a breakdown or disregard of the old. Society is seen in imminent danger of fracturing. Thus hatred, fear, misunderstanding, intolerance, illiberal and irrational thinking abounds. But those who cannot distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, right or left cannot judge morality and must be considered not sane and their dysfunction is a cause of the social illness. Their proposed solutions to current problems are symptoms - part of the problem. Laws based in unfounded belief are being proposed. Belief itself is being upraised as better than carefully reasoned and verified facts. Thus we are to live an illusion or a lie. If this isn't crazy, what is?

The right wing is correct about the changing values and degradation of morality as they perceive it. But is their perception of the larger whole correct? Because of these beliefs much of a viable and verifiable morality is also being lost to unreason. No society can withstand that. What can cure it? Or are these symptoms those of terminal disease? Societies can only exist for a finite duration. No society can expect to last forever without radical changes at some crisis point that may recreate it so differently as to appear almost totally new. Else, societies die and new ones are born. Are we nearing that crisis point?

When fear and bigotry gain ascendancy to the point that laws based on these reactions are passed, then society has succumbed to a mass mental illness. That those politicians who appear sane can act on those laws is a clear demonstration that they have given up their morality or, worse, good judgment and therefore their sanity must be questioned. This is mass psychosis. It has happened countless times in societies causing many innocent individuals untold suffering. The last major instance of this phenomenon was the Third Reich and that involved the whole world to clean it up. This disease is spread by learning - children are taught it by their parents, relatives and like-minded associates through transmitted beliefs, denial of knowledge about the world and/or abuse, thus warping their world view. The disease manifests in an emotional inability to think clearly and rationally. The individual is emotionally unfree, therefore freedom and personal responsibility is feared and those who are free are perceived as a threat to the well-being. Only when a society can recognize that it can become mentally ill and put in place laws recognizing that fact and a system of quarantine or cure for those individuals most affected and offer as a countermeasure tests of sanity might it avoid the worst.

THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF WESTERN CULTURE

WHY AMERICA IS CALLED A SICK SOCIETY

1) Culture of dominance:

patriarchy

heterosexism

racism

homophobia

erotophobia

suppression of the feminine - women as evil

dominion over Nature

power - might is right

status

authoritarian

possessive/territorial (nationalism)

Fascism:

violence

aggression

fear

bigotry

closed mind

inability to be free

belief in our superiority

child/spouse abuse,

2) Politics:

image manipulation

spin

Public Relations

interference in other governments

undemocratic

ostrich syndrome

patriotism (nationalism)

defensive

shortsighted/short term

war mentality

privatization of the public sphere

little support for democracy in other countries

interference in sovereignty of other nations

group politics

competition rather than cooperation

A) Government:

the corporate state

rules

centralization

hierarchies

bureaucratic

organization of higher orders

leadership out of touch

1) War mentality:

uncivil (blitzkrieg)

mass

MAD

war on drugs, poverty, cancer

2) fear of world government (but that would control the anarchy of nations)

3) Economics:

scarcity

win/lose

competitive

authoritarian

consumerism

profit motive replaced by greed

growth/progress unquestioned

waste

planned obsolescence

gap between rich and poor

success measured in terms of money

fear of failure,

4) Religion:

ideology

political

spiritual literalism

no rites of passage

empty ritual

sports (bread and circuses)

materialism

driven by fear of death

no respect for other mythopoeic systems, denial of myths,

A) Cultural Myths:

foundation premises:

technical knowhow

prescribed gender roles

war mentality

5) Philosophy:

rationalistic/reductionistic/dualistic

linear

pragmatism

utilitarian

non-materialism (mistaken)

consumerism

Protestant work ethic - fear of pleasure

Animal laborans, rather than vita contemplativa

worship of technique

scientism

quantity = quality

devaluing the impractical, the playful, fantasizing

Dualism:

schizophrenic split between body and mind

ego separation

denial of the intuitive

concern with image rather than substance

double standards

hypocrisy

6) Morality:

reduced to forbidden pleasures/sexual behavior

sexual double standard

by class and status

A) Justice:

crime - treating symptoms

no rehabilitation

prison costs

7) Education:

glorified job training (technical)

anti-thought

authoritarian

patronizing

8) Physical/Mental Health:

war as model of medical practice

artificial foods

medical technology out of control

malpractice

iatrogenic disease

medical ethics businesslike

not a healing art

treating symptoms

stress

pharmacological companies control

drug use to escape

mental patients imprisoned or on streets

child/spouse abuse

denial of pleasure/play

entertainment replaces leisure and self-examination

hunger

availability limited by class

unbalanced

denial of the intuitive

victim consciousness

neurotic need for security

belief

9) Environment:

pollution

no respect for nature, land

extinction of species decreasing biological diversity

overpopulation

irrational land use policies

short term, shortsighted planning

patenting existing genes

inappropriate food policies fostering hunger

importing food long distance

What are the underlying causes of current fears?

What problems do we not want to face?

How do we change consciousness?

How do we allow ourselves to be influenced by ideological rhetoric and political correctness?

FOUNDATION PREMISES OF WESTERN CULTURE

1) DOMINATION:

authoritarian

possessive (territorial, nationalistic)

hierarchical

heterosexist

hero worship (strong)

inferiority of the feminine principle (worship of the untouchable virginal female)

win/lose

exploitation of nature - separation of ourselves from nature.

2) SUPERIORITY OF THE RATIONAL, LINEAR MIND: ego driven, objective

3) FEAR OF DEATH: insecurity, unknowns

4) DUALISM: body/mind (spirit) split