A Look Back At Trump's Comments IncitingViolence
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/back-trump-comments-perceived-encouraging-violence/story?id=48415766
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
How The Values Of "Strict Father" -- Or "Indulgent Parent" -- Control Our Political Views
Were You Raised By A "Strict Father?"
Or An "Indulgent Parent?"
Or An "Indulgent Parent?"
Here is Lakoff's explanation of "Strict Father" psychology and how "Strict Father" values determine the structure of "the conservative psyche."
Quote:
"We tend to understand the nation metaphorically in family terms: We have founding fathers. We send our sons and daughters to war. We have homeland security. The conservative and progressive worldviews dividing our country can most readily be understood in terms of moral worldviews that are encapsulated in two very different common forms of family life: The "nurturant parent" family (progressive) and the "strict father" family (conservative).
What do social issues and politics have to do with the family?
We are first governed in our families, and so we grow up understanding governing institutions in terms of the governing systems of families.
We are first governed in our families, and so we grow up understanding governing institutions in terms of the governing systems of families.
In the strict father family, "father knows best." He knows right from wrong and has the ultimate authority to make sure his children and his spouse do what he says, which is taken to be what is right.
Many conservative spouses accept this worldview, uphold the father’s authority, and are strict in those realms of family life that they are in charge of. When his children disobey, it is his moral duty to punish them painfully enough so that, to avoid punishment, they will obey him (do what is right) and not just do what feels good.
Through physical discipline they are supposed to become disciplined, internally strong, and able to prosper in the external world.
What if they don’t prosper? That means they are not disciplined, and therefore cannot be moral, and so deserve their poverty.
This reasoning shows up in conservative politics in which the poor are seen as lazy and undeserving, and the rich as deserving their wealth.
(In "Strict Father" psychology), responsibility is taken to be personal responsibility, not social responsibility. What you become is only up to you; society has nothing to do with it. You are responsible for yourself, not for others — who are responsible for themselves." https://georgelakoff.com/2016/03/02/why-trump/
Here are Wikipedia's entries for these two basic psychological orientations.
Strict Father Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_father_model
Nurturant Parent Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurturant_parent_model
"Strict Father upbringing" creates a frame of mind that values "absolute rightness" over all else. In the conservative view, the mere fact of "being right" guarantees, deus ex machina, that all subsequent outcomes are good ones.
Recently, friend John N dialogued with Tom L on his Facebook page. In that exchange, John, a child psychologist, made clear that the Trump administation is abusing children by separating them from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. John also pointed out that the inevitable damage done to these kids will often result in lasting devastation.
http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/health.htmlImagine yourself as a five year old kid separated from your parents and put in a holding pen reminiscent of California's World War II internment camps without knowing if you will ever see your family again.
In the balance between "rigid, punitive righteousness" and "mercy-compassion-love," people whose psyches are ruled by "Strict Father values" fear the loss of their identity (often co-terminous with loss of religion) if wrong-doers are not painfully punished.
"Strict Father" psychology holds that anyone who fails to respect The Law (in all its minute manifestations) deserves to be damaged -- indeed, should be damaged just as God, in "His" justice, roasts wrong-doers in The Lake Of Everlasting Fire.
According to conservative orthodoxy, the "righteous sequence" of "wrongdoing-punishment-damage" must be applied to uphold The World Order, which - according to conservative belief - can only survive/endure through rigid enforcement of "Strict Father" Law.
According to conservative orthodoxy, the "righteous sequence" of "wrongdoing-punishment-damage" must be applied to uphold The World Order, which - according to conservative belief - can only survive/endure through rigid enforcement of "Strict Father" Law.
Ever since I was a '60s student at the University of Toronto, I have studied comparative religion.
As I mature, it becomes ever clearer that conservative Christians are more "at home" in The Old Testament -- with its core moral principle of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" -- than they are "at home" with the moral code of The New Testament whose central teaching is love, forgiveness and "doing good, even to those who persecute us."
Consider The Gospel Of Matthew's view of love: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A38-48&version=NIV
The Gospel Of Luke weighs in with another view of Love's centrality: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A+24-38&version=MSG I have used a recent translation of Luke called "The Message." Translator Eugene H. Peterson made it his goal to be "true to the spirit" of the original Greek text in order to avoid the pitfall of being lulled into "sleepy misunderstanding" by words we've heard a thousand times in the grandiloquent King James Version. )
Clearly, we are free to choose our course in life.
In making that choice however, it is both good and wise to know where our moral principles come from.
George Lakoff
Wikiquote
George Lakoff
Wikipedia
Lakoff is also well known for his investigation of "language control" and how "the terms of debate" -- and controlling those "terms" -- determine the "winning view" in most political arguments. Here is an informative interview about "language control": https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml
Alan: There are two kinds of Christian; those whose chief aspiration is to help everyone into heaven, and others whose happiness depends on drawing indelible lines between "the saved" and "the damned."
If the "pearly gate" litmus-of-salvation is a person's treatment of the Nazarene, the following passage should be cautionary for anyone usurping God's role as judge. Oddly, it is not.
Instead, biblical "literalists" -- and other Christian conservatives -- ignore the exhortation, particularly verse 45.
"Christian Conservatism: "The Saved," "The Damned," "The Rich," "The Poor"
Matthew 25:31-45
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Matthew's Expression Of The Central Christian Message:
Matthew 5
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h]39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke's Expression Of The Central Christian Message:
Luke 6:24-38 The Message
Give Away Your Life
24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.
25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.
26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
27-30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
37-38 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
"Conservatives Are Panicked About Most Things. Alarmism Is In Their Genes
Conservatives Are Panicked About Most Things.
Alarmism Is In Their Genes.
"Does Fear Lead To Fascism?"
Conservatives Scare More Easily Than Liberals
Deep-seated political differences aren’t simply moral and intellectual: They’re also biological.
In reflex tests of 46 political partisans, psychologists found that conservatives were more likely than liberals to be shocked by sudden threats.
Accompanying the physiological differences were deep differences on hot-button political issues: military expansion, the Iraq war, gun control, capital punishment, the Patriot act, warrantless searches, foreign aid, abortion rights, gay marriage, premarital sex and pornography.
"People are experiencing the world, experiencing threat, differently," said University of Nebraska political scientist John Hibbing. "We have very different physiological orientations."
The study, published today in Science, has not yet been duplicated, but adds a potentially troubling piece to the puzzle of biology, behavior and politics.
Earlier studies have linked reflexive responses to threats — which for testing purposes take the form of loud noises and graphic images — with existing states of heightened anxiety.
Though the Science study’s authors cautioned against an overly broad interpretation of their findings, the results suggest that fear leads to political conservatism.
"Threatening situations do indeed seem to increase people’s affinity for politically conservative opinions, leaders, and parties," said New York University psychologist John Jost.
Study co-author Kevin Smith, also a University of Nebraska political scientist, demurred at making such a connection. "Historically speaking, politicians have appealed to the ‘be afraid’ response in the electorate in an attempt to mine votes," he said. "But in terms of going from campaigning to what we did in the laboratory, that’s a large leap."
But even Smith agreed that "people with stronger responses are more sensitive to potential threats in their environment."
Asked whether the findings imply a fearmongering strategy for conservatives, New York University psychologist David Amodio responded, "Yes. And some people believe that they are actively using this strategy."
The Bush administration has been accused of exploiting fears, though it’s hardly a new approach.
"The whole aim of practical politics," wrote journalist gadfly H.L. Mencken, "is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins."
Jost condemned such tactics. "From an ethical standpoint, conservative campaigns should not exploit feelings of fear in the general population," he said.
Of course, ethics tend to be forgotten during election seasons — but fear-mongering may be counterproductive.
"From a practical standpoint, I think that there will eventually be a backlash against those tactics as it becomes more obvious how exploitative they are," said Jost.
Darren Schreiber, a University of California, San Diego political psychologist, contends that a candidate "who merely tries to trigger fear simply can’t be successful in the long run. Joe McCarthy had his run, but now his name is synonymous with a vile form of politics."
Exploitation aside, there may be a gentler side to the findings.
"Instead of political opponents thinking their opposite party is simply being willfully bullheaded," said Hibbing, "you can say, ‘Well, they see a little differently than I do.’"
Images: A terrorism awareness poster in London, circa 2002, courtesy of ToastyKen; differences in automatic responses to threatening stimuli, from Science.
"An American is more likely to be struck by lightning TWICE
than to be the victim of a terror attack."
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18
"You Have NO Choice," A New Frame For George Carlin's Classic Shtick "The American Dream"
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"You Have NO Choice," A New Frame For George Carlin's Classic Shtick
"There is just enough bullshit to hold things together in this country. Bullshit is the glue, that binds us as a nation. Where would we be without our safe, familiar, American bullshit? Land of the free, home of the brave, the American dream, all men are equal, justice is blind, the press is free, your vote counts, business is honest, the good guys win, the police are on your side, god is watching you, your standard of living will never decline… and everything is going to be just fine— The official national bullshit story. I call it the American okie doke. Every one, every one of those items is provably untrue at one level or another, but we believe them because they're pounded into our heads from the time we're children. That's what they do with that kind of thing—pound it into the heads of kids, ‘cause they know the children are much too young to be able to muster an intellectual defense against a sophisticated idea like that, and they know that up to a certain age children believe everything their parents tell them. And as a result, they never learn to question things. Nobody questions things in this country anymore. Nobody questions it—everybody is too fat and happy. Everybody's got a cell phone that'll make pancakes and rub their balls now— Way too fucking prosperous for our own good. Way too fucking prosperous, Americans have been bought off and silenced by toys and gizmos. And no one learns to question things."
George Carlin
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"Americans are fucked. They've been bought off. And they come real cheap: a few million dirt bikes, camcorders, microwaves, cordless phones, digital watches, answering machines, jet skis and sneakers with lights in 'em. You say you want a few items back from the Bill of Rights? Just promise the doofuses new gizmos." George Carlin
"Shopping and buying - and getting and having - comprise the Great American Addiction. No one is immune. When the underclass riots in this country, they don't kill policemen and politicians, they steal merchandise. How embarrassing." George Carlin
"The world is like a ride at an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think that it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly coloured, and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question - is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us. They say 'Hey! Don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride.' And we...kill those people. Ha ha ha. 'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride. SHUT HIM UP! Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and family. This just has to be real.' It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter because: it's just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings, and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourselves off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's what you can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defence each year, and instead spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, for ever, in peace."
George Carlin
George Carlin
"We Like War"
Video
Favorite George Carlin Shticks
George Carlin
Wikiquote
"The American Dream"
Video
(Foul-mouthed but brilliant.)
George Carlin Reads His Book "Brain Droppings"
George Carlin
Wikipedia
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