by Granny Doc Tue Dec 11, 2007
Somewhere along the line it became unsuitable to use the language of severe deviation from the norms of stability and sanity to describe those who have lost their way. It is no longer considered "fair" or "nice" to point out the destructive and anti-social behavior of political and business "leaders" who have constructed a world view that places their distorted view of themselves, and their needs, at the center of all public policy.
It's time to stop the charade created when we assume that we either do not understand the larger picture, or that we have neither the experience or information to lable crazy for what it is.
Let's lay down some basic premises to drive this discussion. There are reams of research in Social Psychology, and the Psychology of Personality (separate and distinct fields of research) that have determined that some behaviors, and world views, are simply not sane. Most of you know the language for these abberant conditions, and if you have not made a study of the issues, refering to a good introductory text book can get you up to speed, quickly. I am not going to write this diary with a lot of technical jargon. I am going to use the findings in these fields to set out a template for evaluating both our current culture, and those who would leads us.
Believing that you are having a conversation with God is a form of mental illness that leads you to assume that anything you want, or need, can be pursued without reference to the damage done to either other people, or the social fabric of a nation. It excuses any, and all, excess by assigning divine authority to feeding your inner daemons. Whether expressed as an attempt to determine the social mores of your group, or demanding adherence to your perceived "message" of absolute adherence to some internal, distorted view of what constitutes appropriate human conduct, it denies others the opportunity to determine their life course, free of threats and the flexibility of evolving demands. Anyone who recounts imaginary coversations with a diety should be immediately dismissed as not sane.
Greed, either for power over others, or excess material possessions, is a clear and definitive display of a badly damaged ego (sense of your own value) that demands continual external validation of your personal worth. At the extreme it allows, and condones the abuse of others in the name of demonstrating your invulunerability to the requirements of social norms and the accepted behaviors of your social group. It permits exceptionalism, not of skill or knowledge, but of sheer strength of your ability to smash and grab in the name of your superiority. Demanding recognition of your superiority based on your ability to overpower others is neither a sane or a stabilizing force in social groups. Anyone who demands power to make life determining decision for others, or more than reasonable access to the material goods needed for health and comfort, should be immediately labled as a fragile and damaged soul, not fit to lead in either business or government.
Starting a war, for any reason but the absolute need for defense of yourself, or your geographic boundries in the face of attack, is the culminating expression of the badly damaged ego, and the fanciful delusions of divine support for your paltry insecurities. It is the supreme form of insanity, indefensible and sufficient reason for institutionalization. Anyone who supports, or promotes war as a viable policy in the quiver of governance, should be immediately labled as insane and driven from the public stage, at once. They have nothing to offer any society except their mental illness as a template for the future.
Fear of others based on perceived differences in culture, skin tones, language, and goals is a banner advertising the personal inadequacies of the fearful and fear mongers. The inability to ascribe commonality of purpose to all of humanity, to value and support the goals of all, is a clarion cry to the sane that you must be restrained for your own good, and the good of the society. Using personal fears to sell hysteria to the inattentive must be labled and dismissed as completely inappropriate behavior in every and all of its manifestations. As Professor Lupin noted, the way to deal with this boggert is to laugh. Laugh them off the stage and let them retreat to their cavern of fear without dragging the world along.
These are the four most damaging forms of mental illness currently dominating our political process and distorting our lives. Each candidate's demonstration of these mental illnesses provides for you the criteria you must apply in seeking a candidate to support.
Our current system does not provide a way to weed out the worst of these traits before determining who shall be given the opportunity to lead, primarily because those who make the decisions are suffering from the same deviant world view as those whom they select. Unfortunately, until the current system is swept away, we shall have to seek the least damaged and least unstable of the current crop. But the long term goal is clear. We must begin to demand sane leadership. We must lable the mamed and unstable for what they are. We must do so loudly and often - even in the face of cries of our failure to be "fair" or "nice". We must not sink to blind acceptance of mental illness as the standard for candidates for public office because that is all we are offered.
Note: This is a general commentary on the current political dynamic in a country that has failed to demand sanity, not a criticism of your current passion for any individual candidate. I know you believe that (fill in the blank) is the height of enlightenment and sanity. Good for you!
