"News that's not known, or not known enough."
Helen & Harry Highwater's cranky weblog of news and opinion.
|
"News that's not known, or not known enough." Helen & Harry Highwater's cranky weblog of news and opinion. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The storm of pent-up anger by Herb Ruhs, MD Friday, July 25, 2008 PERMANENT LINK In combat, despite deeply held belief to the contrary, victory goes to the one who keeps her head and avoids reaction in favor of clear understanding. One of the earliest understandings I gained is that most people, most of the time, are reacting habitually. As applied to the concept of trust that means that it makes no sense to trust people who are acting on the basis of compulsion.
JS Magruder writes, The only behavior we can be responsible for is our own. Giving a tongue lashing to the clueless might feel like accomplishing something in the moment, but it doesn't leave anyone better off for having had the encounter.Nicely said, and after reflecting further on the issue, I think that my main concern in observing the treatment of my five-year-old grandson by strangers is the sense I have that basic civility is on a fairly rapid decline. I especially like the attention Magruder calls to the plight of the homeless. I often stop to talk to the homeless folks and always enjoy the experience. Besides, they take one look at my car (totally distressed 1982 Nova) and my old clothes and seem to consider me practically one their own, and generally don't even bother to panhandle me. If this is what is truly happening I am honored. Homeless people are not only a rapidly growing part of the society, but also are increasingly the targets of discrimination and violence. For instance there is a grand campaign here in Missoula to banish panhandling. The middle class certainly can't express their anger at the real perpetrators of their troubles. People rarely bite the hand that feeds. I can't imagine that the homeless are welcome anywhere in the US right now, with the crazymaking effects on the population of war, police state policies and a general economic decline that is becoming worse by the day. When people can't afford the gas to get to work, find themselves unable to afford decent shelter and struggle to provide the basics for their kids, it is understandable that we would be seeing more rudeness, and even frank violence toward the weak and anyone seeming different. There are so many cases here in Missoula of homeless people being attacked that I am assuming that it is evidence of an expected drift toward heartlessness in a population under increasing stress across the US. But abusing and even killing the oppressed is essentially not considered "news" by ruling class minions that run the media so we don't hear much about it. This is news that is intended to remain unknown. Just this morning Amy Goodman had a segment on a person beaten to death last week by a group of drunk high schoolers in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. The startling revelation in this story is that the attack was witnessed and the perpetrators fully identified, yet no enforcement action has been taken and the murderers remain uncharged and free. I think technically that is called a lynching. It would be unreasonable not to expect increases in domestic and public violence under the current conditions including a return to public lynching. This is my main message to people who would survive the coming struggles: Protect yourself and your family by doing everything you can think of to make your neighborhood peaceful and sustainable. Organize cooperatively for mutual aid or expect to find your independent self totally out of luck. There are increasing numbers of well researched books relevant to our current decadence. A favorite of mine is THE CHEATING CULTURE, by David Callahan. It has often been observed that the murder rates closely track negative economic news. Since injustice tends to produce more injustice, we are experiencing a rapid dissolution of the national character as injustice spirals out of control. Currently the great mass of people are in near total denial about the adverse changes occurring around us. One of the main aims of mass media is to enable this denial and displace this negative energy into consumption. But like the relentless torrent held back by a dam, the day will come, soon I think, when denial will turn to anger, the dam will break and a flood of violence engulf us. We have been here as a society before. The Civil War can be seen as a great outpouring of violence behind the long history of slavery and injustice to emigrants and natives. Let's try to keep from hurting each other as we pass through these early stages of grief over the loss of the American Dream. If we can succeed in this we can expect to pass through the storm of pent-up anger and transition to a simpler, more affirming and heartfelt way of life. Herb Ruhs, MD |
|
