Charting a “Culture of Violence:” Causes and Consequences
As the immediate emotions of the presidential elections pass — the euphoria and elation of the winners, the grief, despair, anger of the losers — the harsh realities of daily life once again emerge. Among these is the widespread violence that exists in the United States as displayed in Figure 1. As Figure 1 demonstrates, the manifestations and consequences of violent acts are extensive. This suggests the existence of a “culture of violence” that is generated, sustained, and promoted by acts that arise from individual and collective impulse and intent, and that too often find tier tolerance and approval across political, economic, educational, military, and moral policies of institutions.
Regardless of our wishes that this was not the case, the United States of America is a “culture of violence.” The Figure 1 (i.e., chart) offers a quick visual display. It is neither comprehensive nor explanatory, aside from recognizing the reciprocity among the different acts and sources of violence. There is an obvious interaction across the acts displayed in which simple cause-effect relations disappears amidst the complexity. Each act is both a source and consequence. A cultural ecology of violence.
Figure 1: A Culture of Violence
The Omnipresence of Violence
Violence abounds in American society, touching everyone’s life as victim, perpetrator, or anxious observer and witness of the endless violent acts committed locally, nationally, and internationally. Ultimately we are all victims and perpetrators through acts of intention or acts of silence and indifference that support a tolerance of the situation. There is no escape from this reality. How much more violence can we view on TV, how much more violence can we cheer and applaud in entertainment, how much more violence can we experience before we are faced with a constant state of stress, anxiety, anger, and/or moral indifference?
There is a widespread fear, anxiety, and stress that leaves citizens of all ages feelings vulnerable and insecure, awaiting the possibility of violence touching their lives, and bring with it grief and sorrow. It is clear violence is widespread in the world. Every person — regardless of location — is compelled to live with daily reminders of risk and danger. What is distinct about violence in the USA, however, is the existence of a national culture of shared, learned behaviors and meanings transmitted across generations via ethoses, values, attitudes, and ways-of-life that are violent. These inform and guide our institutions resulting in the socialization of a culture of violence.
USA Foreign Policy: Driver of National and Global Violence
The foreign policies and actions of the United States of America over the course of the past 100 years are rooted in intentions to control and dominate international order of nations and cultures. These policies and actions have proven destructive to national and global peace, and have served and empowered the interests of a limited number of individuals and groups. Ultimately, under the guise of protecting “national interests” these policies and actions are major sources, carriers, and promoters of violence nationally and globally. They are asymmetrical and hegemonic in nature, and sustain the status quo in consequence. While all are announced as intentions to bring democracy and freedom, they have too often resulted in occupation, oppression, and repression of human rights. An obvious result — visible in virtually every nation caught in our efforts – is the costly growth of a vast USA network of: (1) military bases and operations, (2) massive fortress embassies/consulates, (3) encampments/prisons, (4) death squads, (5) cultural disintegration and decline.
These policies and actions do not promote cooperation and admirations, rather they encourage instability via reflexive protests, insurrections, rebellions, revolutions, and acts of domestic, state, and international terrorism. Table 1 display the spectrum of USA foreign policy and action choices, options, and alternatives. All nations act in their own interests, The issue, however, is that in a global era, in which the understanding of the causes and consequences of violence and war are now better known, selfish national interests result in direct and indirect opposition. For many nations who feel victimized and humiliated by the USA, revenge is considered just and appropriate. This creates an endless cycle. Who benefits? Table 1 displays a spectrum of USA foreign policy and action practices — they are used as needed.
Table 1: USA Foreign Policy and Actions Choices, Options, Alternatives
Assassinations/death squads/drones,
Bounties for info/capture
Bribery/blackmail/entrapment
Celebration of national “morality”/necessity of torture
Collaboration/contracts with universities, scientists, professional organizations
Contingent “humanitarian” aid
Contingent foreign aid
Control UN via vetoes
Control IMF and World Bank
Cooperate with foreign nations (e.g., military, intelligence)
Development of domestic crowd controls (militarization of police)
Diplomacy
Drug wars and corruptions
Disproportionate support of “allies” and enemification of others,
Establishment of military bases [more than 900 known foreign bases],
Exportation of popular American culture
Foreign student/faculty/consultant exchanges
Fund development of disguised/pseudo-organizations (e.g. Human Ecology Fund)
Glorification of war, militarism, warrior mentalities
Hegemonic globalization
Infiltrate peace and anti-war groups
Mass surveillance, monitoring, and archiving of data,
Non-Prosecution of connected military, government, civilian law violators/abusers
Occupation
Promotion of nationalism/pseudo-patriotism
Propaganda and promotion of USA exceptionalism,
Purchase and installation of pro-American leaders and dictators,
Recruitment of spies, informers, collaborators, agents
Use surrogate nations and forces
Use false flags incidents
Use major philanthropic foundations to influence policy and actions
Vilification of domestic/international critics.
Weapons/arms dealer/sales
Witness protection programs
Closing Remarks
I have published two articles in recent years regarding war and peace. The first article is entitled: “The United States of America: A Culture of War” (Marsella, A.J. [2012]. The United States of America: A “culture of war.” International Journal of Intercultural Research, 35, 714-728.This article documents the long history of war in the United States, and the American cultural ethos that has spawned and nurtured wars. The second article is a please for nonkilling and an end to violence. It is entitled “Nonkilling psychology and lifeism” (Marsella, A.J. (2011). Nonkilling psychology and lifeism. In J. Pim & D. Christie (Eds.) Nonkilling Psychology (pp. 361-378). Honolulu, Hi: Center for Global Non-Violence.). This article calls for humanity to move beyond unbridled national identities to an identity with life itself, the very force that animates our world and universe.
In both of these articles, and in this article, it is clear to me that we are headed for a “dreadful reckoning” (Grieder’s term) if we do not come to an awareness of the many sources and consequences of violence in our lives, particularly the perpetuation of “cultures of violence” that are sources of endless suffering, destruction, and death. The answer resides in the necessity of non-violent activism to prevent violence. This is the timeless answer of every great peacemaker.
*Originally published on TRANSCEND Media Service, November 9, 2012
Anthony Marsella, Ph.D., a member of the TRANSCEND Network, is a past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, and past director of the World Health Organization Psychiatric Research Center in Honolulu. He is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer figure in the study of culture and psychopathology who challenged the ethnocentrism and racial biases of many assumptions, theories, and practices in psychology and psychiatry. In more recent years, he has been writing and lecturing on peace and social justice. He has published 15 edited books, and more than 250 articles, chapters, book reviews, and popular pieces. He can be reached at marsella@hawaii.edu.
by Anthony J. Marsella (Originally posted on March 21, 2016, by Kathie Malley-Morrison. Republished today for the benefit of the incoming administration in Washington D.C.)
A no-money handshake, Author, User:Herostratus & User:Masur. In the public domain.
Demoralized from the broken myths I discussed in my last post, I decided to accept my friend’s challenge. Some recommendations for changes that I feel are needed, and justified, are listed below. I find the possibility of a national dialog, discussion, and debate inspiring.
Suggestions Government Structure and Process
I offer the following recommendations for change! I do so to raise public consciousness and to provoke discussion and debate regarding challenges we are facing as communities, societies, and as a nation.
I do so also to call attention to the struggle for individual rights and dignity in a global era in which the proportion, process, ideological issues have limited an individual citizen’s choices to activism, protest, and dissent, all of which have become violations in the context of current government abuses and oppression.
At the core of my recommendations is the search for “justice.” “Justice,” as fairness and opportunity for all, must be the arbiter. Disproportionate concentration of power, position, and person influence among a few wealthy citizens violates our constitutional guarantee for equality, freedom, and opportunity.
Government for a few, by a few is illegal, immoral, and criminal. There is an urgent need for transparency, accountability, and legal recourse for reform. Changes are needed! Asymmetric imbalances in decision-making, influence, and accessibility are destroying public trust and loyalty.
Recommendations Regarding Government Elective Offices
Term: One six-year term for president
One Term: No president may serve another term of presidential office . . . ever!
Profit from Office: Retired or dismissed presidents should not be paid to deliver addresses, consultation, or opinion by private or government sources. If paid, the amount should be a modest honorarium, publically acknowledged and shared with charitable interests.
The presidency must not be a path to wealth accumulation. The office of the presidency is about politicization; presidents should not abuse the honor and privilege of the office for personal gain. Their place in history should be sufficient.
Disclosure: Complete and verified disclosure, by every presidential candidate, of all financial resources and assets, and of the individuals in positions of wealth, power, and position who have supported their election.
Affiliations: Complete and verified disclosure of all organizational affiliations and memberships of those running for political office, especially the presidency.
Campaign Promises: Statement of promises and positions for all candidates must be presented to the public, and with details about expected timetables and observed challenges. Failure to keep campaign promises can result in legal removal from elected office under grounds of violations, lies, and misrepresentations to public trust.
It is clear a candidate should not be elected on a list of promises, and fail subsequently to purse them. If unable to do so, honor requires the elected official to resign rather than yield to compromise and change. Detailed explanations must be offered.
Positions: All candidates for elected office must respond to a critical list of major social, political, economic, and moral issues to identify their respective positions on the issues. Positions must be expressed in clear language, not “double-speak,” nor “spin!”
Two-Party System Problems: Efforts must be made to establish and sustain more than two dominant political parties in local, state, and national elections. Rules and laws for active visibility and participation of alternatives to Democrat and Republican Parties must be encouraged, permitting equality of recognition and support. Although the two-party political system served our nation well for many years, it is clear the two parties have come to represent special interests because of lobbyist funding and the preferences of wealthy individuals (e.g., Koch Brothers to spend $1 billion on current presidential elections).
New political parties must be added whose loyalties will be to citizens and nation rather than special interests. It has now become public opinion that regardless of what party wins, those in power remain in power: there is no difference! One commentator stated the two parties (i.e., democrats and republicans) are now like “Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola: both bad for you, even as they advertise their disguised merits.
Perhaps it is time to consider a parliamentary system to accommodate to the diversity of our nation. I cannot see our existing two party election system becoming anything more than a political vehicle for limited individuals. Consider what is happening at this very moment in time. Bossism is not new, but never has it been so apparent.
Contributions: No contributions from corporations or organizations. Limit of $100.00 for individuals with specific identification of their affiliation. Efforts to encourage en-masse individual member contributions from agencies, organizations, and/or corporations are illegal and immoral, and stand in violation of the intent of this principle.
Media Biases: Media political biases in favoring particular political positions should be cited and announced prior to any editorializing. Media biases represent “lobbying” for power and influence for special interests. The traditional view of the fourth estate as a corrective factor in politics has failed. Most media are now simply collectives of for profit special interest people and organizations.
Congressional Term Limits: USA senators and representatives will be limited to two 4 year terms in office. There will be no re-runs. The empowerment of these officials is a danger for our nation. Power becomes invested in seniority roles, often times from small States, where incumbents can remain in power for decades, shaping local and national policies. Too much room for corruption and cronyism.
Seniority System Abuses: Seniority systems should be abandoned in favor of elected positions of congressional and representative offices. Seniority systems empower a few individuals to exact total control over public policy and issues. After many years in senatorial office, those with seniority can become too powerful and dictate the course of our nation. They may be elected, but the seniority system constitutes fertile ground for abuses and inequities. This has been a major source of abuse by individual senators and representatives. With their seniority came unlimited power to serve special interests and their own ego’s pursuit of an enduring legacy evidenced in building, monuments,
Dual Citizenships and Loyalties: Individuals with dual citizenship cannot be appointed to a public office at any level. Abuse occurred when a score or more of dual citizenship (Israel and American) people controlled major government offices in the Departments of State and Defense, especially during the Bush-Cheney presidency years. In addition, they served as major consultants and advisers to the presidency and to congressional members. There is a growing opinion that current regional wars and destruction were promoted for special national interests. Closely related is the issue of dual loyalties in which individuals act to preserve powers of their loyalty ties.
Lobbyists: Lobbying of any individual or organizational source must be identified and registered, and their particular cause or interest identified and made available to public scrutiny. It is rumored that K-Street in Washington, DC, has hundreds of special interests lobbyists and lobbyist organizations.
Open Government: Records of all meetings of government officials at any level with representatives of lobby groups must be identified and made available to public (i.e., No back room or back door meetings in which lobbyists write laws to serve their interests)
Gift Giving: No gifts to any government officials in any way by foreign government or organizational interests. This includes domestic individuals, groups, or organizations claiming to serve certain legitimate interests (e.g., Multi-National Corporations, AIPAC, ADL, treaty interests and obligations).
Election Funding: Funding of all elections will be supported by specific government funds limited to the level of elective office, and in any case, will not exceed 100 million dollars. It is estimated that the current presidential election will expend more than one billion dollars via media and related election activities. This is excessive, and serves a limited usefulness for citizens. It also turns elections in favor of influential wealth interests.
Issues of Process and Regulation
Prosecution of Crimes and Abuses: A tragic consequence of government and private violations of laws and regulations is the failure of prosecution at all levels. For example, obvious war crimes are not prosecuted, even as they are clear violations and abuses of national and international law. The absence of transparency, accountability, and legal recourse is major source of citizen distrust.
Cronyism, Nepotism, Tribalism: Careful monitoring of appointments of relatives to political offices. Nepotism is common, especially at local levels. Reliance on family via political appointment facilitates possible abuses of the public trust. Recent president elections have pointed out the tactic of “dynastic” empowerment. This is an obvious affront to all citizens,as name recognition and preferential positioning encourages “dynastic” power. In some ways, this is akin to royalty in Europe; an unwarranted inheritance of power and position. Royalty, in my opinion, constitutes an egregious abuse of rights. It is not a symbol! It is a continuation of abuses associated with past centuries.
Citizen Complaint Office: Expansion of citizen complaint offices and consumer affairs offices to improve access and services. Abuses by government and private sources are becoming endemic, and citizens have little access to remediation.
Responsible Journalism: Expansion of investigative journalism–a legitimate ‘fourth estate,” is essential. Citizens need to be able to rely on an honest press, determined to investigate and reveal abuses in society. Unfortunately, media resources committed to citizen protection have yielded to political, economic, and cultural special interests. It has been said: “News is now driven by entertainment value.” Quick bites of information, serving special interests!
Whistleblower Protection: Expanded protection of whistleblowers. Government and corporate whistleblowers represent efforts by individuals and organizations to expose illegal activities at all levels. Too often, whistleblowers are labeled as criminals, and punished for their revelations. While some may be illegal by law, they may not be illegal from a moral and ethical perspective. The money and power available to government and organizations to defend their practices is extensive, while whistleblowers have few resources. Whistleblower financial and legal resource should be increased.
Taxation Policies: Taxation is a major source of government financial activities and policies. It is now clear there are gross inequities and corruption in our taxation system. Perhaps it would be better to halt tax deductions and their loopholes, and establish a common 10% tax on all earned income for individuals and corporations. This is called a “common” tax approach.
The idea that wealth can be taxed at higher rates to support other social and financial strata will simply result in more legal protections for their wealth. The use of off-shore tax havens constitutes a crime of privilege. It must be ended. A straightforward common tax would also address the abuses of the IRS, especially its special interests.
State versus Federal Governance: The issue of State versus Federal rights and responsibilities has become a source of great national fractionation and violence. Clearly, the United States of America exists as a nation, even as its citizens have suffered a loss of participatory democracy in governance.
Nevertheless, efforts must be made to clarify the current ambiguity, which is creating critical economic, political, and social problems. A public discussion and debate presenting all sides of this issue is needed. While this may not resolve the problems, it will be a step toward improved understanding. Education, health, citizen rights.
The Electoral College: It is well known that popular election vote results are not the deciding point in an election. Rather, delegates cast votes according to a contrived proportion, supposedly in accord with a popular vote, but not subject to it.
This system represents a serious flaw, capable of discounting results of an actual popular election vote, and leaving choices of a victor in the hands of political appointees. A popular vote should be the arbiter of winning an election. The addition of the Electoral College is an anachronistic policy subject to corruption and abuse.
Judicial Branches
Judicial Reconsideration: Everyone is aware of the executive, congressional, and judicial branches of our government – a marvelous system of check and balances – until one of the branches is offered the latitude to extend its power beyond it legal and privileged station. When the Supreme Court offers corporations equal status with individual citizens for making donations and for preserving protections, the balance is destroyed. The same can be said of presidential signing statements. The latter empowers the president to ignore congressional acts, by interpreting them from a presidential perspective. We must return to a balanced government with integrity and justice governing our government.
Supreme Court Judge Selection: The process of Supreme Court judge selection has become politicized with tragic consequences. Decisions now become ideological statements rather than studies of the laws, their sources, and the opportunities for change. New judges should be monitored by public citizen groups to determine if they are biased. We must restore honor an dignity to the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Justice Terms: All Justices must resign at age 75. In accord with suggestions regarding political offices, they should not be able to profit from their position of trust and service by accepting and receiving huge honoraria for speeches and presentations. It is essential the Supreme Court Judges remain above reproach and be considered the highest honor accorded by a society, a reverence for law, justice, and wisdom.
National Security and Security Acts
Surveillance, Monitoring, Archiving: Government must cease surveillance, monitoring, and archiving of citizens. While issues of local and national security are real and must be pursued, it is clear that there have been numerous violations of laws, regulations, and privileges. Existing procedures for guaranteeing rights are flawed and permit and encourage abuses. Courts and judicial panels are subject to political interference and biases. A citizen may be placed under special watch with consequence abuses through the opinions of those in authority without cause. The surveillance may be total, and unrelenting, even as it is undeserved, encouraged by a jealous acquaintance with no justification.
Foreign and Commercial Surveillance: Use of security data from other nations and private corporations constitutes a risk for the individual and/or groups, and requires careful monitoring lest abuses occur. To escape condemnation and prosecution, governments currently may rely on foreign or private surveillance in pursuit of its agendas.
Private and Religious Organization Abuses: Some private, religious, and political organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League, exercise abuse and bias of individuals at their discretion. They label a person or group as anti-Semitic, and then engage in efforts to prove this charge, and to pursue prosecution, or other forms of abuse. This empowers their agenda and interests and can abuse rights of critical individuals and groups.
Special Surveillance Programs: The creation of various national security programs and projects to gain additional control and domination of the public must be halted. For example, Project Infra-Gard was founded in 2008 by an FBI agent to assist the FBI in surveillance and monitoring. Essentially, Project Infra-Gard has enlisted the assistance of hundreds of thousands of businesses and corporations to provide the FBI with any individual or group deemed to be a “risk.”
Thus, we now have every store, shopping mall, employer, etc., offering info to the FBI. But who are the providers? Let us suppose you argue with a grocery clerk regarding a charge; the store can submit your name as a problem customer. Did you complain? Get set for 1984! A nation of snitches!
CLOSING
There you have it; a score, or more, of issues warranting local and national discussion, dialog, and debate. The issues are not new! What is new are the times in which we are living. Our times are filled with many challenges. The sanctity of our existing government system must not confine us to blindly accepting the system. What troubles me so much is the failure of our “System” to respond. Systems and structures continue, not because they are the best, but because they are now flawed by corrupt leaders favoring special interests. Lobbyist run are government! They do not represent citizens. Increased citizen knowledge and discontent supports activism. We should not shy from the process. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii). He is widely recognized as a pioneer figure in cultural and international psychology and psychopathology. He has published 20 books and more than 300 journal, chapter, and popular articles. He is the recipient of numerous national and international awards.
Sign at the March for Science 2017 in Washington, DC. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: scattered1 from USA
by Anthony J. Marsella, PhD
II.
National security abuses and excesses
“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” — Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) , The Spirit of Laws, 1748
A. Technologies for omnipresent surveillance
Bill-Board photography and monitoring of automobile drivers
Airport body scans [“Within the next year or two, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will instantly know everything about your body, clothes, and luggage with a new laser-based molecular scanner fired from 164 feet (50 meters) away. From traces of drugs or gun powder on your clothes to what you had for breakfast to the adrenaline level in your body—agents will be able to get any information they want without even touching you. And without you knowing it.” (Gizmodo, July 10, 2012).
Brain wave (EEG) readers
Bugs (intrusive car, phone)
Bugs (intrusive computer)
Collaboration between massive corporations (e.g., Amazon, Face Book, Google) and government agencies (algorithms for sharing information)
Drones (Used to photograph, monitor house odors, disable equipment)
Facial recognition
Finger prints, hand prints, footprints
Genetic DNA sampling
House-Air Sampling (Drones)
Monitoring, copying, and retaining all phone, email, texting communications:
Neuroimaging technologies (e.g., CAT, PET, EMR, SPECT, X-Ray) [Medical imaging information gathered via CAT scans, nuclear magnetic resonance, SPECT, and other methods reveal the distinct and unique pattern of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from your various organs. Everyone has a distinct pattern, and knowing that pattern makes one vulnerable to specific controls using low radio wave frequencies and other invasive technology methods. This is especially a source for abuse using brain information.]
Vision data [Vision identification is more accurate than fingerprints. Thus, when you stare into optometric equipment to determine both your visual equation and your eyes disease, a permanent record is photographed and maintained. Whether access to this record can be gleaned or shared willingly remains a question.]
Cameras at traffic intersections [The ubiquitous camera
at many traffic intersections has already recorded your face and upper
body for security reasons. If you wear sunglasses, efforts will be made to
affirm your visual identification.]
Wire taps (proximal and distal)
B.
Sources of information
Brain wave (EEG) readers
Catholic confessional (bugging & taping)
Medical information (EKG, blood tests)
Facebook data
Fake photos and videos
False accusations, requiring court and legal responses
Finger print data base
Foreign nation surveillance (e.g., USA, UK, China, Russia, Israel)
Political ideology organization surveillance (e.g., AIPAC, Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Legal Fund, Anti-Boycott Laws https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/04/23/us-states-use-anti-boycott-laws-punish-responsible-businesses, White and/or Black, Latino, and Islamic extremists and radical groups)
Private Investigators (PI can be ruthless and relentless in acquiring data, bugging cars and phones, planting rumors, calling police, eluding laws.)
Project ImfraGardarted by FBI, 1997, Cleveland, Ohio. Involves recruitment of stores, malls, professions, etc. to report on targets.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InfraGard Expands FBI data-gathering system. Numerous sources of information regarding individuals or groups are now available to local, national and foreign security groups via (1) shopping expenditures, (2) restaurant preferences and expenses, (3) hair stylists/barbers conversations, (4) grocery purchases, (5) gasoline purchases, (6) automobile information, (7) travel information, (8) hotel records, (9) publishers, and (10) medical/mental health services. Yes, what you say to your physician and/or therapist is grist for the mill that has been created.]
Records: family history, pedigree, family tree mapping
Smart and interactive TVs
Smart medicines (Track Use)
Smart meters (Utility Usage)
Store security officials [While you shop, photos are taken, your preferred products identified, your shopping behavior; recall FBI Project InfraGard.]
Stingray computer email monitor.. [btains your email from a close distance. Illegal but used by authorities, foreign nations, and suspicious neighbors]
Subliminal perception on TV and EMR messages (Can also be used for behavior control)
Television program monitoring
Use of consultants, collaborators, cooperatives, cronies, informants, plants, shils, and other forms of collusion to gather info, and to assess or create risk for investigation and persecution/prosecution [Think East German STASI.]
Use of law (e.g., Section 215 of Patriot Act authorizes FBI to interview friends, family, professionals, and to swear all parties to silence)
Entrap [e.g., use promises of reduced prosecution to get desired information]
Abuse the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) system. [e.g., Designate critics of government or political candidates as individuals warranting FISA Court listing as terrorist, criminal, or spy.
Harassment—e.g., planting false evidence to facilitate arrest
Harassment, abuse, and/or prosecution of whistleblowers
Data
from mass-surveillance technology methods and techniques are distributed to
DHS/NSA State Fusion Centers, and a Computer System named AQUAINT, standing for
“Advanced Question Answering for Intelligence.”
Sign at the March for Science 2017 in Washington, DC. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: scattered1 from USA
“Man is born free, but he is
everywhere in chains.”
— Jean Jacques Rousseau (28 Jun 1712 – 2 Jul 1778), Social Contract, 1762
I.
Authoritarian Control, Dominance, Rule: Course of Human History
Fictional accounts of compelling
dystopian societies, including, Brave New World, 1984, The Handmaiden’s
Tale, Fahrenheit 451, The Matrix, and scores of apocalyptic movies,
are proving prescient.
Once confined to popular reading,
entertainment, and college seminars, fictional accounts of dystopian societies
have assumed a frightening reality as government, military, corporate, and
private sectors impose oppressive surveillance strategies, methods, techniques,
and tactics on citizens. These impositions are destroying the last semblances
of legal and moral individual “privacy,” freedoms, civil rights, and USA
Constitution First and Fourth Amendment rights, especially those guaranteed by
the Bill of Rights. 2
Citizen fears for personal safety
and security are encouraged and promoted by media collaborators with
governments, military, and corporate beneficiaries of violence and war; a
pervasive sense of peril, danger, and jeopardy is now normal. This sense of
fear both sanctions and authorizes authoritarian national security sectors to
impose egregious abuses of citizen rights and privileges with oppressive and
punitive measures.
Playing upon Western nations fears
of being overrun by invasions, occupations, and exploitations by
international migrants, especially from Islamic, Sub-Saharan African, and
Central American nations, citizens in many European countries have elected
right-wing populist governments determined to implement draconian immigration and
refugee policies, limiting or blocking immigration to selective groups and
conditions.
USA President Donald Trump announced
all “illegal” resident immigrants will be expelled form the USA beginning June
24, 2019, under the auspices of the United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) by the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump
considers illegal immigrants to be a threat to national security as sources of
violence, crime, disease, and competing cultural traditions.
A convincing xenophobia has found
its way into minds and hearts of citizens and officials resulting in the
emergence of widespread of “hate” cultures and outbursts of gun violence. “Our
nation is under attack by dangerous foes seeking our demise and collapse!” This
is the thematic cry of those seeking more power, control, and domination of
citizen masses, an appeal to fear and heroic nationalism.
Condemnation of violations of
citizen privacy and rights, guaranteed in the Fourth Amendment of the USA
Constitution, is drawing urgent attention from legal and NGO sources, with
little legal consequence. Government, police, military, and corporate and
private agencies are supporting numerous laws and regulations legitimizing
pervasive surveillance, monitoring, and storage of citizen information for
potential prosecution.
Control, Domination, Rule of
Citizens: An “Old” Policy and Practice
“Experience has shown that even
under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have in time,
and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”
— Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Preamble to a Bill for the More General
Diffusion of Knowledge, Fall 1778, Papers 2: 526-527.
Control, domination, and rule of
citizen thought, behavior, and identity by authorities and ruling classes is
the story of human history; it is the logical outcome when States, Nations,
Empires, and Colonial Rulers, especially dictatorships, assume disproportional
power.
Protests and rebellions are quelled
by a variety of oppressive measures, including arrests, imprisonment, torture,
as well as murder, beatings, and crowd control tactics. Assassinations and
disappearance of rebel leaders is common, as desperate authorities oppress
contention.
While inspirational stories of
citizen uprisings protesting control, domination, and rule, including the
French and American Revolutions, are celebrated each year as sacred holidays,
the harsh reality emerging is “omnipresent-mass surveillance.” Past
glories are diminished in the presence of new oppressions.
Never before in history have the
vast means of citizen control, domination, and rule been as total and complete
as they are now because of the uses and abuses of technology. Romantic notions
of citizen heroes leading uprisings against abusive and corrupt governments and
authorities are the stuff of past myths. Mass government surveillance and
monitoring of citizens and groups has destroyed individual and group privacy
and rights. Oppressive conformity, homogenization, and subjugation are now
accepted goals for authorities claiming national security needs.
Tragically, continued use of effective media and propaganda has resulted in citizen concurrence and acceptance of oppression and violation of Constitutional rights and privileges. A tragic paradox! “Yes, oppress and control me; I need your protection in a dangerous world.” (“Escape From Freedom. . . . . .”)
Control, Domination, Rule . . .
Governance is needed! This reality
cannot be contested! Contestations of abuses of power,
however, omnipresent in the government-congressional-corporate-military-educational
complex is required and essential. As elections approach, why are no candidates
willing to risk the tolls of exposing the situation? Where are calls and
accusations of encroaching oppression,
A challenge for citizens is the
reality “society” often hides, distorts, and represses concerns for freedom.
Openness, transparency, participation is required in a democracy. Past
presidential candidates have won on a platform of these admirable goals, only
to find upon election, they succumb to shadow powers, and conform to
traditional agendas using war and violence to achieve unwarranted goals. Who
controls the leaders? Hidden governments?
In the USA, most citizens never
imagined government would “betray” citizens given the protections of the USA
Constitution. Today, however, surveys indicate less than 10% of USA citizens
trust the government, and often see the government as biased in favor of
special interests via lobbyists.
“Secret State” and “Shadow State”
groups of powerful and positioned individuals assumed power and control,
betraying their oaths and loyalty in favor of personal agendas keeping them in
power. Much of the “Secret State” individuals are ensconced in Justice
Department offices and agencies (i.e., CIA, FBI, DHS, NSA). Crimes and abuses
of these groups continue to unfold daily revealing a tragic story of
corruption, collusion, and crime.
When societal institutions breakdown
and collapse under pressures of corruption, cronyism, special interests, and
inadequate funding, citizens are bereft of resources for protection and
security. In an open and democratic society, transparency, social
responsibility, and voting are keys to citizen awareness and empowerment. What
happens, however, when these too are lost to political interests?
Tragically, many “secret state”
societies around the world have already destroyed or denied citizen rights,
enabling groups with special interests and concerns to exist and to exact their
toll. Under these circumstances, citizen wellbeing and welfare yield to special
interests and the advancement of control in favor of mega-groups pursuing their
own interests. Citizens are no longer players, and when they attempt to
act against control, they are promptly subdued as enemies of the State.
Citizens look to government to
protect them, but corrupt governments are too closely linked and connected to
secret and known “power” groups, to offer citizen protection. In the process,
citizens lose trust in governments and societal institutions; this raises the
threshold for both protests and repression.
Within this context of institution collapse, and the rise of special interest and concerns, citizens become identified with certain groups at the cost of a society’s democratic identity and membership. They seek the comfort and security of identity with fringe elements offering simple solutions and identification of obvious enemies among minorities, immigrants, and radical revolution members. Heroes, calling for change, become victims.
Footnote 1:
The term “omnipresent surveillance” is taken from John W. Whitehead’s recent article, “The Omnipresent Surveillance State: Orwell’s 1984 Is No longer Fiction.” Information Clearing House. June 11, 2019. See also Rutherford Institute, Virginia, USA.
Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D., a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace
Development Environment, is a past president of Psychologists for
Social Responsibility, Emeritus Professor of psychology at the University of
Hawaii’s Manoa Campus in Honolulu, Hawaii, and past director of the World
Health Organization Psychiatric Research.
