Thursday Thoughts - The other myth busters
I watched two sets of videos of Naomi Klein recently, one on the Shock Doctrine, and one on the Neo-Liberalization of Iraq.
Both were myth-busters, one of the myth of the 'free market' winning the war of ideas, and one of the myth of the US 'liberating' Iraq. (Ask me if you want more details on either of those, or even better, watch the videos and tell me what you think! :^)
I like myth busting. I like that feeling when I can clear out a set of vague assumptions and put my own ideas in their place. If this latest study is any indication, that may be one of reasons that I identify with current 'liberal' ideas. (This study, among others, notes that liberals more actively use the conflict areas of the brain and are more interested in new perspectives, while conservatives prefer to maintain the information they have and filter out what is in conflict with it.) I think its reasonable to consider that those who self-identify as conservatives may prefer the opposite, the creation and maintenance of myths.
Is this another of the divides that are hampering communications between us? Conservatives want to maintain their myth of the great United States, the moral superpower who leads the world. This is an empowering myth because, by extension, US citizens are also great and moral leaders of the world. This is not a limitation in thinking; it allows the thinker to pursue actions with a drive and single-mindedness that can be very powerful. I think that it is this drive that Neo-Cons try to take advantage of with their "Big Lie" strategy of fooling the masses into 'proper' actions.
Busting this myth only creates resentment and distrust, so is there an alternative? Can we as liberals stretch our perspectives to encompass those of the conservatives and help them rewrite their myths to empower them in actions and ideas that actually are moral and great? How could we do that without becoming Neo-Neo-Cons? Well, by not lying, for one thing. By helping conservatives find honest information in a way that will not try to destroy their myths but help them construct new versions of those myths.
Myths today have been bought and sold by private advertising, both figuratively in the creation of the "Ronald McDonald" and literally as mythical/religious figures up to and including a current generic Christian God are used to add authority to advertisements. Perhaps there is something to be learned there about how to reclaim myths.
But what about those of us that I characterize as 'liberals,' whom I have presumed also enjoy myth-busting in the same way I do? Do we still have our own empowering myth in some form? Are we starting to move beyond myths, or are they just changing as our ideas change?
Heady ideas for this thoughtful Thursday. :^)
Both were myth-busters, one of the myth of the 'free market' winning the war of ideas, and one of the myth of the US 'liberating' Iraq. (Ask me if you want more details on either of those, or even better, watch the videos and tell me what you think! :^)
I like myth busting. I like that feeling when I can clear out a set of vague assumptions and put my own ideas in their place. If this latest study is any indication, that may be one of reasons that I identify with current 'liberal' ideas. (This study, among others, notes that liberals more actively use the conflict areas of the brain and are more interested in new perspectives, while conservatives prefer to maintain the information they have and filter out what is in conflict with it.) I think its reasonable to consider that those who self-identify as conservatives may prefer the opposite, the creation and maintenance of myths.
Is this another of the divides that are hampering communications between us? Conservatives want to maintain their myth of the great United States, the moral superpower who leads the world. This is an empowering myth because, by extension, US citizens are also great and moral leaders of the world. This is not a limitation in thinking; it allows the thinker to pursue actions with a drive and single-mindedness that can be very powerful. I think that it is this drive that Neo-Cons try to take advantage of with their "Big Lie" strategy of fooling the masses into 'proper' actions.
Busting this myth only creates resentment and distrust, so is there an alternative? Can we as liberals stretch our perspectives to encompass those of the conservatives and help them rewrite their myths to empower them in actions and ideas that actually are moral and great? How could we do that without becoming Neo-Neo-Cons? Well, by not lying, for one thing. By helping conservatives find honest information in a way that will not try to destroy their myths but help them construct new versions of those myths.
Myths today have been bought and sold by private advertising, both figuratively in the creation of the "Ronald McDonald" and literally as mythical/religious figures up to and including a current generic Christian God are used to add authority to advertisements. Perhaps there is something to be learned there about how to reclaim myths.
But what about those of us that I characterize as 'liberals,' whom I have presumed also enjoy myth-busting in the same way I do? Do we still have our own empowering myth in some form? Are we starting to move beyond myths, or are they just changing as our ideas change?
Heady ideas for this thoughtful Thursday. :^)