American Virus

The Coronavirus is our latest threat, once more, placing our country at risk.  Just follow the Dow. Yes, there was a press conference on Wednesday. The president, on one hand, gave incorrect statistics and minimized the health threat of the coronavirus while, on the other hand, he appointed the vice president to be in charge. Further, medical doctors provided more realistic information about the threat of this virus .The very next day, the Dow dropped close to 1200 points. This essay illustrates the mental and physical danger that the Republican Party poses to our country

For a brief background, let’s return to the “Founding Fathers”.  Jefferson’s Preamble of the Constitution began with “We the people of the United States……” Jefferson’s” We “however, referred only to White, Anglo- Saxon, Wealthy, Male, Protestant landowners. Further, per Madison, the Senators were appointed by the state legislatures. Power was placed in the hands of the few.   The Senators, under the Constitution, were given the power to convict or remove the president from office. These founding fathers also established and implemented the biased Electoral College as another power-control mechanism.

The plutocracy model or minority rule of the rich was based on past Greek and English philosophers. The idea of a consolidation of power was also referred to as an oligarchy. These people were considered distinguished by their ability, wealth, education, corporate, political, religious or military control. Related was the belief in Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny meant that it was sanctioned by God to expand the US throughout the American continents. It was considered both justified and inevitable. Since 1945, we took over the world. Thus, we had Power and Possession held by the elite in order to control and withhold from the masses. The masses were seen as uneducated, morally inferior and ruled for their own good.

Let’s view some of our current economic problems for the populace: A. 1. A fraction of 1%, in the country, holds an enormous amount of net worth 2. Since the 1970s, the middle class has been shrinking along with stagnant wage growth and an absence of savings 3. College debt is in excess of $1.5 trillion 4.  We have an increase in part-time employment with no benefits. 5. Subsidies go to Wall Street, automobile manufacturers, farmers, oil companies, fossil fuels, foreign countries, Boeing etc.  6. Tax cuts are primarily for the corporations and upper 1% 7. Corporations don’t pay  taxes; manufacture products in low-paying countries; hide money in offshore accounts 8.We have the greatest  ever increase in the budget deficit 9 Our massive military expenditures dwarf all other countries.

Current health problems for the populace: B. 1. About 16% are uninsured including 8 million children 2. Opioid epidemic continues 3. Health care and prescription costs are excessive compared to other countries 4. We have cuts and the deregulations to EPA which affects things like mercury emissions, climate change, pollution of chemicals, radiation, fuel economy etc. 5.  There are state attempts to eliminate and overturn Roe versus Wade rulings 6.  We have over 500,000 homeless 7.  We have had numerous legislative attempts to eliminate the Affordable Care Act 8.  There is a denial of the science of climate change and a withdrawal from both Paris and Iran climate and nuclear accords 9. Our obesity statistics rage10. There’s approximately 400 bills from the house and senate that are controlled by Mitch McConnell’s withholding 11. There have been recent cuts and limited funding for the Center for Disease Control or CDC.

 Current social problems for the populace: C. 1. Gun murders are out-of-control 2. We have lack of common sense gun laws because of NRA lobbyists 3.  We have excessive racial incarceration rates 4. We have discriminatory hiring and firing practices 5.  We have discriminatory housing availability 6. Voter suppression and gerrymandering practices exist 6. The labor unions have been diminished in power 7. The Senate is easily controlled by a few states with its limited population.8.Voter plurality in an election does not always work. 9. Believing one’s vote does not count or matter exists 10.  House Republicans opposed legislation against teaching a curriculum of climate change in the schools 11.  Every Republican running for president in 2016, with the exception of John Kasich, denied the existential crisis of global warming 12. The Doomsday Clock has moved us closer to midnight thanks to this Republican administration.

The elite with its control of the media affects attitudes and public opinion. George Romney called it brainwashing.  Charles Wilson Sec. of the Defense allegedly said “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country; “and Colin Kaepernick of the NFL kneeled during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in 2016, his last season of football. He was also criticized by the current president.

 Socialism has been labeled bad and dangerous to capitalism and democracy. However, Karl Marx wrote that man could become more human when he became more aware of his socioeconomic conditions. By becoming aware, then it’s up to the working class man to produce goodness with changes. By changing conditions, man doesn’t have to become exploited, but can achieve self-realization on the road to maximize his human potential. Karl Marx believed that the subordination of the individual for the economic ends of the powerful state and of the concentration of capital results in man’s alienation and feelings of powerlessness. Further, Marx thought that no privileged group can become associated with humanism.

Bernie Sanders has been called a democratic socialist and supports climate change legislation, universal healthcare, pro-labor, free college, eliminating college debt etc. Bernie is a front runner with much populace support. In order for him to win, he requires a high voter turnout with those believing that their votes count too. So, having a Bernie movement is a threat to the few with their power and possession. Remember power is to control the masses and possession means withholding from the masses based on socioeconomics. Therefore, we can expect a negative media onslaught against Bernie’s candidacy in order for them to discredit him. Being truthful about Bernie does not matter. The spreading of doubt, lies or to cast a dark shadow is what matters for those doing the smearing. Power, possession for the educated elite is what matters. It’s not about the masses. They need to be controlled for their own good.

Workers unite, come together, protest and change the system.

It Ain't Easy

We expend an enormous amount of energy inside our heads. We have more conversations with ourselves than with anyone else.  We think about the past. We recall many of our decisions that we should have done differently; of what we should have said; as well as the many conversations about what we should not have said. We obsess and ruminate as well as engage in rehearsing lines and conversations for interactions. We hold on to many irrational ideas, beliefs as well as falsehoods. Often, inner conversations can be negative. Negativity affects mood, anxiety and depression as well as self-esteem. Irrational thinking and beliefs, more than not, leads to ineffective behavior. We can also think in positive ways and make positive behavior or choices.  Negative thinking about future often leads to worry and anxiety along with inappropriate behavioral decision-making. We make ourselves ill by our predictions and behavior. Are anyone’s predictions any better than chance? We also plan, fantasize, synthesize, create and use our imagination.  It should be obvious that we can spend too much inappropriate or nonproductive time with thinking. The Greeks warned us about thinking and as Epicurus reminded us” nothing is good or bad, thinking makes it so.” The article in the January 26, 2020 edition of the New York Times was timely. This article was about mindfulness. Mindfulness, briefly, is keeping our thinking in the present while concentrating on our breathing. While in a mindfulness state, we withdraw and protect ourselves, for a moment, from irrational and stupid thinking and beliefs. This essay addresses mindfulness. Can mindfulness can be effective in combatting high blood pressure?

Mindfulness is pertinent within the religion of Buddhism. Factually, Buddhism is the fourth most popular religion at present. During the drug revolution in our country, the enlightened found insights from this Eastern religion. Gurus went to India to learn and Indian gurus came here to teach. 50 to 60 years later, mindfulness is a $4 billion industry. Its technique has been taught to our enlightened major capitalistic businesses; to our military; to educational systems and of course has been used therapeutically. There is a tremendous amount of reading material that can be found on Amazon-60,000 titles regarding mindfulness. Many mindfulness research articles on mental and physical illness can be found.  However, our illegitimate health care insurance system does not subscribe. Our healthcare system instead is in love with the pharmaceutical industry and would rather promote a pill to treat the populace.

As a tool, mindfulness is used effectively within psychotherapy practices to help assist with treating depression and anxiety.  Roughly a third of all adults in United States have high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. According to The New York Times article, there were inconclusive research findings when employing mindfulness to treat high blood pressure.  Perhaps, a clear cut definition of mindfulness is one issue.

Actually, the definition or an operational definition of mindfulness is one of the most important parts to any research design. Therefore, let’s criticize research design. In any research design, the operational definition and the random sample of those studied are pertinent. Since all studies, do not employ a truly random sample, generalizations from the study are limited to the collected sample. It’s no wonder why there are so many inconclusive findings regarding mindfulness. Moreover, mindfulness is one variable in the study of high blood pressure. Other important variables are necessary to be controlled such as diet, physical activity, philosophy of life etc. in any research design model. Furthermore, in studying heart disease, we know that individuals with high blood pressure have made poor lifetime health decisions. More than likely, these individuals would prefer to take a pill, to increase the profits of the pharmaceuticals, than to change lifestyle choices. Thus, the importance of a random sample of the population cannot be overstated. It’s also much more difficult to study mindfulness than comparing it to a study using a pill and a placebo. Why not have the pharmaceuticals fund research regarding mindfulness, high blood pressure etc.?

Another way to study mindfulness is to take a look at individuals that do not have high blood pressure and heart disease for study. Let’s find individuals with the following characteristics: 1. Individuals that employ mindfulness as a philosophy and behavioral choice 2. Making nutritious and healthy food choices 3. Employing regular physical activity and exercise 4. Not smoking 5. Limited drinking of alcohol 6. A life engaging in inspiration and meaning 7. Having an enriched emotional life. I’ll wager that in sampling these individuals, high blood pressure will not be found.

In my book “It Has Nothing To Do with Age, I met athletes who participated in extreme sports. Not surprising, none of my sample of athletes had high blood pressure or heart disease. In my book, can be found a prescription for optimum life expectancy. In essence, optimum mental and physical health are a result of consistent numerous healthy behavioral choices. Consistent and numerous healthy choices are underlined.  There is no one magic bullet.  It’s clear that mindfulness can be used as a tool for a healthy life. And per David Bowie  “It Ain’t Easy.”

Trumps Mental Health

The following is a clinical description of Donald J. Trump. Information was found based on his words, newspaper articles, television news, documentaries, and tweets. The dynamics of anxiety, power, prestige, possession, narcissism, sadism, competitiveness, fears of failure and lying account for much of this man’s behavior.

Underlying Trump’s personality and character is considerable anxiety which affects inner insecurity and accompanies his push for power. This is an unconscious process. The purpose for this “power” behavior is an attempt to alleviate from feeling helplessness, fearfulness, weakness and/or inadequateness unconsciously. Therefore, it’s an attempt to reduce the unpleasantness which is anxiety.  Hostility accompanies the expressing of “power.” Often, anger-hostility is pushed away from consciousness by the defense of repression. As a result of repression, it doesn’t take much to provoke him, and he is quick to react or explode. So he is trapped by his own anxiety, inferiority and hostility.

 Trump is extremely sensitive to any appearance or perception of being weak or inadequate. To compensate for this insecurity, he displays being in control and by dismissing anyone not loyal or subservient. He appears not to give in nor ever admit to being wrong. He does not seem to take advice from experts and even boasts about knowing more than the general’s or anyone else. To illustrate, Trump visited Dover Air Force Base to witness the return of a Navy Seal killed in air raid gone bad. He shifted the blame to his generals by remarking “This is something they wanted to do.” These character traits are compensations and a defense for his anxiety, inferiority, insecurity or weakness. He has to dominate others and project power regardless of the situation. For instance, at the recent National Prayer Breakfast, he did a fist pump while addressing the crowd.

Trump is fearful of feeling of being regarded or perceived as being insignificant. His “power” rigid bravado of sadistic verbal assaults provides a distortion that promotes his illogical belief that he can master, influence or dominate any situation, no matter how difficult.   Any display of insignificance or weakness for him is simply a disgrace. He has to be in charge or in control.   His need to control results in permitting few to join his circle. Make no mistake- he is the boss. By being the boss, hiring and firing become the norm.  He classifies people as either strong or weak .He despises, with contempt, those that are “weak.”  Really, was war hero John McCain weak for being a prisoner of war.

Trump’s recent attempt to hold up the aid to Ukraine was another example of his drive for power, dominance and control. His phone call was perfect, which meant for him that he was right. His passive aggressiveness was evident by keeping witnesses from testifying and ignoring subpoenas. This is Executive Privilege?  He would not give in because striving for power means that he can’t give in nor admit fault because that would be a weakness. In fact, his attorney said that if the President thought that it was for the public good, then this would be ok. The president holds the most powerful position in the world. This is a perfect fit for this man’s character.

With his anxiety is also his drive for prestige, admiration or stature.  He has a narcissistic desire to impress others, to be admired and respected. To be admired, he flaunts money lavishly and conspicuously. He displays his name on buildings, golf courses etc. Prior to obtaining office, he had numerous radio interviews with Howard Stern. Made contact with reporters from the New York Times in order for them to print stories about him. If you do not admire nor worship him, you are his enemy. He calls various networks and reporters who criticize him as fake and the enemy. In other words, you have to display admiration for this man because if not, you’re seen as a traitor and an enemy. These behaviors do not extinguish his anxiety nor remove him from experiencing an unconscious feeling of humiliation. However, once again, the result of this unconscious mental ordeal or process is met by the repression of hostility. This results in more anxiety and explosiveness. Pelosi, Romney and others, who do not admire him, are seen as enemies.  His turning his back to Pelosi and not shaking her hand during the State of the Union and his diatribe at the Prayer Breakfast are examples of his rage, hostility, verbal abuse and an attempt to humiliate another. He has to humiliate others with his verbal sadistic attacks. He does not forget nor forgive his enemies. He gets even in his passive aggressive ways. Just ask, Comey ,Sondlund, Kelly, Mattis, McMaster. Lt Col Vindman and his brother, Cohen etc.? What can be more humiliating to this narcissist than to be impeached?

His push for narcissistic prestige including his competitiveness, result in him leading, being first and having more than the other every single time. He told others that his inauguration crowd was larger than Pres. Obama’s; his Mexico-Canada trade deal is the best in history; his beautiful  border wall ; claims he’s the most successful president ever and won against impeachment. His self-promotion boasting goes on and on. This prestige drive once again is his defense against unconsciously feeling humiliation. His competitiveness with his drive to avoid failure is strong. He cheats at golf by moving his ball in a more advantaged position or in bending the rules to lower his score every time. He hides his tax returns from scrutiny as it would likely   expose some form of cheating resulting in embarrassment. Furthermore, he even wants Congress to expunge his impeachment from record. Will these behaviors reduce his anxiety or sense of worldwide public humiliation?

This Presidents striving for possession hostility takes the form of a tendency to deprive others by exploiting and restricting them.  He believes that he can outwit others and/or injure them in some way. Earlier discrimination against Blacks from obtaining housing, numerous bankruptcies and withholding money payment from others, not paying taxes are examples of exploitation and withholding. The exploitation from his phony University and Foundation are other examples. He withheld government money from the Ukraine in their war against Russia; received foreign help to win an election; and outwitted the Congress in the impeachment proceedings. The personality tendency to deprive or exploit is anxiety based. His unconscious belief and projection is that others take advantage of him. They cheat and exploit. This is simply a projection He is the liar, cheater and exploiter.

He deprives others with his executive orders and government policies of keeping “others” out of this country with walls or executive orders on immigration. It doesn’t seem to matter that he hires “illegals” to work at his golf club establishments. On top of that, young at the border are taken from their parents. Why should any child have to be taken from their mother during critical periods of their personality development? For many, these separation anxiety scars never heal. Why take away healthcare, pre-existing conditions and deprive so many ill Americans with no plan for improvement? It’s an attempt to deprive regardless of it being Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Budget cuts to Social Security, EPA, CDC, etc. are more of the same. He is sadistic, mean-spirited, hurtful and foolish. This emphasis to begrudge is exploitive and is meant to further divide the haves from the have-nots.

In essence, underlying the striving for power goes back to feelings of inferiority. The quest for prestige is narcissistic and the striving for power and possession are sadomasochistic and withholding. With these personality dynamics, we find anxiety and repression of hostility. He cannot control his anxiety, hostility and attacks. Unfortunately, these make up Donald J. Trump’s sad character and unconscionable behaviors.

Fear, Anxiety and Hostility

We live in dangerous and stressful times. This essay acknowledges the present amount of fear and anxiety in our culture and society and the defenses and behaviors employed in our country. Although fear and anxiety are both emotional reactions to danger, there are differences between the two. Briefly, or simply put, fear of danger [fire, earthquake, hurricanes, nuclear and world war, climate change,  terrorist threats and attacks, dark skinned  immigrants, government made crises, rattlesnakes, terminal diagnosis etc.] is transparent ,obvious and objective . Our response can be to fight, flight or freeze.  With  anxiety [tension, worry, concern, stress and statements like: are you okay,? slow down and don’t get too close to that car, take the cell phone with you on the trail, and my mother would say while in my 60’s when going for a run “don’t hurt yourself ”] ,is  hidden, subjective and typically denied. In other words, anxiety can exist without awareness. Furthermore, anxiety can contribute to an unconscious or conscious feeling of helplessness, loss of control, vulnerability and weakness against and inescapable danger as when I encountered a mountain lion and her two cubs on the trail. Often because of unawareness,  but not limited to ,we utilize many strategies, defenses or responses  like [denial, rationalization, alcohol, drugs, sex, inhibitions, gun purchases, yoga, keeping busy, inhibitions, poor achievement and impaired critical thinking] in an attempt to avoid, reduce or to distort this awful feeling.  Furthermore, with the appearance of hostile impulses, anxiety follows.  

Anxiety and fears at an earlier time in my life as follows:  I do remember being in the living room, at a young age, with my mother, in our family home on Evanston Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. There was an actual city blackout during World War II or before September 2, 1945. After that memory, I dreamt of being in our second floor attic with a gun defending our home against Nazi Germans.

I was five years of age when the atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.  I did not have a conscious recollection of that event. However, at Wayne elementary school, we would head to the school basement for air raid drills. In 1947 the Doomsday Clock was originated in response to the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs. Currently, climate change has been added to the equation. The atomic clock, for the first time, is now 100 seconds to midnight. This symbolic clock, represents a countdown to a potential global catastrophe.  A hostile governmental stance taken toward Iran and others are additions to the equation.

Another memory dating back to 1948 when I went to a movie theater with my parents and brother. I witnessed the horrors of the Israeli war of independence between the two double feature movies. The movie theater was in Mount Clemens, Michigan. I do not remember the movies seen.

 Other memories include being outside playing football, baseball and hockey in the streets or at various playing fields. These were pickup games for peers only. I got on my one speed Schwinn bicycle and brought peers from the neighborhood together for games. Or, I would pedal far distances and not think anything about it. At 12 years of age, I took 3 public buses after school for an hour and a half ride one way across town to meet the Rabbi for Torah instructions for my Bar Mitzvah. I would walk to Wayne elementary school, to Jackson junior high school and at times to Denby high school.

In October, 1962, I remember the Missile Crisis. However, it wasn’t until the Doomsday Machine Confessions of a Nuclear War-Pentagon Papers per Daniel Ellsberg became public, I didn’t realize how close nor the number of times we were  to  a nuclear war catastrophe  with the Russians. Nor did I realize the myth of the black box carried by the president with the nuclear codes. Starting with Eisenhower, the military established their own aggressive formula or criteria for releasing a nuclear bomb or missile to combat the fear of being attacked.

Currently some facts and observations: I drive or run in my community and I seldom witness kids playing with other kids in the streets, on the soccer fields or on the pickle ball courts. If I see children or kids, I also find an adult involved in their play. I rarely see a young kid on a bicycle. I may see a youngster playing on their front lawn. I witness kids waiting for the school bus but seldom see anyone walking to or from school. Some of the kids of today participate in school and sport activities along with parents being the drivers, their cheerleaders and coaches. Are these characteristics only for my community or do they represent the norm in most communities? Yes, today’s fearful and anxiety driven parents have been called helicopter parents in an attempt to control and protect their children. What about school gun safety drills?

On the front page of the January 19, 2020 The New York Times was titled “A Facial Recognition App That Puts Privacy in Peril.” One of today’s news stories was that a wife was charged with murdering her husband after she burned down the house. She then ran over him with her car. Another story was about the dangers of Deepfake and cheap fake video technology with its ability to spread lies, transmit and distort the truth.

Also in the news is impeachment. This so-called trial lacks cross examinations; witnesses; documents; or jury picked by lawyers. It does have congressional intimidation. This congressional mockery does have features of a trial in that it’s held in a formal setting, with two sides presenting their arguments However, in this case, the defense determines the parameters, rules or guidelines as well as whether or not to hear witnesses and documents and the length or duration of the proceeding.  President or White House has intimidated and threatened many involved but not limited to this current happening. As a result, the model of power with subjectivity, impaired critical thinking, and being above the law has many government individuals and the media fearful and anxious about the Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law. Trump has been called dangerous like being a king with his hostile and aggressive posture. He places the health of our nation at risk.

We are told about terrorist attacks, hate crimes, building a wall “to keep out murderers, drug dealers and rapists,” travel and immigration bans etc. The media and reporters from the opposing group are put down and verbally attacked. We bomb others and they retaliate. We have been at war and wonder why these people want revenge and threaten us. Plenty of hostility here.

Additional stresses evolve around the Democrats running for the upcoming presidential election. Briefly, Bernie Sanders has been labeled a “ communist;” Tom Steyer believes that the skillful capital allocation is critical to a growing society; Andrew Yang points out that we have a  decline of babies born and only one third graduate from college which means fewer work skills and 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; Elizabeth Warren  states  almost half of the country cannot afford a $4-$500 medical bill, 36 million are unable to fill a prescription and about 35 million avoid going to a doctor because of the bill; Deval  Patrick  is concerned about the dividedness in the country; Joe Biden talks about the racial inequities, economic equities related to home value , insurance, home insurance and because of embarrassment  folks from poor neighborhoods  don’t  involve themselves in their kids’ education.

We have numerous scary and fearful books and movies with titles like “Contagion,” “Nyctophobia,” “The Shining,” “It Comes at Night,” “Annabel Comes Home” and novels such as “The Sum of All Fears,” “School of Fear,” “After the Fall,” Death in the Fearful Night,” and “A Sudden Fearful Death.” On my homepage , I found “Coronavirus update: US issues travel ban warning as Delta to suspend China flights;”  “Death toll rises as public health officials work to combat coronavirus”  and “Beware the Revenge Impeachment.”

In my gated community, a past board of directors made sure that undesirables from a neighboring town would not be welcomed. Someone else would like my handgun to protect him and his wife when they go camping in various state parks. Another, has a spotlight shining in and around their horses at night as well as having a series of padlocks on all their doors. Home security services are rampant as well as life alert instruments.  We have phone apps that inform us of nearby fires. I very seldom see individuals on the trail. When I do, they either have a dog or are with another runner.

This brief essay illustrates some aspects of the prevalence of fear and anxiety in our culture and society. These emotions and behaviors have has been with us for a long time. Yes, some of our defenses against this emotional reality has been on a behavioral national level of creating weapons of mass destruction, spending enormous sums on a military budget, and having the best fighting force ever. We are now beginning to address climate change. The population has an addiction to food, drugs, and alcohol. We have the highest percentage of incarceration rates per population, highest murder rates, and highest amount of gun collection. Even our second amendment to the United States Constitution is supposed to protect us. We can have weapons for self-defense. We have all types of insurance, warranties and protection plans for our purchases. Not much trust there. Yes, when we experience hostility, fear, and anxiety, our defenses can be found.

With the presence of fear, anxiety and our defenses, the costs to our country are great. First, the result of these emotions is exemplified in terms of the tremendous amount of hostility generated, and the defenses and behaviors employed. These emotions and behavior are exhibited within group identity division, tribalism, nationalism, etc. Second, the countries mental health is in decline as evidenced by the deterioration in ethics, moral values, rule of law and humanism. In other words, we are compromised by our many defenses. Machiavelli’s perception was right regarding the use of fear to control the masses.

PS

On a lighter note, last Saturday’s Jed Smith half marathon was good. I was accompanied by Tony and we later went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream.