Thursday, August 21, 2025

Thanatos

 


Humans  evolved  about 2.5 million years ago. However, the extinction of Neanderthals happened as recently as  30,000 years ago. And, for the last 10,000 years, Homo sapiens have been the species . Perhaps ,  previous species became extinct because of interbreeding and/or they were replaced because of incompatibility, genocide ,  technology, social skills  food , nutrition,and/ or other  factors . In other words Homo sapiens being supreme are associated with extinction .


For  example, the Orca Whales are now  headed toward extinction. Today, 70% of their offspring  die as a result of food scarcity. The King salmon is the whales  primary food source. But, in; last century, the King salmon has declined by 90%. African elephants, white rhinos as well as numerous other animals have and are becoming extinct.  Also, ecosystems have changed as well as water supply. The rapid population growth in Las Vegas and climate change has put the Colorado River, and Lake Mead in jeopardy because of the demand for precious water .Further,, American fauna was far richer 14,000 years ago .Biologically speaking., we are the deadliest species.


Emma Lazarus , the poet born in New York, New York in  1849 , wrote, "give me your tired, your poor, your masses yearning to breathe free."  Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty pedestal .Yet, what about the prejudicial Immigration laws and restrictions  of 1924 and today’s ICE raids  ?.  In 1933.there were about 9 million Jews living in Europe. In 1945 ,the number was reduced to about 3 million. And, the Nazi's antisematic laws were based on our  Jim Crow laws.  Do not forget we had 110,000  Japanese in  internment camps in the 1940s. To explain Homo sapiens cruelty toward  self,others and nature , we turn to Freud and Murray. 


In Freud's theory  of Eros(libido) and Thanatos(aggression),  both the life ,survival and death,destroy instincts  guide human behavior . In other words, Thanatos  represents the death drive leading people to assault others with sadomasochistic, destructive, murder ,self mutilation  and self-defeating behavior.  Freud’s motivational theory  is based on  the interplay between the life and death instincts. 


Within Henry Murray’s theory of Personology,are the  ego needs of aggression. Aggression is to overcome opposition forcefully, ; to fight; to avenge an injury; to attack, injure or kill another; to  oppose forcefully or punish another. Another related ego need is dominance. Dominance  is to control one's human  environment; to influence or direct the behavior of others by suggestion, seduction, persuasion, or  command; to dissuade,refrain or prohibit. Employing these two ego needs describes man’s aggressive, destructive and killing behavior .


This essay suggests that the Homo sapiens species is headed  in the direction of extinction incorporating the life-and-death instincts. and ego needs.  A few articles found in The New York Times July 13,and July 20 ,2025 depict man treating man and his environment in diabolical, heinous  evil ways and therefore headed in the direction of no return .


The article "The White House's War on Clean Energy Will Fail"  reported that the Inflation Reduction Act-energy , the transition to sun, wind and  batteries has been drastically cut by the Big Beautiful Bill. Note,that  many years ago Jimmy Carter had solar panels  installed in  the White House  Also ,9,000 deaths from inhaling pollution could be saved if we didn’t burn fossil fuel.. Further,.the Gulfstream has begun to weaken  resulting in the rapid rise of sea level on  our coasts.


The GOP's climate disruption stance  affects everyone and some more than others with the inordinate amount of fires, floods and hurricanes,while  a very  small minority profits from this destruction.  This disastrous misnomer suggests that immediate capitalistic greed rules and is more important than health, welfare and survival for about 10 % in our republic which is not a good public health statistic .


tn "America Is Rewriting The Social Contract" the East Hampton Community Community Center and Food Pantry provides  free groceries to about 5,000 families per month.  Recent estimates suggest that 47.4 million Americans suffered from low food security in 2023 and 3.8 million were children.The Congressional Budget Office -  2 million people will lose their SNAP  benefits  The new law will add 11.8 million to the 26 million without health insurance . Of course  black and Latino Americans are disproportionately represented.  Yet , about 3.4 trillion will be added to  the country's huge deficit over 10 years is the CBO's estimate.


The GOP’s attacking the physiological  ego need for millions of its citizens. It is despicable.  Does the GOP  expect that this action will interfere with those citizens  voting in the next election because they will be in and will expend their energy primarily  on survival  ? Is there a  humanistic rationale   for this governing group  to treat these citizens in this manner ?  The  consequences of this cruel action are far-reaching and disastrous and contrary to all religious teachings  and public health .


"Immigration Crackdown Hits Senior Care Work Force" is straining providers with senior populations..Nursing homes and home care agencies are staffed  by 28% immigrants’ according to Census Bureau data. With the median hourly wage of $16.72 in 2023, how many  white individuals are jumping at the chance to work in this industry?  If providers have to pay their employees more, they will have their clients pay more. Also, about 19% of the US civilian labor force is made up of foreign born.. With a growing need,the senior  worker problem gets worse. 


There is a health crisis in this country, especially for older citizens.  In fact, there's an Alzheimer's diagnosis for every one in three citizens reaching the age of 85.  Our capitalistic model is not as effective or more humanistic than the European Socialistic model. for  providing necessary  care to this population .  As a result, reducing the supply of workers will raise wages resulting in less profits. Less profits is not the capitalistic goal.


 There's already a shortage of providers and services for these special.individuals  The GOP does not value older individuals requiring assistance.  Also,these workers are not members of gangs, they are not criminals  but instead provide necessary care and pay taxes.  How is the GOP benefitting from this policy ?  In any event, the country is not . And again the Public Health consequences. are  troublesome ..


Another Trump GOP attack on public health  ,as  the "EPA Says It Will Eliminate IIts Scientific Research Arm" because of the  Trump administration.  This independent  agency research affects all the agency's policies and regulations.They evaluate and provide input on the  risk of hazardous chemicals, impact  of wildfire smoke on public health,  drinking water ,fracturing ,measures , atmosphere, environmental emergencies and exposures to  hazardous chemicals. "With which we don't have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment. “ This is another assault on public health in our country . Further, scientific  public health information is being distorted and misrepresented..  In essence, the Trump GOP administration is adding to the problem by lying to its citizens.


 This GOP policy favors the greedy billionaires ,corporations and CEOs.  They do not care about regulations and couldn't care less about Public health consequences.  We have enough hurdles and barriers interfering with public health. The banishment of scientific research  brains adds to the burden .Our  Ill-equipped healthcare  model plus  all the  millions of individuals  being dropped,or not eligible for healthcare, becomes disastrous for  the nation's public health.  Again, capitalistic profit and the almighty dollar is second to none


The GOP rationale for eliminating Medicaid  is simply that the insurance handout doesn't translate with better health outcomes because that population doesn't use the service. They didn’t look into causal  factors regarding that claim . Historically speaking, health care benefits were  first employed by employers, in the  1930’s  as a means to attract workers. In other words, health care insurance was not about providing medical assistance for better health. Instead, it was related as a recruiting tool. And secondly, if people don’t use the insurance,,according to a study at one particular time, take it away. With that reasoning, what if someone doesn’t vote,should we take away their right to vote? Health care  insurance is important for  the nation's health, even though there are better, more efficient models for health outcomes.Socialistic models are superior and more efficient compared  to our greedy capitalistic model on many variables.


In summation, the history of  sapiens can be  explained dualistically. On one hand , sapiens  have created ,explored , discovered and generated the unthinkable.  On the other hand, sapiens are hateful, sadistic,and  destructible murderers.  A doomsday clock , a symbolic measure of humanities' destruction, has been set at 89 seconds, its closest margin ever.  In the sapiens, subconscious brain,,located in the the limbic system   is the site for memory, hormone production, impulse control,fight, flight and anger .This subconscious part of our brain ,more often than not, becomes  more dominant than the functioning of the conscious brain where the  cortex  is located with its higher cognition ,abstract thought, usage of tools, formation and comprehension  of language and   social behavior..And,unfortunately,  77 million voters casted  their ballots in a self  harming derogatory way.  With that being said, the Trump GOP policies and forthcoming information are not credible nor associated with positive Public Health . Instead , its unhealthy policies  are associated with anxiety, fear,lies, destruction  and death .Thanatos rules  . .


Reference

Brain Injury: Alzheimer's, Stroke and Head , Trauma.  Institute for 

Natural Resources. 

Harari, Yuval N,.  Sapiens  , a Brief History of Humankind.

Murray , Henry A.  Explorations in Personality


PS

Ronald Reagan once said, "government is the problem. " it 

certainly can be like the present GOP government.  And, a fire official said that 95% of the fires are caused by humans.


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