Read about political issues and news from Ron Gordon, who has a lengthy background in the field of Intelligence tying years of interaction with societies not so friendly with our country with comparative rights & duties in our country. Ronhas a doctorate in management science, and has taught college from under graduates to doctoral candidates.
The Fall of American Society
by by Ron Gordon,posted Jan 9 2013 11:32AM
Please Note: In light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, part three of the Unions/Organizations blog will be published at a later date.
Of course, who has not heard about the senseless shootings at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut? Everyone is asking why; what drives a human being to totally lose any semblance of the species to which we all belong, and annihilate the most innocent of all beings?
In the very near future, there will be an abundance of theories put forth by the wise and otherwise; there is no simple answer. At least none that any of us can accept as reasonable no matter the circumstances. Picture a perpetrator who is sick or troubled with some sort of personality disorder such as a split personality or PTSD or brain damage … there are no obvious warning signs. Hindsight of course will reveal some form of tell that could’ve been the tip-off an astute professional could’ve noticed and with appropriate action, prevented an act of violence.
In 1968, Warner Brother’s Looney Toons & Merrie Melodys (not lifelike) were banned for excessive violence and racial stereotype portrayals. Those so called too violent Looney Toons were eventually replaced by truly lifelike video games such as Grand Theft Auto, Hitman, Assassin’s Creed, Resident Evil and Zombies for video games and the ever popular brain cell reducer, Sponge Bob Square Pants. Ironically, Looney Toons violence pales when compared to these modern addictions.
What of the relationship between authentic and very lifelike video games of death and destruction and the vulnerability of the devotees. If non-lifelike cartoons have a negative impression on our youth’s minds, then what effect do the bloody XXX rated violent video games have on the undeveloped minds of our youth?
I have a 13-year-old grandson who is an outstanding video game player addict. He can start a new game out of the box and within hours become bored with it because the challenge is gone. The more complicated the game, the more invested his being becomes. If he plays a game for over an hour, his mood becomes darker evidenced by the look in his eyes. If he continues playing, he becomes more and more intent, while his demeanor devolves into a less than pleasant person. His mother has to check on him periodically which will eventually mean forcing him to turn the game off and take a long break because experience has shown that if he stays on the game any longer than an hour, he morphs into a rude, aggressive and angry bird for a while. It takes an extended respite before anyone can talk to him without a hostile rejoinder.
Is there such a thing as brainwashing? Of course there is. For those who think there is no such thing, one should examine marketing and the propaganda associated with basic selling and marketing techniques. Professional marketers use multiple media and repetition to influence buying habits not unlike techniques used by cults that are seemingly harmless at first, but time proves quite the opposite.
We are not talking about the kind of mind control associated with jihadists aka radical Islamists and the terrorists of the mid-east. Every day people there are born into a society that exists purely at the whim of the dictator and on the backs of the citizens. Their type of mind control starts at birth and continues forever. We are aware of this type of threat and have determined “tells” that help to expose them. This is not about the radical terrorist groups.
Then there is the example of Pre-World War II Germany when that country needed a new leader to bring them out of the hyper-inflation and miserable life as a result of losing WWI in 1918. Life in post war Germany evolved from a feudal state to a Romanesque government still controlled by a titular head but with a parliament. Adolph Hitler convinced the people that he would bring change to the country. And he did. Prosperity came back to the country. Life was good … for a while.
In Germany, change brought a national police force, state controlled staples, education and the eradication of the church. Hitler became God, at least in his mind and his avid followers. The previous likable, hard working German could not reclaim their roots unless Der Führer approved. There was no pace for God in the Nazi world. This was not just separation of church and state. It was elimination.
Consequently, that new leader created a new society that was a complete turn-around from the past. Gone were the ruling aristocracy and the limitless wealth of the leaders. There was a new sheriff in town, a corrupt sheriff.
With respect for the second amendment and a look toward recognizing signs of danger from unlikely places and/or suspects and referencing that aforementioned “tell;” aberrant behavior is not a learned characteristic. Psychologists from the early 1900s to (Sigmund Freud) to later in the 1960s, William McDougall (Advanced Social Psychology, Tesser, p. 384-389), indicate simply that anti-social and aggressive behavior is genetic. I infer that means that the Columbine school shooters were introverted loners and likely came from family who had the same pathology. Moreover, the two shooters were video game enthusiasts (Columbine) who were stimulated to take fantasy and make it real.
Assuming Freud & McDougal’s posits to be credible assumptions; doesn’t it suggest a societal change in the rules of patient/doctor or medical privacy laws? Shouldn’t there be an ethical and moral obligation for the proper authorities to be brought into the fold … HIPPA laws notwithstanding.
According to the news, the evil that hit Newtown got at least one weapon from his mother. Using Freud’s theory, one could assume either mom or dad had been diagnosed with some form of psychological dysfunction and mom/dad before, etc.?
An interesting excerpt from Freud’s theory (Advanced Social Psychology, Tesser, p. 384-389), where he linked aggression to his revised construct of the death wish: “The death wish leads ultimately to self-destructive action. However, if the person expresses anger and aggression toward other people, the consequences of the death wish may be turned away from the self” and aimed at innocents. Suicide would likely follow.
This brings us back to the controversy about gun control. There are two distinct schools of thought that pretty much everyone stands behind. Basically, you are either for gun control or no gun control. Taking into consideration the Freudian theory, people who fit the Columbine shooters profile are not the routine bad boys with a criminal record. One of them was 18 and could have purchased a weapon legally thereby slipping past any attempt to keep weapons out of their hands by law. This would be a classic case of exception. Same could be said for the Aurora, Colorado theatre shooter.
What does all this mean? Is there a correlation between diminishing belief systems, and zero consequences? Do I think gun control by our government is the answer to stop the Newtown shootings? No. I think if anything can get worse, it will if the Feds are making the rules. I do think there are more than options.
First and foremost, bring God back into our society and stop dancing to the tune of an incredibly small group of atheists and ill-behaved politicians.
Second is to bring back a world where students actually learn from a teacher and earn an “F” receive an “F.” That’s called accountability. Actions that are counter to the society in which we live should have consequences. Consequences should be the norm instead of the exception.
Third, reclaim our education system to include grades earned versus grades awarded. Let good teachers teach and keep the federal government out of our backyard. As an extra added comment, do not let unions take control of our education. You think the federal government causes problems, with until you see wait unions can do.
These are thought provoking insights on what has changed in America during the last 30-40 years along with the revolution in technology.
In the 50's through the early 90's, the major Networks [CBS, NBC, ABC] dominated the televised media. They strictly policed the content of both their own shows and that of their advertisers for bad language, sex and violence.
The classic example is Jack Paar; he was the ancient precursor to late night talk show hosts. He was fired for saying "Water Closet". Everyone, myself included, would laugh at this today.
One only has to watch the Turner Classic Movies and the old TV shows to see the significant changes with regard to portraying God, the Family, society, Good and Evil, The Bible, violence, and sex.
Today's world is no less violent than that of Genghis Khan, but all forms of media and entertainment try to outdo each other in depicting the grisly realism.
These "old" movies and shows are visual/verbal benchmarks which are frozen in time. Compare the differences to see the sharp changes in the mores that at projected onto society.
Today, God, the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule are consigned to the garbage dump. Each has been ripped out of the classroom, and off of government buildings in the name of political correctness.
When Cable TV fragmented the viewing habits and ratings. Competitive pressures from cable TV, obliterated the previously tightly held network standards.
Sex, bad language, violence, killings, blood and gore reign supreme in nearly all media. Each new show/program/movie tries to outdo the other. Each raises the bar for what is to follow.
The printed media has always said that bad news sells papers. This truism applies to all media. In a recent interview with a CNN executive, he said that bad News increases viewership and ratings. Just Watch the nightly news across all channels.
The same appears to apply to advertising.
In the past, Advertiser's used to have to carefully document every claim.
History shows that politics has always be vicious and that the media is biased. However, today's political ads can air overt lies without substantiation. President Obama even admitted that his campaign ads contained lies and negative statements in a televised interview. No one raised a challenge. No ad was pulled.
The sad fact is that this is not isolated to one party or the other.
And the media will no longer police what is paid for even though they can readily fact check the truth.
Video games are the "new movies" for young. They are influencing young minds with greater impact than our churches ever could. They are the new reality.
If a family does attend church, how does 1-3 hours a week come even close to PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCE of the emotional intensity of a violent video game?
When will the industry, set stricter standards? Probably never. They dismissed VP Biden.
No wonder that today's parents are overwhelmed by the competing forces that are breaking down their ability to influence and to guide their children.
So coming full circle, all forms of the "collective media" must bear a not too small part in influencing the transformation of the attitudes and mores of all levels of American Society and Culture.
As expected, the collective media will never admit to their share of the blame; rather, they quickly jump to point the finger of blame elsewhere. However, the cumulative impact of their own footprints tell a different story. They are the problem.
Paul B.
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