Here are few thoughts regarding this article and the Cold War, the GWOT, and the predicament we find ourselves in today—the fight for the soul of our country. (I kind of apologize for the analogy, but then I kind of don’t! I am an educator, not an historian, and it is easier for me to talk in a language I understand. Yes, analogies can b…
Here are few thoughts regarding this article and the Cold War, the GWOT, and the predicament we find ourselves in today—the fight for the soul of our country. (I kind of apologize for the analogy, but then I kind of don’t! I am an educator, not an historian, and it is easier for me to talk in a language I understand. Yes, analogies can be specious. And my lack of depth of knowledge of American history may make some of this wrong. But I think there is truth here. I’d love to hear others' thoughts on the matter!)
Thinking about America’s responses to these issues one might see differing ways of dealing with trauma (on a very macro level):
The Cold War found America hyper-vigilant, as international stress caused her to see danger everywhere, even within her borders in the form of the communist “Red Scare”. She splintered into different personalities—the republican “protector” whose aggressive policies worked internationally to grab a bigger slice of the world pie by creating a culture of Nationalism out of fear, and domestically, to uphold the Patriarchy; and the democratic idealist— the vulnerable core whose naivete caused her to be subjugated by her alter.
The GWOT, (also a huge international stressor ) after the Cold War found America deep in the throws of the Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn response. She started out fighting, but stress over time changed her coping strategy to Freeze—a numbness or dissociation that caused her to push the problem away—to stop engaging with it, to turn towards self-medicating herself with social media and reality TV. Thus the GWOT over time is ignored and ends without a whimper;
And now, in this era of Trump evil, America has dangerously capitulated—the Fawn response—losing its idealistic identity in an abused child’s compliance and eagerness to please the dictatorial fascist abuser.
There is a healthy core to America—the ideals of equality, the rule of law, and the American Dream that our country is based on. Yes, they have been poorly realized due to the White Patriarchy. But they are there, and we had been moving toward them, if slowly. America’s coping strategies to world stress have catapulted us backwards, and we must make up the ground.
We must foster America’s inner child, who is hurting and choosing strategies to cope that are causing her real damage. We must educate her, support her, and give her the strength to deal with her abuser so that she can become a healthy, thinking adult, capable of independent thought, compassion, and motivation that all allow her to move forward and show her beautiful character to the world.
Elie Wiesel said, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Applying this wisdom to our situation, the micro-level, healthy parts of America—the American citizens left with a moral compass—must not remain silent. If we do, the trauma responses will cause irreparable damage. America, as we know it, will die.
Let us stand up for what we know is right, showing America’s inner child that she does have the strength to stand up to the stress of the world, to fight with intelligence and tolerance, and to become a healthy, beautiful democracy.
And now—a call to action from a music educator—wanna the help cause?
Spread hope and courage, so that people can resist? Join my Musicians Against Hate Youtube Channel. Share the music—spread some hope! I hope you’ll join me, share the channel (especially with all your musician friends—bonus points if they’re famous!!) and help us take back the country from the haters.
Thanks for listening. Together we can resist—one song, one act at a time.
Here are few thoughts regarding this article and the Cold War, the GWOT, and the predicament we find ourselves in today—the fight for the soul of our country. (I kind of apologize for the analogy, but then I kind of don’t! I am an educator, not an historian, and it is easier for me to talk in a language I understand. Yes, analogies can be specious. And my lack of depth of knowledge of American history may make some of this wrong. But I think there is truth here. I’d love to hear others' thoughts on the matter!)
Thinking about America’s responses to these issues one might see differing ways of dealing with trauma (on a very macro level):
The Cold War found America hyper-vigilant, as international stress caused her to see danger everywhere, even within her borders in the form of the communist “Red Scare”. She splintered into different personalities—the republican “protector” whose aggressive policies worked internationally to grab a bigger slice of the world pie by creating a culture of Nationalism out of fear, and domestically, to uphold the Patriarchy; and the democratic idealist— the vulnerable core whose naivete caused her to be subjugated by her alter.
The GWOT, (also a huge international stressor ) after the Cold War found America deep in the throws of the Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn response. She started out fighting, but stress over time changed her coping strategy to Freeze—a numbness or dissociation that caused her to push the problem away—to stop engaging with it, to turn towards self-medicating herself with social media and reality TV. Thus the GWOT over time is ignored and ends without a whimper;
And now, in this era of Trump evil, America has dangerously capitulated—the Fawn response—losing its idealistic identity in an abused child’s compliance and eagerness to please the dictatorial fascist abuser.
There is a healthy core to America—the ideals of equality, the rule of law, and the American Dream that our country is based on. Yes, they have been poorly realized due to the White Patriarchy. But they are there, and we had been moving toward them, if slowly. America’s coping strategies to world stress have catapulted us backwards, and we must make up the ground.
We must foster America’s inner child, who is hurting and choosing strategies to cope that are causing her real damage. We must educate her, support her, and give her the strength to deal with her abuser so that she can become a healthy, thinking adult, capable of independent thought, compassion, and motivation that all allow her to move forward and show her beautiful character to the world.
Elie Wiesel said, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Applying this wisdom to our situation, the micro-level, healthy parts of America—the American citizens left with a moral compass—must not remain silent. If we do, the trauma responses will cause irreparable damage. America, as we know it, will die.
Let us stand up for what we know is right, showing America’s inner child that she does have the strength to stand up to the stress of the world, to fight with intelligence and tolerance, and to become a healthy, beautiful democracy.
And now—a call to action from a music educator—wanna the help cause?
https://youtu.be/PBeTMlebszY?si=qUid6uMZOm7gMPVv
Spread hope and courage, so that people can resist? Join my Musicians Against Hate Youtube Channel. Share the music—spread some hope! I hope you’ll join me, share the channel (especially with all your musician friends—bonus points if they’re famous!!) and help us take back the country from the haters.
Thanks for listening. Together we can resist—one song, one act at a time.