Have you noticed how many of the participants in the drama unfolding in the Ukraine are suffering from mental illness? Have you noticed how this malady is spreading to the press corps and government officials of the lie, cheat, and steal parties on both sides (or all sides as the case may be). Have you noticed how the low-lifes of the Internet everywhere are coming out in droves to express bizarre theories and accusations to stir up the pot?
Most of this is driven by ingrained fear and loathing; a result of subtle and not-so-subtle programming by propagandists, organizations that promote some cause or another, religious institutions, and belief systems that have no basis in reality. But the whole business is being really accelerated by population pressure, and imbalances in the distribution of personal wealth, natural resources, and shrinking opportunities to improve the lot in life of people and/or the countries in which they reside.
In North America, when the Native Americans occupied the country, several hundred languages were spoken, and the tribes evolved a sign language based on gestures to communicate. When they wanted to take a break from killing each other over territorial disputes, women, and hunting grounds, they would sit down in a ‘Pow wow” to settle the disputes and engage in trade. I think what is needed now is for the parties to the Ukrainian dispute to gather and discuss things in a Pow wow, and the means of communication limited to sign language. In this way, the ‘truth’ of things would emerge, and positions would be clearly understandable. Rants and raves would be hard to engage in. While deceit would still be possible, it would be far more difficult.
But, this still doesn’t deal with the mental health problems. General Semantics can help in this situation. Things like Identification—reacting to a new situation as if it were an old and unchanging one, would become more apparent. The Institute of General Semantics has published a single page of ‘guiding principles’ to enable the unenlightened to take advantage of its basic tenants without having an in-depth knowledge of the discipline. You can find this easy to read and understand synopsis here: http://www.generalsemantics.org/the-general-semantics-learning-center/overview-of-general-semantics/important-terms/
The other issues of mental health are more profound and result from years of conditioning starting in earliest childhood by one’s parents and preachers. This type of damage will be hard to unravel without years of specialized therapy, including the use of presently banned psychoactive drugs such as Ayahuasca. It will be important for all involved in the debacle to realize that much of the rhetoric and bizarre behaviors of the combatants and ‘interested parties’ are a direct result of preconditioning and reflexive reactions. A big sign should be suspended over the Pow wow conference table that states, “One in three of you is irretrievably deranged, twisted, and in dire need of therapy”.
The Powwow by Allen Eckman
