Russia's irrestible attraction to the megalomaniac

Russian’s recognize megalomaniacs. Megalomaniacs are drawn to Russian like a moth to a flame. Napoleon, Hitler and many others allowed the magnetism of the great nation to overwhelm their better sense, and marched to their doom.

Today Russia senses another megalomaniac prowling its borders like a hungry wolf scouting a herd of sheep. The latest predator is following the pattern of the last one. Hitler took over Czechoslovakia just as the new threat took control of Afghanistan. Hitler invaded Poland on the premise of a preemptive strike just as the new megalomaniac justified his invasion of Iraq. Hitler invaded France. The new predator plans to invade Iran. Then Hitler invaded Russia.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is preparing for the looming threat. He dissolved his government on Sept. 12, most likely to put trusted lieutenants in the highest government positions in this latest time of crisis. Russia announced that it has tested the “Father of all bombs.” It is a “vacuum” bomb with a destructive power greater than a nuclear weapon. It is a match for the “Mother of all bombs” produced recently by the U.S.

George Bush ignited the new cold war. Like his predecessors, he lacks the good sense to stop before it becomes a hot war. Will the FOAB dominate the MOAB? Will there be anyone left to judge?

Global Sense and Tribal Sense

Just when we think the world has become civilized, savages commit atrocities proving that our primitive natures still dominate most of us.

Several authors have addressed this problem recently. John Dean wrote Conservatives without Conscience. Thomas Frank wrote What’s the matter with Kansas? Judah Freed wrote Global Sense. Freed’s studies range from the chemistry of the brain to human social behavior. He concludes that a very small percentage of people rise above the primitive behaviors preprogrammed into us when we are born. Those who advance display an ability to understand and follow universal values. He calls that state of human achievement “Global Sense.” The condition of those who fail to rise to that level could be called “Tribal Sense.”

Freed derives his term “Global Sense” from an alteration of Common Sense written by Thomas Paine in the 18th Century. Freed is highly inspired by Paine and the book centers around the famous Paine pamphlet.

Freed estimates that only 15% of Americans rise to the level of Global Sense. I had estimated the number to be closer to eight percent based on those who opposed World War One, McCarthyism, Gulf War One and Gulf War Two.

Tribal Sense reflects the animal instinct to be part of a herd, pack, flock or tribe. It’s a survival instinct imprinted over millions of years of evolution. The characteristics include the desire to follow an alpha leader mindlessly and obediently. Tribal Sense is comfortable with dictatorship and distrusts democracy. Tribal Sense includes instincts such as “identification friend or foe,” “fight or flight,” “group loyalty” and “tendency to stampede.”

“Identification friend or foe” causes suspicion of anything alien to one’s herd. Suspicious behavior could be anything from a different color, different hair length or different movement or gestures. Tribal Sense has a strong racist tendency.

Fear plays a huge part in the Tribal Sense life. There is strength in numbers. There is a powerful urge to sacrifice individuals or oneself for the survival of the herd and the alpha leaders. Fear strengthens the herd bond. In times of fear, the herd has an urge to band together and stampede. Herd members will follow mindlessly in whichever direction the alpha chooses. Humans, when instilled with fear, real or imagined, also want to stampede. They are easily led in directions that do not serve their interests as Frank pointed out in What’s the matter with Kansas?

Tribal Sense desires routine. It opposes change. It wants to conserve things the way they are, or better yet, the way they were fifty years ago. Conservatives are comfortable with Tribal Sense.

The most powerful bond is the herd, flock, pack or tribe. Larger affiliations dilute the bond. Thus, conservatives are more loyal to their political party than they are to their nation. Conservatives will follow their party’s bidding even if it opposes national values. Conservatives are more likely to march in lock step and rubber stamp their party’s ideology and bidding. They claim to be patriotic and loyal to their nation, but they can’t serve two masters. What they call patriotism actually is jingoism. They feel a need to display patriotic symbols and spout patriotic words to try to compensate for their lack of real loyalty to their nation.

The transition from Tribal Sense to Global Sense is a quantum leap. Consequently, very few make it. A good example of a famous person who made the leap in a short period is Cindy Sheehan. The shock of her son’s death gave her the impetus to make the change precipitously. Usually five to ten years are needed to rise to Global Sense. Most of the time, some event or events discrediting the current structure are a necessary impetus.

Those with Global Sense see the world unobstructed from the top of the mountain. Those with Tribal Sense see the world from the obstructed viewpoint of the valley.

Of all the presidential candidates currently running for the 2008 presidential election, only one is at the Global Sense level. That is Dennis Kucinich. That makes him different to the 85% at the Tribal Sense level. Their instinct is to distrust him. He couldn't be elected even if the U.S. were a democracy.