The myth of Adam and Eve describes the creation of the first man. Not only was woman created last, but she was created from Adam’s rib. Any literal interpretation of this text is certainly beyond even the simplest of minds. However, to believe that woman was created just to keep man company, being simply his humanized rib, suggests a somewhat inferior role for the female sex. It implies the superiority and dominance of the male.
A small error, in the beginning, leads to subsequent immense consequences.
One observes that throughout history and up to the present day, in many countries, women are required to be obedient to their male counterpart, with no protection by state laws or religious entities. In the more developed cultures, one observes continually lesser roles for women in all aspects of life: socio-economic, ecclesiastical, and political. It has been and still is, a long and hard journey for females to be successful in combating this error.
With the emerging expansion of human consciousness, the interaction of social media and immediate access to information, the harmful effects of age-old myths are being mitigated. “Common sense” socially accepted inequalities are brought to the light of day.
Another occasion of a small error in the beginning, leading to tragic consequences in the end, is the following: during World War II, the American and Canadian soldiers, many of whom sacrificed their lives, liberated the Italian people from the control of the fascist dictator Mussolini.
After the war, the dictatorial rule of fascists and Nazis no longer prevailed, and the possibility of a rising dictatorial regime was considered to be eliminated. The world ignored the fact that continual inequality and prejudice would breed a blind desire for change in growing masses experiencing injustice, even in the most democratic of nations.
A small error, in the beginning, leads to subsequent tragic consequences.
During the following years after World War II, the division between the haves and the have-nots has widened. Politics degenerated into power and control to maintain the status-quo. The doors opened for a leader to utilize the malcontent of many, promising prosperity, catering to the most insecure and angry of the population, and with no regard for factual truth. The emerging dictator would justify racial, religious and political violence as a tool for control and power. Masses of people are hood-winked into this fascist mentality.
American and Canadian soldiers of World War II, if living today, would feel that their sacrifices were in vain.
A dictator gets away with dirty, aggressive postures that his followers admire, and who remain blind to his persona. The self-delusion of his own persona is projected onto the angry masses, uninformed sycophants, and politicians seeking their own ends.
Some of the well-known characteristics of an emerging dictator are the following:
- A regression to protectionism and radical nationalism, resulting in trade wars and anti-immigration policies.
- The attaining of absolute power. “Obedience” to the leader disguised as “loyalty.”
- Attack on the free press, enabling one’s power and control to become unchallenged. “What is true is what I say.”
- Assault on the legal system, democratic institutions and the rule of law.
- Incarceration for critics of his policies.
- Paranoia regarding the international communication of embassies. Elimination of staff and reduction of embassies.
- Delusional self-image: “I alone can solve your problems.’
- Egoism and alienation. For example, signing documents with large, black strokes overshadowing the content of the printed materials, slandering opponents, etc.
- The consistent adherence to internal reference points and neglect or disdain toward external reference points – a narcissism sadly incapable of empathy, impeding constructive negotiations with other nations.
- Lies, distortions of the truth, and presenting events taken out of context.
After World War II, up to the present, the success of liberation had been taken for granted. The condoning of the abuse of that liberty has spawned the emergence of a Mussolini-type figure.
A benevolent dictator is hard to come by. The isolated popularism in a pluralistic nation with established, somewhat effective institutional structures, in spite of their short-comings, ultimately ends in failure. The failure of a supreme scam-artist with a delusional self-image.
A small error, in the beginning, leads to major consequences in the end.
After the American Revolution, the inhabitants of the South felt extremely insecure, now subject to Northern dominance. The second amendment assured the defeated South that they could retain their muskets, thus to some degree alleviating their insecurity.
This insecurity developed into fear and finally paranoia, framed into, “the government is trying to take away our individual liberty, our right to bear arms,” by the NRA. The right to bear arms soon became the right to possess assault rifles and any number of guns (one might believe that soon this would include flame-throwers and hand grenades).
Accepting a few dollars from the NRA progressed into major contributions of millions of dollars until finally, political entities became hostage to the NRA.
The paranoia continues. Angry men who have a propensity for using guns to intimidate, punish, or kill, obviously have a problem with affection and loving, intimate relationships. They, through their fear and dependency, are obsessed with the need to control and lack the capability of appreciating the depth and magnitude of love.
To distract from the common sense reality that assault-rifle availability is a serious problem, gun lobbyists direct the public’s attention to the inadequacy of mental health facilities, which do need improvement. However, even if improved, the problem remains, since gun addicts and the paranoid will not seek psychiatric help. In short, anyone who wants an assault rifle shouldn’t have one.
The Voice of the Plowman 