What is the mind set of Evil?

[wcepler]

Can there be any human being on the planet Earth for whom it is not heart breakingly obvious that United States of America is now in the grip of absolute evil?

Giving Evil a name, like fascism, or George Bush, or the Republican Party, and perhaps most of all, the abomination of Nazism (i.e., the police force of the vampire rich) doesn't help much.

The question is what is the "geography" of this Heart of Darkness? What's "going on" in there? What makes the elites and Nazis tick?

And let's not settle for mere political logistics, such as our dem/pug ONE party system that puppet dances only for the Greek God like elites.

The sad, sad truth is that the great majority of Americans no longer have political representation. Dick Cheney, with one decision, has more influence and power than the DNC, the DLC, and the RNC combined. In short, we have been reduced to a literal dictatorship. Our Democratic Republic has been replaced with a Nazi Police State.

But again, let's return the focus to the black mystery of why Nazis ARE Nazis, or why George Bush IS George Bush, or why Republicans ARE Republicans.

The names are paper bullets. We need insight into the spiritual/philosophical/psychological dynamics of human evil.

Certainly such questions have been "answered" before, but all too often only by old men in dresses (theologians); however, the raw misery of our lives demands that we rip these questions away from the recycled babble of establishment religion, which is even more terrified of sex than it is of death, so let's demote these foppish theologians to the trash heap of Existential pap.

Surely, the number one explanation of human evil is raw fear. Life IS fearful, but when your fear of life passes a certain point, you turn into a Republican. And surely, the fear/violence interface is equally obvious. The more your neighbors are in the grip of fear (of whatever!) is the more you would do well to tread carefully around such ticking bombs.

The Palestinian/Israeli horror show is NOTHING BUT FEAR. Fear that your (woo! woo!) religion might not be a hot line to God after all, so "extreme measures" must be taken to guarantee that your core religious beliefs (and we should never forget that a "belief" is never a certainty) are never challenged. And if that takes genocide, so be it. Murder in the name of God has virtually been the favorite game of the human race since the beginning of recorded history anyway.

The thing about evil is that it's too abstract, too "theological", but gut wrenching fear, now that's something else, and there's something terribly plausible about thinking that "evil people" are in essence "fear of life" people.

Take the elites (God knows I don't want them!). Here too, fear is God. They are TERRIFIED that their Greek God like lives are going to be taken away from them. They see all the rest of us "Have Not's" and middle and lower classes out here working and struggling and, yes, dying, so they rush back into their mansions and kiss their money. They think their astronomical wealth will somehow permit them to one up life. Hell, probably most of the vampire elites think they're never going to die. Money talks and surely even the Grim Reaper "has a price". And on and on with psychosis after psychosis. In short, they think MONEY WILL SAVE THEM FROM LIFE, so they try to buy away their fear of life.

But, behind it all is still fear, fear, and more fear, because on some level they really KNOW that their literal mountains of gold will not protect them from death or growing older or getting cancer (even elites die of cancer), and on and on and on.

But money "seems" to protect us from life, just as establishment religion (for which we righteously mass murder) "seems" to protect us from life, but for human grown ups, seeming is only seeming. We know better, so we don't sell our souls for astronomical wealth (which is basically obtained by starting and maintaining money cow wars), or for the blessings of some religious psycho who tells us the world is going to go "boom" in the next few weeks, BUT the true believers are going to be "lifted up" by a cherry picking god. And also that we will lock in after death paradise if only we manage to kill enough heathens, pagans, atheists, and homosexuals.

Fear goes with violence goes with hatred. Indeed, the essence of hatred is violence against anything which would take away our protection from life, e.g., money and religious fanaticism.

All this chaos is opposed to what? It's opposed to the mystery and ravishing beauty of Mother Nature. It's opposed to a life of compassion and humility, perhaps humility most of all, because only infinite arrogance commits murder in the name of God.

Middle East, are you listening?

Look, let's face it; it's difficult to rebut the bumper sticker that says, "Life is a bitch, and then you die," even though this is holy writ for the elites and Nazis because of their fear of life philosophy and religion. But for most of us mere humans, we bloody "make the best of things". We love our children, our planet, and our country and we DON'T base our lives in fear, fear, and more fear. We DON'T murder our fellow Earthlings in the name of God and we DON'T think we can solve the mystery of life with money.

Bush/Saudi Royal Family are you listening? Indeed, all you vampire greed families, "communities" and countries are you listening? Here's another way to put it. Follow the money to that one percent of the planet that owns and controls practically all of the wealth of wounded Mother Nature, and you'll find that fear of life core of the Heart of Darkness.

Let's take one last shot at this. Short term, the fear obsessed elites and religious fanatics don't have it so bad. Yeah, money can grease the existential wheels of life, and no mistake, BUT human existence is more than bank accounts and 70 IQ religious cults.

Ultimate realness is where we already and life without generosity and compassion is a barren spiritual concentration camp. And oh yes, everyone dies. All we have to do to see the REAL limitations of greed head reality is to walk out at night where we can see the stars, and the stars don't give a rat's derriere about your multi millions and multi billions. And they also aren’t “decoration” for your hot line to God religion of choice.

They just are. Like death.

And a middle western river at night when you hear a fish jumping is not a hell of fear.
**********************************************************************
W. Christopher Epler (Bill)

<http://theliberationofrealism.blogspot.com/>

[LakeSamish706]

1. That is absolutely awesome and mind altering.. ......

Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you for posting this.... I have book marked this and will send to everyone that I know... Beyond words is all that I can say.. So true...

[Lindsey]

2. Totally Awesome- Thank you! n/t

[wcepler]

5. It is truth that liberates, not the effort to be free.

Comments like this encourage me to keep writing. I (like most American now) am VERY busy most of the time. It's almost impossible now to keep our financial noses above water since most of our tax money is going to money cow Bush/Oil wars and "tax breaks" for the elites (made possible by back breaks for all the rest of us). Also, so many of the pieces set to internet sites treat only symptoms of symptoms of symptoms. But fear isn't a "symptom" -- it is the primary CAUSE of human worldly existence. And symbol shuffling accomplishes NOTHING . . . but perhaps if we pull back the curtains to see more deeply into the human soul (especially the soul of "evil") some psychic or spiritual transubstantiation will come DIRECTLY from the seeing. Jiddu Krishnamurti once said, "It is truth that liberates, not the effort to be free." We must keep the faith in this sublime possibility.

[tom_paine]

3. I believe I can point you to one of the answers you seek, Bill.

It is the first of my two links in my sigline. It connects to a book called "The Authoritarians" by Dr. Robert Altenmeyer.

I myself was turned on to it by reading John Dean and DU. It is a layman's version of two or more decades of scientific research into the field of why tyrants lead and why their followers always unquestioningly follow.

It explains why, far from being irrelevant, that the Bushies and Nazis are deeply and psychologically interconnected in a straight line that leads back through them both to tha madness of the Dark Ages, when EVERYONE EVERYWHERE lived under authoritarian rule (in it's primitive forms, feudal monarchy, dictatorship, and warlordism).

It explaisn to the 10th decimal place, as it were, why the Bushie to Nazi comparison is relevant and why the head-in-the-sand deniers are merely enabling the reenactment of humanioty's oldest story. A story so old it is embedded in our culture, in modern days as the Star Wars Trilogy, as we see the prequel fairly closely tracks the rise of Bush/Cheney and their old pal Dukoo Bin Laden.

As I said, an old story. One which we are in such denial about, that we can watch it display the truth of our current lives even as the same principles and dynamics are playing ut in front of our eyes.

Anyway, Bill, if you will take the time to read the realtively short e-book I am linking to, I believe you will find the time spent reading very worthwhile and very illuminating.

[wcepler]

4. thank you

Thank you. I will truly try to find time to do so -- and am looking forward to it.

Bill

[loudsue]

6. Since you posted that, I've been reading the online book.

That's pretty amazing! The guy nails it.

Thanks! :hi:

[wcepler]

8. wonderful internet sites

This what is so wonderful about online sites like DU and why we owe these folks who not only keep things organized for us, but who bear the brunt of the necessary financing. A million thanks to the DU angels. It's just so great that a response can network and network and network. Just these internet sites and the exponential networking my save our derrieres yet!

solidarity, Bill

[undergroundpanther]

7. one other side of evil, overlooked..

The banality of it, evil is stupid, it knows very few things,it is not curious or content, it makes or sometimes 'lets' others dirty their hands with the ugliness part of evil.

Take the example of Abu Gharib.Abu Gharib was a war crime permitted commanded and tolerated by the abusers of power in this Kakistracy.The higher ups to save themselves claimed it was all due to a few lower ranking soldiers that got out of hand.

We all know that was a big fat lie. But people chose to believe the lies in big enough numbers so the consequences for committing such an evil war crime never got up the 'chain of command' high enough to get at the real evil causes of this crime ,who are the top 1 percent biggest most sociopath and 'powerful' parasite families the OP spoke of.

But be aware there are many kinds of unethical cancers in human suits causing suffering..Likewise we must not ignore the other components like the inert kind off evil that does not even recognize it is DOING evil.. like the enablers,the bystanders,they all share the morally bankrupt fruits of the most evil,because they help it prevail with their omissions and their misplaced tolerance and pity..All the people who did not even bother to clamor at least a little to find the WHO and whys of the real truth of why America now commits torture and war crimes were evil.Evil in their aquiesence...of their own power,to get off the hook,ethically,with a handy dandy justification for the unspeakable.It happens so much these days it is truly vile.

The apathetic banality that "allowed" such crimes to occur had plenty of help because it is evil that asks we do nothing,we forget about it.A victim asks for us to get off our ass and help,a survivor asks we learn to not only recognize evil, but help fight evil and expose it's bullshit and atrocities and fight for a better way.

That is why victims have a hard road in an apathetic self absorbed narcissistic self oriented culture, because evil hates the truth of what evil is and does..It helps people find excuses to stay selfish and unconcerned and docile..And a culture of narcissism will excuse the abuses of the authoritarian,narcissist and psychopath personality.And it will fear vulnerability and blame victims to protect the dominant parasites..


The evil cancer hearted pigs who ordered the torture Abu Gharib could not have gotten away with it without the military over obedient,boot sucking I'm a bigger slave to my masters than you are,idiots without an inner locus of control where the conscience lives inside, bystanders who looked the other way and of course the uncaring, narcissistic selfish population that did nothing to push for the truth on Abu Gharib and countless other evil abuses of power so evil could prevail..AGAIN.
Evil like Dante's description of hell has many layers and when those layers of evil and apathy and lack of compassion for others become too much in control of power the dark ages return...
Here is a really good website about this stuff ..Ponerology

http://ponerology.blogspot.com/

We are not proposing a “theological” study, but rather a scientific study of what we can plainly call Evil. The problem is, our materialist scientific culture does not readily admit that evil actually exists, per se. The lack of such a science has cost humanity millions of lives and untold suffering.

[wcepler]

9. Dark Ages indeed.

Dark Ages in indeed, and I think we've reach of bottom level of Dante's Inferno. Will the internet be enough to save us? Here, at least, we can have town hall meetings within the collective human consciousness. I take at least a little comfort in thinking how many light years away we are not from what we could (or did) talk about on "liberal" sites even 2 or 3 years ago. If this EXPLOSION of ethical/rational rage continues to grow exponentially, then anything is possible, such as radical, apolitical hardball. What other options to we have. Establishment politics is just licking the boots of the vampire elites. But the elites aren't as "safe" as they think. Yes, they've got all the political fail safes in place to protect them forever -- but we can kick over that card table of suicidal obedience whenever we reach critical mass, and I think that is CLOSE. Watch the streets because that's where apolitical radical change will manifest first.

[undergroundpanther]

11. Believe me

I am watching....
I read the book you linked to Excellent!
Oh and another thing, Trauma inflicted on you at the right ages by an authoritarian tends to ruin your ability to trust in authority as righteous or good, I demand proof not in words but in behaviors.And that trust me I am good bullshit is something corrupted authority will talk about. If questioned authoritarians get defensive about their behaviors and demands for trust acting as if my not trusting them offends them, but their actions and beliefs will prove otherwise..they are dominator's.Not to be trusted .

For me I am very ,very, very wary of any person trying to dominate or control or manipulate me or a situation..I am involved in.

It's like oil and water.My middle finger gets used alot.

This trait has gotten me in a lot of shit over the years,but I don't care, fuck it. I have nothing to lose by tearing down an abuser of power. I have no face to save.

The shrinks are fascinated with me,because in certain situations before,I stood up and said no when nobody else did anything. Peer pressure did not freeze me, nor did authority. I said no,because I hate corrupt abusive dominator's with my whole heart simple as that.They tell me this trait of disobedience and hate of corrupted authority is rare when I say no in real life situations.

Whoop de doo. I have to do what I think is ethical as possible even if everyone around me acts paralyzed. I can smell a dominator's ill intents a mile away and If no one is seeing the danger I feel trapped so so I say NO! I haven't forgotten the power of saying, No I will not do THAT.So Fuck you..And I think this really gets social dominator's pissed and the fact I do not care what they think or say or what their posse says or does,has made my life more difficult,but shit I have nothing to lose.

PERSONALLY Trauma taught me that corrupted abuse of power/dominance and corrupted obedience inflicts wounds,personally. It is burned into my brain as a threat to my sanity or existence.

I guess was dominated and wounded at the right ages by particular pernicious assholes who typify the personalities outlined in the book link for a long while .Dominated badly enough to show me saying no to abusers of power and resisting it even when I was the only one was the only way I could save myself from trauma I knew could not survive..

My trust in the mechanics and systems of of power and the people who serve powerful people is broken.

I know the world is dangerous because it is. But not in danger from things right wingers fear for the most part. And the world is not dangerous to me all the time.Threats can be all in my head too,sometimes, or no big deal ,really if I think a second..So in this way I question my own motives and fears constantly for their validity but I do not want others to tell me what to fear or value.

So, to most people who meet me I am a freak or scary or something they cannot grok... There is no rest for me inside.For I know my words and my actions really do have effects on others and situations and if I want to help create a safer world I have to step up and be responsible for what I do and do not do..So in trying to help I must wonder if I will be making more harm and how.

An authority cannot take away my responsibility personally ,nor negate my inner locus of control, nor can my peers,unless I decide to give up,or trust appears where there is none, or I become afraid of what others say or think of me.


I was bullied from 1st grade until I dropped out of high school to get my GED. I was called a monster in many ways dragged through mud and made a pariah.Why?
I dunno?

But I found out the bullies wanted me erased as in every trace of who I am.I tried to conform once and I just could not do it.

The bullies and authoritarians in school were just like the dominator's who traumatized me earlier. So I don't give a flying fuck through a dough-nut of what anyone thinks of me anymore I can't afford to worry about it anymore. I admit it I am an asshole and a good person all at the same time. And knowing that, I better damn sure be careful of where my ass holiness is pointed if I want to not become like the dominator's and bullies who disenchanted me with life here. Eternal vigilance and all that..


My view on this world is not nice,maybe intolerable to some, might provoke some nasty cognitive dissonance or anxiety..But it's what I see. but I am also aware things here change constantly some times it is ok.And that is where my desire lies. Maybe someday things will change for the better.Maybe I can help it change sometimes and not harm people that are not causing more harm to see the causes of this suffering..By saying no when a no is most needed.

I can look at the times I stood up and defied social authority and peer pressures but at the same time,the next time my wits to remember to say no may not be as strong as they were than .I don't know.

[tomreedtoon]

10. Dissect "Life's a bitch, and then you die."

This was done by Steve Chandler, the inspirational speaker. He says that if you have that on your coffee cup, give that cup to someone you want to curse. I merely rephrase what he says.

"Life's a bitch"...life is hard, life is torture, life is unrewarding. You're starting with that base assumption? Then why is "and then you die" so bad? If life is bad, why is death so bad?

Perhaps they should change the slogan to "Life's a bitch...BUT then, you die! Call 1-800-Kevorkian."

It is a worship of death. It is an assumption that things can never improve. And interestingly enough, it is a position that a lot of people support here on DU...the ones who are getting their passports ready to abandon the "unsaveable" United States, the ones who urge us to load up on guns and ammo and freeze-dried food and want us to learn how to butcher human beings for food, the ones who urge us to strap sticks of TNT and a detonator on and to rush up to whoever we want to blame and become suicide bombers.

And yes, I admit that I have descended to those levels in some of my posts. Especially in bitter and angry moments. But at least I'm trying to improve. A lot of other people here don't want to.

When people voted for Franklin Roosevelt, they took joy in what they did. How many people are taking joy in supporting Democratic candidates...or for that matter their individual choices for a Democratic candidate? Why can't anybody feel joyous about this taking back of our nation?

Because we all believe that life's a bitch, and we will lose, and we might as well get a coil of rope and wander into the woods. And I'm sick of that attitude.

[greeneyedboy]

12. sociopaths and other amoral people are very efficient vectors for evil

& sociopaths--people who have no capacity for love, no conscience, no empathy--are about 4 per cent of the population. & sadly, many of them are too smart to get put in prison.

[wcepler]

13. counterattack

I agree. This goes all the way back to high school. In sports the terms that "played dirty" usually won, not because of strength or skill, but because fair minded people are easy to blindside. Eventually, there's nothing for it but to out attack your attackers. It has always been so, and NOW is the time to counterattack with rage and efficiency.