The most critical and meaningful adaptation which has occurred in the human species, was the division of the human mind into two compartments, the conscious and the subconscious.
I am suggesting that this was an involuntary adaptation that allowed human beings to simultaneously demonstrate and display a capacity for language, and, the intelligence to harness and utilize fire; as well as being capable of the unrelieved savagery and brutality that allowed the species to survive, and, eventually become dominant among groups of denizens physically much better suited to compete for existing energy resources in the sere and extreme conditions that together constituted the 'state of nature.'
The conclusion that this was an involuntary adaptation is based on data regarding the development of multiple personalities in contemporary human beings who experience, at an early age, sere and extreme conditions that we may speculate are similar in severity to those that were the experience of our primitive antecedents millions of years ago when this adaptation occurred.
To emphasize the importance of this adaptation and its impact on human existence, this dichotomy is the source of the ongoing conflict that is inaccurately and loosely described as being between good and evil; a conflict would be more accurately defined as being the dialectic between rational action informed by intelligence and limited by the dictates of conscience that originates in the conscious mind; and, irrational, emotional, impulsive, unmediated and unregulated by the higher mental processes behavior that originates in the subconscious compartment of the human psyche.
I am trying to focus attention on the fact that the division of the human psyche into two compartments creates a choice for every human being. Each individual can chose to be a thinking, civilized animal, or, a talking, uncivilized animal.
Each individual can chose to have his or her actions informed by intelligence and limited by the dictates of conscience; or, they can act irrationally, thoughtlessly and impulsively.
This circumstance, I suggest, is the source of the ambivalence and procrastination that attends the collective response to a threat as clear and potentially deadly as global warming.
There is one other critically important component to the examination of the dilatory and criminally irresponsible response to this issue, which is self interest.
There are powerful organizations whose profits would be reduced - if the urgent and very necessary steps were taken that would reduce carbon emissions to a degree where these emissions did not have the pernicious and pervasive impact of increasing surface temperatures and melting the polar ice caps.
These powerful organizations and governmental institutions that they have corrupted, are deeply committed to confusing and befuddling masses of human beings to create the ambivalence that will have the effect of retarding, laming and hampering efforts to combat the impact of global warming - solely to preserve their profits.
It is in this context that the actions of a layman functionary of the Bush Administration editing a report by scientists on the effects of global warming to dilute its impact, may be fully appreciated and understood.
But my intent in this essay is to communicate an appreciation of a much more fundamental and meaningful hypothesis, that the division of the human mind into two compartments created a near unlimited capacity for self delusion in human beings.
Furthermore, that this side effect of what was a very necessary and successful adaptation has been exploited from time immemorial to sustain and perpetuate a status quo redolent and replete with injustices, inequities and inequalities.
The only model available to our primitive ancestors on which to base social relations was the ubiquitous design of territorial predator and their hapless prey; as was coercion the only type of motivation that they had the wit or intelligence to apply; these two mutually reinforcing elements determined the intrinsic nature of human culture.
The design for existence of one actor in a social relationship giving his all to satisfy the needs of the other was deeply embedded and perennially surfaced and reappeared in every social organization and institution throughout human history; it was intrinsic to the attitudes that underpinned Absolutism, feudal societies and the institutions of serfdom and chattel slavery that caused these autocratic social systems to function.
But even as the vast majority of human beings became more and more habituated to existence under these authoritarian regimes, others discovered ethics and morality and these values had to be somehow incorporated into the overall scheme of social relationships.
Like the Bush Administration currently depends for its legitimacy on massive increments of spin and propaganda, human societies had to find the means to make the arbitrary, wanton and selfish abuses of absolute power palatable and acceptable to victims of this brutal regime.
For the most part, the notion that 'might was right' prevailed, those who dissented or objected were killed or maimed unless they accumulated sufficient force to overcome their tormentors; in which case they became the tormentors because they were also agents of coercion based culture.
It also became clear that human beings would tolerate and accept the most invidious and oppressive conditions- if they witnessed sufficient examples of the ultimate sanction being applied to create awareness that resistance was futile; and, if the powerful controlled the means to satisfy innate drives, to provide relief from food deprivation; or, to apply or withhold painful punishments such as scourging.
Coercion or its threat became the basis for societal functioning and order for the upwards of half a million years of human history until a few centuries ago when human beings began to attempt to construct governments of the people, by the people, for the people.
It is convenient and comforting to assume that the notion that 'might was right' and the social institutions and organizations based on this premise would be easily extinguished and expunged from the collective consciousness, as easily relinquished as was the experience when horses were replaced by automobiles as the popular mode of transportation.
It is convenient and comforting to assume that the culture learned during upwards of half a millions of its applicability and practice would prove as easily mutable as the physical landscape which made little real resistance but readily accommodated the rending and assaults of earth moving equipment to create foundations for the construction of lofty skyscrapers and other architectural wonders.
The inconvenient truth is that the anachronism that coercion based culture has become, has remained immutable in precept during the comparatively insignificant period of time that humanity has flirted and experimented with democratic ideals and values, it continues to be a monolithic, intractable, intangible, impermeable and immutable obstacle to human progress; indeed, its practice seems likely not only to be the major obstacle to the solution of problems like global warming but also threatens the continued existence of the species if the weapons of mass destruction we have devised are ever utilized.
This arises out a fundamental contradiction between the notion that might is right, and, the comparatively modern precept that right is might.
It should be clear that these concepts are diametrically opposed to each other, and, that there is no logical, smooth transition and progression possible from a social system based on the notion that might is right, to one in which right was might.
The tendency therefore has been to do what was easiest and convenient; and, moreover what was facilitated by the existence of the subconscious and pretend that this change somehow occurred, though no one could say exactly when; and, to extol and embrace the virtues of the values of justice, equity and equality in concept, even while continuing in precept to hew to the traditional means of creating societal order and functioning.
But all good things, and, all bad things must come to an end; and, this approach to social reality which manifested itself in a ever increasing difference between concept and precept, and, which lumbered the minds of human beings with a massive delusion, must perforce have a limited shelf life.
Its functionality must be severely limited by the destruction of problem solving capabilities inherent in this approach as well as by the development of a sophisticated technology created by a burgeoning scientific establishment freed from the limitations and restrictions imposed by the effects of repression.
In more simple and understandable language, this wholly irrational and illogical approach could only be relevant, meaningful and workable as long as the issues that arose could be suppressed and resolved by the application of force, it becomes obviously and demonstrably invalid and dysfunctional when confronted by issues of the magnitude and complexity of global warming and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
There is a massive, unavoidable, immutable contradiction in history that has produced the consummate irony and ultimate paradox for the human species, to survive human beings had to become predators capable of competing with other dangerous denizens in a physical environment in which no other mode of existence was possible.
Yet evolution if successful must eventually, inevitably produce a social, political and technological environment inimical to the survival of anyone with predatory attitudes and predilections, one in which such a mindset must eventually result in self destruction.
This contradiction must attend the development of any sentient species anywhere in the universe, and the survival of any such species in most cases must depend on the resolution of this dichotomy.
But resolution of this contradiction is made well nigh impossible because of the powerful tendency of culture, most particularly of culture practiced for currently unimaginable long periods, to perpetuate itself; which objective can only be accomplished by the creation of a massive delusion, given the fact that the concepts might is right, and, right is might are diametrically opposed to each other; and, this delusion must become the major obstacle to the resolution of this ultimate conundrum, resulting in the ultimate, unbreakable vicious circle.
A vicious circle in which I am trapped, in which it became inevitable that I would be trapped, once I made the decision to tell the truth whatever the consequences for myself or for others.
Because this is a hypothesis notwithstanding its validity and awesome utility which cannot be communicated to sufficient numbers of humanity to make a difference, because of this ubiquitous and pernicious delusion which can only be overcome by an individual voluntarily making the decision to tell the truth, and, finding the will and endurance to practice this discipline over an extended period.
The evidence seems to indicate that only a few human beings have been capable of this completing this journey of discovery in all of the history, in all of the all of the interminably long history, of the human species.
To overcome the momentum and sheer mass of cultural traditions would require that at least a bare majority in each social system complete this journey, a well nigh impossible requirement in light of the available evidence.
For me, there is no way to retrace my steps, to again embrace the ignorance and blindness that once was my lot.
I remember the first important discovery that was precipitated by my practicing the discipline of truth, I realized how stupid I had been to sexually neglect my young, healthy wife while engaging in affairs with younger women whom I perceived to be more attractive than my spouse.
I could have done both, I could have enjoyed the company of these women without neglecting my wife but for the ever increasing burden of guilt this duplicity occasioned, I had to justify my infidelities by finding fault with my wife which alienated and estranged me from her, and, caused me to sexually neglect her.
I had been the victim of a broken home during most of my childhood and adolescence, and, had sworn that I would never inflict the extreme pain, misery and suffering of this experience on my children, and, failed to make good on this promise because I sexually neglected my wife.
I could never return to a situation where I was oblivious of the possible consequences of my actions as I was then, I could never return to acting irrationally, selfishly and thoughtlessly as I did then.
That President Bush declared victory after a few American deaths is clear evidence that he continues to embrace the mindset produced by coercion based culture that causes us to be unaware of the possible consequences and implications of our actions, that causes us to not know what we are doing.
I cannot go back, neither can I go forward, because sufficient numbers of human beings are incapable of resolving the contradictions I have belatedly confronted, so it is very likely my species will continue to repeat the past, over, and over, and over, again.
I have to try to communicate what cannot be communicated despite the fact that this is very likely to be an exercise in futility.
I perennially am doomed to see what the vast majority of human beings are oblivious of, the fact that the economy is not the important issue in the upcoming Presidential elections, that the decline in education is.
Unless this decline in the education product is reversed there will be no one with the entrepreneurial skills, or the management skills, or the manufacturing, or refining, or processing skills to sustain economic growth in the future.
If this trend continues this generation will bequest to the next a nation that is poorer and weaker militarily; that has much decreased standing in the world community; that is burdened by a gigantic national debt; that it has not the intellectual skills or creativity to devise the means to repay that debt or to recapture the preeminent position that will have been irrevocably lost; because of the decline in the education product.
This is the most remarkably negative feature of life in America, that parents do not have the courage and will to educate their children; that they cannot find a way to pass on to the next generation the aptitudes and attitudes that would preserve this nation, and, hopefully one day create a true government of the people, by the people, for the people.
I was an observer, a resident alien in this nation until I witnessed the crime that was being perpetuated against the young of this nation when I witnessed it firsthand as I attended Broward Community College.
It was not only that students were not being educated, but even more invidiously, that they were morally destroyed by Instructors who were helping them to cheat so that the appearance could be created and sustained that they were being educated.
Even those students who had been prepared to take college courses could not escape this taint, because it was easier to cheat than do the hard work necessary to be educated; especially because they had so many competing demands on their time at that juncture in their lives, so most were dammed and travelled the road to perdition.
After witnessing this situation I have tried everything to convince Americans of the value of morality, that it is the bridge between fact and function, and have failed miserably.
But this election may be the last chance to save America, to avoid the tipping point in global warming, to avoid the tipping point in the economy, and, most of all to avoid the tipping point in morality.
It is time for a change, it is time for a bare majority of Americans to demonstrate that they are capable of becoming moral beings.
Copyright Retained, All Rights Reserved
William E. Virtue
P O Box 161847 Altamonte Springs, Florida
954-850-1498
