Good Interview

We enjoyed our radio interview with Marshall Stern last Saturday, from Chicago WCPT 820 AM. Marshall made some impressive comments and analogies to further our discussion of the vulnerability of the Right.

When he described psychology's Extinction Theory, we agreed that it's a good parallel to the Death Struggle of hierarchy conservators. When we were describing the setting up of hierarchy conservators, Marshall offered a metaphor we ourselves have used for years – that of a martial art in which you take an opponent's energy that's coming toward you and use it to your advantage.

Marshall asked us to come back on his show, so follow his website to stream our talk from anywhere.
 

http://awakenedamerica.com/Awakened_America/Podcast/Podcast.html

Casey Martin Rides Again

There's lots of celebration here in Eugene, Oregon – as well as around the country – that golfer Casey Martin is back at the men's U.S. Open. Casey grew up in Eugene and is the University of Oregon men's golf coach.

We followed his legal challenge to the PGA for the right to use a golf cart under the American with Disabilities Act. Harriet attended the court hearings all day, every day, when the case was heard in Eugene, the first legal step before eventually being upheld by the Supreme Court.

The trial proved to be a wonderful activity for researching hierarchies. Perched on top of their hierarchy, the PGA lawyers and officials, all white men dressed alike in their similar lawyer suits, could not hear or understand much that Casey and his female lawyer were saying. The PGA acted as if they didn't have to listen, and they had the right to make the rules, no matter who suffered from them. Harriet best described the scene as ships passing in the night.

We wish you the best, Casey. You're a #1 hierarchy-buster!

Common Goals, Common Success

"For years, gay rights organizations and major civil rights organizations viewed each other warily. "

Now that's turning around, as the article below indicates, describing conversations among leaders in the Lesbian, gay, black, and Latina/o communities.

These alliances are another indication that a huge shift is happening now. When lower groups come together to weaken all hierarchies – using a common language and a common goal – then there will be nothing that the hierarchy-conservators can do to stop us.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/nyregion/black-leaders-and-gay-advocates-find-ways-to-march-in-step.html

Death Struggle More Obvious

Michael Fumento, a lifelong conservative who worked in the Reagan administration, is receiving considerable attention for his latest article. Last week when he wrote that he is breaking with the right describing the right-wing mass hysteria as what sociologists call a "moral panic" – the terror that comes "when society is undergoing a wrenching transformation." He also says that he is frequently dismayed and disgusted by the "mass-produced hate and rage" that passes for conservatism today.

Mr. Fumento is giving us a good description of the death struggle of radical hierarchy-conservators  whose death struggle is becoming increasingly obvious.

We believe that the result of our country's transformation out of hierarchies will bring us a much better country. Now more than ever, it's important that we all keep our hope alive.

http://www.salon.com/2012/05/24/my_break_with_the_extreme_right/

Michael Fumento is an attorney, author, journalist and former paratrooper who has written for National Review, The Weekly Standard, Commentary, The American Spectator, Human Events, Forbes, Forbes.com, Reason, Policy Review, The Spectator (London), The Sunday Times of London, The Wall Street Journal op-ed page and many other publications.

Wall Street Feels Steamrollered

When Obama recently enacted some modest regulations that affect Wall Street, the response was predictable of those on top of a hierarchy. Paul Krugman reports that that Wall Street is whining and trowing temper tantrums. He reports, "They're taking Obama's very mild criticism of financial excesses as a person insult."

From studying hierarchies, we know that people at the top take any challenges to their position very seriously. What appears as a small change to outsiders looks totally different to a person at the top, as they are used to doing what they want unchallenged, not having to consider the effects of their decisions on anyone else. Maintaining their hierarchy is a pressing priority.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-28/news/31877245_1_trade-deficits-productivity-fairy-tale

Bang Bang

According to Germany's Der Spiegel, German police shot only 85 bullets in all of 2011, a stark reminder that not every country is as gun-crazy as the United States. Out of those shots, 49 were warning shots, 36 were pointed at suspects.  This situation sounds much safer to us than what is "normal" in the U.S. where guns are supposed to make us safe.

The use of violence is one of the primary harmful behaviors that hold hierarchies together. The U.S. is well-known for our widespread use of guns  – just look at our movies!  Obviously, there are other ways than rampant gun use to enforce our laws. The incarceration rate in the U.S. is the highest in the world – 743 per 100,000. In Germany the rate is about 1/10 of the United States: 83 per 100,000.

http://theatlantic.tumblr.com/post/22838441946/german-police-used-only-85-bullets-against-people

And the Beat Goes On

Cher recently tweeted, "If ROMNEY gets elected I don't know if I can breathe same air as Him & his Right Wing Racist Homophobic Women Hating Tea Bagger Masters."

Cher later backtracked writing: "Sorry I Let The Dogs Out, But I Should Have Remembered I must watch what They Say These Days!"

Yes, there can be retaliation when taking on the top who is used to not being held accountable – especially when we are honest about them. The trick is to first establish that political conservatives fall into the umbrella frame of "conserving hierarchies," then the details like in Cher's tweet become obviously irrefutable.

And the list goes on – especially when it comes to radical Republicans and the individual hierarchies they create and support.