Current Scary Illusion, Dangerous Illusion:
See No Evil. And You Must Not Judge.
Call It The Collective Unconscious,
Mass Hysteria, Mass Hysteria.
It’s Political Correctness Gone Mad.

When I was a kid and read Superman comics, over and over evil Lex Luthur had a good side. As a grownup, I watched Star Wars - where the ultra evil Darth Vadar was finally revealed as with more than a spark of loving kindness in him - and he turned out to be the father of the hero who saved the universe. So, at least a bit of complexity.

But in life, there are some good guys you may not portray has having flaws in their treatment of the bad guys - and there are some groups whose flaws you may not point out.

So, a friend - a Jewish friend, in fact - noticed that, at a German museum giving the history of World War II, though every German wrong was chronicled, there was a major omission.

There was no mention of the 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 Germans who died after the war at the hands of the Allies (the victors). Often these Germans were treated like the Jews during World War II. These were mainly Germans living in what became the non-German East Block Communist countries (Czeckoslovakia, etc), countries that had been occupied by the Nazis. Now these people, who had lived there for centuries, were forced to leave.

A forced departure is one thing - unpleasant but not usually deadly. However, many were rounded into cattle cars with no food or water for days. The death toll, as already given: between 2 and 3 million people.

And while the Nazis meticulously chronicled the death of their victims, these people died as anonymously as possible. The Allies (the victors) certainly did not attract attention to these deaths. Nor did the Germans.

When my friend (he prefers anonymity) mentioned the omission, he was accused of being a Holocaust denier.

In other words, no space for this complexity, for the "good guys" having definite bad sides.

**

The same happened to John Fraser, the editor of of Saturday Night, at the time Canada's leading intellectual magazine. When he wrote positively about a book, Other Losses, about the 100,000 German soldiers who died after the war - or so it alleged - in prisoner of war camps (run by the victors, of course), he was charged with being a Holocaust denier.

As for the person who wrote the book, who was not a historian, he was charged with writing a book he had no business writing, as he lacked the proper academic qualifications. Plus of course he was charged with being a Holocaust denier.

**

I'm not saying the claims should be accepted without questioning. The most avid researcher I know, Vince Lombardo, went hunting and quickly found that the claims re the massive numbers of Germans who died during relocation were well substantiated. These happened in areas controlled by Stalin, one of the most ruthless dictators of the 20th century. As for the German prisoners of war, the figures he located in reliable sources were lower than those claimed in Other Losses - most likely around 20,000, definitely not over 50,000. These happened in American prisoner of war camps, far more dangerous places for German soldiers than British camps.

What is central here is that Vince did not mix checking the claims with calling those who made them Holocaust deniers - a charge which is used to silence exploration rather than to encourage research and accuracy.

**

I'll go on to things I write about - things that are not entirely positive about the Muslim religion, especially the massive amount of violence being done by Muslims often to other Muslims. The most common charge: I am being biased - as if any recognition of what Muslims are doing that is less than perfect is being biased.

Years ago, I wrote an article on counter-hostility, and how this may limit those caught in its grip. Counter-hostility: being female, black, gay, etc, and seeing outsiders as out to get you, as covertly prejudiced even if not overtly bigoted, etc.

It took a very long time to get the article published. It was turned down by magazines that were publishing - over and over - simple accounts of "they done me wrong" - they being men, whites, straights, the able-bodied, etc.

Of course, yes, there are millions of such wrongs.

But what about counter-hostility? - it's quite something dangerous, as I've found out. It's also something one can get past, if one recognizes it (rather than, for example, seeing it a totally justified and healthy permanent state).

Somehow that complexity - the existence and dangers of couner-hostility - did not sit well with those deciding what to publish and what to exclude.

As for the magazine that did eventually take it, I was told they only did so after a lengthy internal debate.

**

Then there are other cut-offs, mental blinkers millions in the West live with: the blinkers of all-religions-are-equal, all-cultures-are-equal, all-religions-are-equal. As people what they mean by equal, and they often don't have a clue.

For me, when someone quickly cuts off enquiry, this indicates - not that they are just trying to keep Holocaust deniers and other bigots in check - but that they are cutting off where there could be very fruitful investigation.

We pride ourselves on freedom of thought being encouraged in the West. And yes, there is a huge distance between being called a bigot or Holocaust denier - and the massive lack of freedom of expression that exists in many other countries.

That pride is fine - but often we block at allowing ourselves and others to think even more freely, to experience and express even wider aspects of reality.

To block seeing - that is like telling women they may not be fearful of any man, they may not trust their impulses. Of course, they may be wrong. But if we suppress our impulses we are cutting off from being able to go further.

My experience with research is that, when I go one step, do one thing, more and more doors open, more and more questions appear to me.

Quite the opposite of closing the doors to complexity.

**

It's a scary illusion, a dangerous illusion that blocks out portions of reality. You can call it the cllective unconscious, mass hysteria, or political correctness gone mad. Important: to stop it, and also to understand where it might come from..

signed,
Elsa

June 16 , 2010
copyright © Elsa Schieder 2010, 2011 - all rights reserved

P.S. More thoughts, further things to explore, more complexities:

* If we hold with what we perceive, rather than allowing ourselves to be silenced, we'are likely to be seen as prejudiced/bigoted (rather than that those calling us these names are prejudiced against us), precisely because we refuse to pre-judge and instead are seeing what we are not supposed to see.

* Also, if we hold to what we perceive, we are likely to stir up the anger of others, and some people may even be ashamed of us (especially because they may fear that they too will be called a racist or Holocaust denier).

* So we may be seen as controversial precisely because we are stirring things inside other people - not because there is anything inherently inflammatory in what we are saying.

Current Scary Illusion, Dangerous Illusion: See No Evil.
Call It The Collective Unconscious, Mass Hysteria, Mass Hysteria.
It’s Political Correctness Gone Mad.

Click here for WHY this dangerous scary illusion is flourishing -
Western Blocks - The Enemy Within.

Click here for more on this dangerous scary illusion -
Political Correctness and Collective Guilt Feelings.

* *

I respect your privacy.
I will never sell, rent or trade your email address.
Elsa

or click here for
3 more good reasons
to subscibe to updates

even more reasons ...
inner magic releaseed,
from stuck in a bottle
to developing your potential
and creative development

 

***SOCIALIZEIT***

more ...

top of page

 

Current Scary Illusion, Dangerous Illusion: See No Evil.
Call It The Collective Unconscious, Mass Hysteria, Mass Hysteria.
It’s Political Correctness Gone Mad.

SCARY ILLUSION, DANGEROUS ILLUSION,
TROUBLING PARTS OF THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS,
MASS HYSTERIA, MASS HYSTERIA

The Idea Emporium on
a Current Dangerous and Scary Illusion

If we do not see something, we cannot protect ourself from it.
That is dangerous. You can call it political correctness gone mad.
But the words are not what matters.

What matters is that it's a scary illusion - not that those who believe it are scared -
but that we should be afraid of the illuision. We don't know what we are doing,
where we are heading if we hold on to this illusion. Quite some dangerous scary illusion.

Time to deal with this part of the collective unconscious.


Elsa
June 17 , 2010

copyright © Elsa Schieder 2010, 2011 - all rights reserved

SCARY ILLUSION, DANGEROUS ILLUSION,
TROUBLING PARTS OF THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS,
MASS HYSTERIA, MASS HYSTERIA

 

top of page

 

 

Elsa's Adventures in Internet Land

______________________________________________________________

home      about      site map      privacy policy      terms of use      contact
______________________________________________________________

design, site construction - Elsa Schieder
copyright © Elsa Schieder, 2006-2015 - all rights reserved
copyright © elsas-word-story-image-idea-music-emporium.com, 2006-2015 -
all rights reserved

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT
Elsa

______________________________________________________________