Contractionism and the fear response - International Social/Political

Man is just another social animal with a very pronounced contractive fear response to match his status as the dominant planetary species. Lesser mammals only display the social fear response in the presence of other animals. Man, however, is able to display this response in any circumstance, including reactive responses to inanimate objects such as texts and other culturally invested objects.

A recent radio report of a religionist describing a multitude of behavioural prescriptions and prohibitions actually prompted the writing of this short paper. My experience only extended to standard terrorising (socialisation) during my childhood, I somehow avoided additional terrorisation from religionists though I was bashed by a Methodist religious teacher for doing more work than required for one class – I had time while waiting for classmates to complete the assigned work so I proceeded to the next chapter. I received a closed fist bashing from an adult when I was 10 years old for excelling in my academic studies! Nevertheless, I found it fascinating to listen to this person, who was thoroughly convinced that another man’s fiction was his reality – astonishing!

Surely the anthropomorphic character of God/s gives the game away? Gods are depicted with human behaviours and very human failings, which betrays their very terrestrial origins. They are all too human regardless of their comic book ‘powers.’ No God is able to affect even a blade of grass let alone intervene in the affairs of men (or mice). If the world as we know it ends the causes will be natural phenomena and/or the disruptive influence of humankind on the planet.

It became extremely clear that the fear response of cowering beasts was active in the behaviour of this person, who rambled endlessly and with great alarm over the consequences of ignoring various food and other prohibitions – extraordinary!

It seems the primitive frightened beast that emerged from the forests and caves to become the dominant species continues to carry irrational, primitive, fear responses to this day. Aside from immediate physical danger the fear response is not only unnecessary but also a liability in today’s world.

A few astute individuals through the ages intuitively understood the needs of human social animals AND THE PRICE they were willing to pay for membership to the group. Today’s subservient, shit-eating populations bear testimony to our primitive past by accepting the largest disparities and inequities since the time of the Pharaohs.

The proposition that some humans are entitled to more than others would seem to be based on the pack animal FEAR RESPONSE – nothing more mysterious than that!

In Australia entire election campaigns are run on FEAR. The incumbent leader squeals incessantly on the dangers of allowing the ‘management’ of the economy to fall into inexperienced hands! Yet his track record borders on criminal mismanagement. Never before has Australia seen such huge disparities in wages and the distribution of wealth. Transnationals are engaged in the most rapacious exploitation the nation has ever experienced; hundreds of billions in wealth are extracted from the nation and virtually nothing is returned to the people or society. Some corporate CEOs receive salaries of $35m/year while other citizens receive less than $35K!

Many citizens are forced to enter into huge debt merely to cope with daily expenses. Historically, this ‘economy’ is the most unfair the nation has seen since convict days -- definitely nothing to skite about, yet the incumbent government constantly repeats the fear-laden line that somehow equity equates with catastrophe.

The real fear is of course the discovery of government incompetence and corruption in overseeing the most unfair economy the nation has ever known. However, the pack animal population continues to be manipulated by the same fears that plagued them in the dark forests of prehistory.

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