Rummaging in my folder, I spotted another article that is
too new-age for me, but nonetheless provides a good companion to the two prior
posts, especially the rather Buddhist one by Deepak Chopra.
It is Jalaja Bonheim's "Why We Love Trump” (2016). In
addition to discussing the causes and consequences of tribalism, she proposes a
potential cure that is somewhat far-out: the rise of a new collective global
consciousness that will eventually unite humanity in positive ways.
Her key concept is "tribal conditioning" — a
reactive way of thinking in our post-modern age that replicates the often
mean-spirited us–them thinking that took hold in ancient tribal ages long ago.
Her concept is quite similar to the "tribal epistemology" concept
featured as #2 on March 23 in this series.
She is so dismayed by people's reversions to tribalism that
she concludes that "Trump is … an embodiment of tribal conditioning at its
worst." Thus part of her solution is for people to learn not to react in
tribally conditioned ways.
Beyond that, she expresses a spiritual, even religious hope
that a collective global / planetary consciousness will finally emerge — one that
will enable people to coalesce and get along together far better than they do
now.
This may seem like a distant abstract stance to many
analysts and strategists. yet thousands and thousands (maybe more) people
harbor such hopes. Many may be found in new areas on the Left, living and
working in spaces apart from established systems, without getting caught up in
the malignant tribalism so prevalent in conventional society. Some new
formations are known as "neo-tribes", as I will relate in a future
post.
Moreover, a realistic strategic argument can be made that
some kind of global consciousness is emerging as a result of new information
technologies, and that it has implications for security and other kinds of
strategy. Arquilla and I fielded such an argument (1999, 2007) around a concept
we termed "noopolitik" (also "noospolitik"). We based the
term on the idea, fielded by Catholic theologian Teilhard de Chardin, that the
next phase of evolution would give be shaped by the emergence of a planetary
"noosphere" of ethical knowledge and information. In John's and my
view, this meant that realpolitik
based mainly on hard power would be superseded, or at least balanced, by noospolitik based mainly on soft power.
Other analysts / strategists have raised and reasoned about similar concepts.
In short, Bonheim's spiritual hope is a bit far-fetched but
not so far-out (or maybe it's vice versa?).
In any case, I am struck so far that many readings about
tribalism end up recommending ways to improve interpersonal relations, and/or
ways to foster global consciousness. Yet there are intermediate levels that, so
far, have been neglected by those who discuss malignant tribalisms.
Consider, for example, ideas about our needing a new social
compact, or social contract, or national covenant. As I've often argued from a
TIMN perspective, getting the tribal form right is essential for a healthy
society. The obvious elements are families and communities. Yet the bright side
of the tribal form is also found in social compacts, contracts, and covenants
that political philosophers and historians like to discuss. I need to make that
more clear for the sake of TIMN sometime…
Meanwhile, here's an excerpt from Bonheim:
"Today, I’d like to share a
concept that may help you understand the Trump phenomenon. I call it tribal
conditioning, and I discuss it at length in my recent book The Sacred Ego:
Making Peace with Ourselves and Our World.
"Tribal conditioning
encompasses a wide range of habits that evolved during the tribal era, yet
continue to govern how we think and relate today. Some of these habits still
serve us well, but many do not.
"The tribal era, we must
consider, lasted not just millennia but millions of years. Therefore tribal
conditioning is immensely powerful and compelling. It affects every one of us,
and the things it tells us to do, no matter how insane they might be, tend to
feel “right” in ways that have nothing to do with the rational mind. …
" … Quite simply, our
collective consciousness has not yet caught up with the changes that have so
fundamentally transformed our world.
That said, there’s no doubt that change is underway. We’ve become much more tolerant of differences and better able to feel a sense of solidarity with the greater planetary community. …
That said, there’s no doubt that change is underway. We’ve become much more tolerant of differences and better able to feel a sense of solidarity with the greater planetary community. …
"A new consciousness is
awakening that recognizes our oneness as a global community. More accurately, I
should say an old consciousness is blossoming in a much larger way than ever
before. Global consciousness is, after all, what Jesus was preaching two
thousand years ago. Yet in his times, the unitive awareness he stood for was
not a prerequisite for human survival. Today, it is.
"In response, the part of our
collective psyche that is governed by tribal conditioning is contracting
defensively, hardening and growing ever more fanatic, extreme, rigid and
self-righteous. This is why the expressions of tribal conditioning we see today
seem so outrageous, so over-the-top, so completely insane.
"It is this defensive, scared
part of the collective psyche that has fastened upon Trump as the savior. He is
the one who will defend the tribe against its enemies, who will restore
America’s greatness and put an end to the relentless dissolution of the
familiar. It is he who will uphold the boundaries that separate “us” from
“them. …
"Tribal conditioning puts a
straight-jacket on our hearts by telling us we must reserve our deepest love
for the members of our own tribe. For eons, we obeyed. Yet today, the human
heart is rising up in rebellion. More and more people are refusing to limit the
circle of their concern to a small minority. “Why,” they are asking, “should I
split humanity into ‘us’ and ‘them’? Are we not all brothers and sisters?” Even
as they honor their own tribe, nation and religion, they identify first and
foremost as citizens of planet Earth. Instead of heeding the fear-based
warnings of tribal conditioning, they are embracing love as their guide,
kindness as their foundational practice, and Mother Earth as their home. …
" … Trump is, in my view, an
embodiment of tribal conditioning at its worst. Yet here I was, grappling with
it within myself — not for the first and, I fear, not for the last time."
To read for yourself, go here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jalaja-bonheim/why-we-love-trump_b_9369840.html
[I posted an earlier write-up of this reading on my Facebook
page, on April 9.]
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