from: Security, Terror, and the Psychodynamics of Empire
by Stephen Soldz
February 07, 2004
The writer Tom Engelhardt did a quick analysis of President Bush's recent State of the Union speech. Here's what he found:
In the first half of the speech, the words "terror" or "terrorists" were used 14 times;
some form of "kill" ("killers," "killed," "killing") 10 times;
war 7 times; and that doesn't count the various stand-ins for war or warlike actions ("aggressive raids," "attack," "offensive," "patrols," "operations," "battle," "armored charges," "midnight raids," "on the offensive," and the slightly more opaque "pursuing a forward strategy of freedom in the Greater Middle East," a favorite phrase of our vice president as well);
"weapons" was used 8 times (usually in the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" or "of mass murder," or in one case in the extraordinarily convoluted phrase, "weapons of mass destruction-related program activities");
"threat" appeared 4 times,
"hunting" or "manhunt" 3 times;
"capture" 3 times; ditto "tracking";
"plotting" four times;
"danger" in some form four times including "ultimate danger";
some form of the word "violent" three times;
"thugs" twice;
some form of "enemy" 3 times.
This analysis suggests that the President and his speech writers think that talk of terror and danger would appeal to the millions of Americans whose votes are needed to reelect him this November. When we psychoanalysts hear someone talking and feeling repetitively about some perceived aspect of the outer world, we make the assumption that, whatever its external truth, this repetitive perception reflects something about that individual's inner world as well. Thus, consistent with the view of American superiority as having strong elements of narcissism, we might conclude that Americans are feeling overwhelmingly insecure and afraid.
The existence of an enemy out to destroy us leads people to believe we need a strong leader, an all-wise father-figure to protect us. Enter President Bush with his jump suit and cod piece. The President can take out his six-guns and get the Evil Ones "dead or alive".
As Tom Engelhardt's analysis of the State of the Union speech suggests, President Bush (ed: his speech writers and strategists, actually) is a master at increasing the sense of fear and insecurity, so as to activate this strict father model, with him as the indispensable father, of course. When this model is activated, the existence of a strong leader can make us feel safe. But if that leader is seen to have feet of clay, or worse, we may be left defenseless. Hence, we are likely to ignore scandal in times of perceived crisis in order to feel safe. To see the leader as weak, or a liar, or manipulator only increases the sense of danger.
When offered an external enemy, an other, to blame and fear, is it any wonder that many grab at the opportunity. An external enemy is far safer. Those Islamic terrorists who killed 3,000 of us are not the greatest threat the average person faces. But, those in charge talk of the terror from the other, THEM, those Islamic terrorists (or is it Saddam Hussein, the secular Baathist, oh well, it's THEM). In the dichotomized world view, if they are the bad ones, the repository of evil, we can be good. The shame and rage we feel do not have to be acknowledged. It's not because of my inadequacy as a worker, a spouse, or a parent that I feel afraid of what will happen or angry at "the way things are." At least the boss firing you isn't one of THEM, though the worker taking your job may well be. If we are angry and afraid for our children because their schools stink since the tax base that supported them has been eroded through the massive tax cuts for the rich, well, it's ok, because at least we're fighting THEM. And THEY will be after us forever. We psychoanalysts call this projection. We disown our own rage and attribute it to the other. We then do not consciously feel threatened by the rage and what it implies about us, as it is justified by the hostility of the other. It's ok to hate THEM, the ones who want to kill us.
Now we psychoanalysts have also discovered an extension of projection called projective identification. In projective identification, a person who has projected his or her hostile impulses onto another gets that other to act in ways that can be perceived as consistent with those projections. "See! They are out to get me! I was right to punch them in the face!" Thus, the U.S. defies the will of people in virtually all countries of the world and invades Iraq on a trumped-up pretext. As Iraqis resist occupation by the Shining City on a Hill, we feel, "See! They really are a danger! We can't leave now or they'll think we're weak, the murderous bastards." And so we show our love through Operation Iron Hammer. U.S. troops surround a village with barbed wire and demand that residents show an ID card, in English only of course -- "This fence is here for your protection," reads the sign posted in front of the barbed-wire fence. "Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot." -- and the commanding officer says: "This is an effort to protect the majority of the population, the people who want to get on with their lives." But we understand what THEY need: "You have to understand the Arab mind," Capt. Todd Brown, a company commander with the Fourth Infantry Division, said as he stood outside the gates of Abu Hishma. "The only thing they understand is force -- force, pride and saving face."
Or, as it was so succinctly put by Colonel Sassaman: "With a heavy dose of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people that we are here to help them."
entire article at:
zmag.org |
