The Republican Convention and the Politics of Emotion

[DrSmellThis]

I'm skeptical about this characterization of Kerry to say the least. I'd like to look at

the "top ten" examples of Kerry's indecisiveness -- if there are ten important ones -- in detail, considering the

context in full; to see how many of them -- if any -- really represent "indecisive flip flopping"; versus

merely refusing to look at things in a simplistic, black and white manner. As you said, wisdom looks at all sides of

an issue, and goes on information it has available to it at the time.

Must we demand all our leaders be fools?!

Too much of this country is allowing it's thinking to be formed by prejudice, fundamentalism, and the classic

stinkin' thinkin' of substance abuse recovery (and sudden conversion to charismatic, evangelical religiosity, like

Bush also experienced), all of which rely on simplistic, black and white thinking to a dangerous degree.

This

has been one of my pet peeves for a while as a psychologist. In fact, one of the most destructive forces in all the

world right now is this meta-idea -- an idea behind ideas -- that the world is nothing but clear examples

true/false, good/bad and right/wrong! It's a thought disorder, and a world-wide epidemic. Though in reality this is

as much of an "evil in need of renouncing" as any "evil", we tend to admire those who think in this way --

when they tell us they know The True and The Right, and are fighting for it.
How could we? It is an extremely

seductive from of wish fulfillment, enabling our addiction to this artificially soothing form of sick thinking.



It is also classic Carl Rove to take someone's strength, in this case thoughtfulness and

circumspection (characteristics of wisdom), and recast it as a weakness -- "flip-flopping". He uses that

deadly weapon in every campaign. (He's doing the same thing with Kerry's war record.) Most of our country is

swallowing it, hook, line and sinker.

How can Rove get away with this?

It is a blatant manipulation of our

lust for artificial mental and emotional comfort. How many people think about thinking enough to recognize

this malaise in themselves and fight it off? One out of a hundred?? If so, 99 out of 100, whether conservative or

liberal, would be fundamentally defenseless against Rove and company. And if so, even liberal leaning folk would be

buying into the flip-flopping BS and criticising their own man for it. But isn't that precisely what we are

observing? It's sad.

In fact, letting go of black and white thinking is one of the most stress-reducing and

healthy things somebody can do. I've personally experienced this enormous relief to some extent as a recovering,

former religious-Republican. If everyone did it, no war would be psychologically possible. Pragmatic

diplomacy would reign. And true peace on Earth would be within our reach.