Avatar and Freud
by: Eli Zaretsky on January 3rd, 2010 | 14 Comments »
What are we to make of this strange tribe, the American? During the day, in their conscious minds, they actually believe that the 1000 military bases they have built throughout the world, the huge nuclear arsenal, the attempts to militarize space, the half million men and women in arms, the aircraft carriers, the drones, the nano-drones, and all the rest are there to “protect” them from the 1-2000 person ragtag band of al queda and affiliates. They cannot imagine any other way to deal with conflicts abroad except through expanding their military. They believe that people don’t like them because they are “free” and not because they are bullies. And they imagine that by hiring a good talker as their front man, no one will notice that their pugilistic culture has not changed.
Then they go to dark palaces, put on three-D glasses, allow themselves to sink into a fantasy state and witness the truth that is denied to them every day in their conscious public sphere. As if in a mirror denied, they there see themselves as the over-muscled, hulking, racially tinged, exploiters that they are, destroying nature, stomping underfoot people who are physically weaker than they are, people who fight back with bows and arrows, but are often spiritually superior. In the dark, they see the indisputable reason they have militarized large parts of the globe: to control resources, notably energy, and not in order to “protect” their own people.
Yet these same people whose conscious minds are so full of fantasy and delusion, but in whose unconscious minds the truth blares out so clearly and unmistakably, these are the same people who reject Freud – and for the same blind, technology-worshipping reasons that they feel gives them the right to exploit others. They are so sure of themselves, these delusionals; what are we to make of this strange tribe?
Eli, you may have this information but let me remind you. In the USA we have one stupid American born every ninety seconds.
Eli,
The behavior of the American animal is not difficult to ascertain. Merely look at their history: invasion and conquer by malcontents and avaricious escapees from their homelands, the decimation of the people and culture of the land invaded, the western hemisphere of the planet–with the intent of annihilation, not cooperation and sharing–or learning. Wars and pox laden blankets on forced removal, even the fearful misunderstanding of the results of their actions in the effort to save themselves and their culture by creating ghost dancing.
Chattel slavery form which there was-IS–no escape, even when the children of rape of mothers who were born nearly identical in physical form to the rapists, they were deemed inferior. Hows can one hate ones own “seed” so?
With the development of ever greater machine of warfare, Americans have forced their presence into every habitat on the planet–not still controlled by a European nation. Witness Hawaii, Philippines(sic), Vietnam–all the darker peoples of the planet. The only use of nuclear weapons, yet the denial of use of the technology for energy production by all but “friends.”
There is no mystery to why so many Americans are as they are. They are the individually and collectively unexamined products of their biology and environment, philosophy and practice. The surprise is in the minority who are able to identify themselves and the world more peaceably. Honest study of history, anthropology, social-psychology and the other social sciences can answer the question unequivocally.And, don’t forget economics.
Eli, this so speaks to my heart. I believe the mindset is best described as “willful blindness.” It can’t be us, it must be them.
Gerald, I don’t think Americans are necessarily born stupid, I believe they evolve into stupidity (sounds funny, I know). They just sort of give in to the incessant assault on their mentality which seems geared to cause them to become and remain sufficiently unaware of what is really going on around them, lest they object to or resist the machinations of the system. Because what you don’t know can hurt you-badly, back in the 60s I was telling people that the last thing, the very last thing, this country wanted was 30 million, well-educated, thinking Black folk. It was not long thereafter I had the most profound revelation: there was not a lot of joy over the prospect of 250 million, well-educated, thinking White folk, either.
Adele C., you are right and we evolve into stupidity. My concern is that Americans will blindly follow false prophets. Ninety-four percent of the MSM is controlled by conservatives. The MSM is not giving us correct information. INFORMATION IS POWER. If you give Americans correct information, they will make the right decisions.
The Bush family and the Cheney family are false prophets.
The Texas publishing companies want to rewrite history by removing Lincoln from the books as an example and replacing certain names with the names of Limbaugh, Beck, Ann Coulter, etc. Spewers of hate will receive more print time in our history books.
The neocons want to rewrite the New Testament of the Bible. Replace a liberal Jesus whose Sacred Heart is filled with love, mercy, and forgiveness and replace Him with a conservative Jesus. Will these neocons commit blasphemy and say that Jesus was not a loving, merciful, and a forgiving God???
The bullying American is an economic and social creation, not a militaristic one. The actual “passive-ggressive” “upper-class” American who lives breathes and walks the planet is far more dangerous than any blue collar straw man, when the normal run of our new plutocracy is able to afford a piece of paper almost unconnected to thought and philosophy, immersed in pseudo-science that is politically calculated, predictably out-comed, and favors rigid POVs instead of challenging them, not drenched in awe, wonder and the surprises of learning. The really ugly and vicious Americans are purveyors of turf and ego over accountability and responsibility, and thrive as social carnivores who are rewarded for being shallow,self-indulgent,supposedly “enlightenedly self-interested” but actually are incapable of altruism, accustomed to the trappings of a first world society even when those electronic trinkets are purchased from their disproportionate share of the nation’s wages that have raised a culture that makes the bottom half of the nation work two or three jobs to earn a living wage, makes women disposable as they age, values girls primarily or solely as hypersexualized, often surgically recreated, anorexic and immature Lolitas, values men for waht they can buy for their families. This kind of society is violent because it is vile and kills people for profit, not through jingoism, but for turf and ego and appetite. This is our America today, which sustains as role models individuals who are are hypercritical (of others) incurious about self, and unwilling to experience pain to actually grow in understanding, self-delusional, preening, self-absorbed egoists, whose lies to self and others prevent actual intimacy and engagement in altruistic love or successful long term partnering relationships.
These are not the patriotic Americans who sacrifice for their homeland;s security, to the best of their understanding and ability–these rotten to the core antitheses- to -menshes are the manipulative and spoiled ugly class conscious Americans being carried around in chairs on the backs of the working slobs (those often reviled sas simpletons who simply want to earn a living wage, marry the partner in life they love, and raise a few children who love thier country and their simple decency as much as they do.)
Now that black market crime has explodeed in USA along with drug use so prevelant it stymies connection, authenticity, and results in attachment disorders so prevalent we have become a judgemental hypocritical hyper-self-mythologizing pack of fools who cannot see the goodness in others lest it rob us or our trophy families from some possessions or social mobility of their own, we can see that social darwinism has made its way into the culture from those who sold out their own values to use their connections to to rise to the top and then tell themselves it is their unique abilities and bemoan the values of those who actually have values and make sacrifices for living them. The so-called stupid Americans who actually work like donkeys for a living and seeks entrtainment from a society that is corruptive and exploitive and then blames them for the sins of their handlers.
We have created a world in which competition in business and social class breeds wars so executives and corporations can become richer. We need to stop blaming those who mistakenly see America as a behomoth of blundering jingoistic fools. S/he is a plundered nation of absolutely ruthless global oligarchs andf their minyons in the sheeplike missdle class who acquiesce to wage war on their own brethren pure and simple for their self-important electronic toys, 45,000 kindergartens, monoply on jobs and colleges, and own bloodied dollars and their attendent global currency: power.
They of course are we: New and old elites that must have at least the passive support of many, many others. Willy nilly WE inherit not only the history but the fruits of genocide of indigenous peoples and rape of the earth here — and abroad, especially after WW II and our “inheritance” from Imperial Britain.
There is a point where the Marine protagonist of Avatar says something like We came with guns to make peace, which reminds me of Andrew Bacevich’s recent “Social Workers with Guns” essay in the London Review of Books. Ex-officer Bacevich is particularly good at understanding the military thinking embedded in the culture not only of oligarchs but their patriotic followers. That may be the uniquely American or Anglophone contribution, previously incarnated as Whiteboys Burden.
Altho I share the sentiment, my brain rejects the notion that even very smart progressives are a separate species. My remaining hope is with folks who work on how we think, simultaneously with elections, blockades etc. That “we” seems intractable becuase it includes not only Glen Beck, but the millions who listen to him.
Could make one ashamed to be a human being. (Israel can make me ashamed to be a Jew.). But what else can this painful weirdness of homo sapiens do? That is not a rhetorical question.
There is nothing wrong with being armed–with savvy, wit, humanity, intellect, street smarts, or a gun. some of the gentlest people that i know use, own collect or are sports enthusiasts of guns…and the majority of those who do dreadful things to others are those who abuse their authority, and decry weapons…and the whole we are us thing..yes we are a myriad of souls…but the we in me cannot afford to pay all my bills every month let alone put my kids into a kindergarten for 45,ooo $ dollars EACH a year.in fact after i got sick and defaulted on my ivy league student loans i could not rafford to have children, lety alone marry and bring that debt ibnto a relationship.
i think we can find common ground, but it will not be by blaming each other for what we think the otehr represents rather than what we witness or allowing the real bullies to rule the world and assume that those who wish to protect themselves, their familes and their nation are violent, when in fact a very sound deterrant to violence is for a just human to be armed and not allow him or herself to be victimized.Not preemtive attack, but limits on abusive behavior.
that is why the war in the persian Gulf was a just war and had very positive outcomes.the antithesis is war for Blackhawk and oil company hegemony and that is why AFghanistan’s broiling cauldron was put to simmer for seven years so we would need an inexhaustble supply of arms and security ops to enrich the right wing friends of the last plutocrat president. bvut Clinton was worse, he pretendd to be afriend to the poor and all the while he was pushing them into crime and criminal enterprise to survive, or rather to die young and live as a slave to drugs sex trades, and the ilk.
you know this new awareness of the brutality of poverty…from the rrich who were NOT ISNULATED by their wealth, the vulnerable noveau riches…they know that materialism and enforced poverty of expectations is the true violence, the depravity of not allowing a human being to have a productive life.America allowing a society of upper class dinkies to contain the bottom economic half of our nation as working poor while the top half moralizes about the failings of those who are comfortable protecting themselves in a world where human life is so cheap if you do not value your own you may be a dead victim for someone else’s “success” story of accumulating materialistic goals rather than a living protagonist in your own life. Where it is rarer and rarer to achieve a Life lived with values and dignity, in spite of the annhilation of validation of the worth of the “little” personna d the celebritization of people who achieve nothing but notoriety or “looking good” while living filthy.
i do not see any reason not to arm any first responders, social workers visiting nurses or the ilk…the thing is, we are targets in areas that no longer want us, even though they need us. if you want to see someone who has a gift for inhabiting the life of the sdisnefrnachised and making a difference by earning their trust by sharing their defenseless struggles against criminal violence, see Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark (i think itis Newark) –he is a bridgebuilder. He is wrong about guns and their relation to the prevention of violence , IMO , but he is straight as an arrow and a gifted and able leader.
It is interesting that while America is somewhat pugilistic, our name, America, is feminine, because of the ‘a’ ending like the Spanish amiga.
True to form – The rethugs selling the souls of there autistic-kids.
Delusional world – Thinking they do more good then harm – 1 in 250 –
then 1 in 110 – soon to be 1 in 50 – then 1 in 10 – then 1 in 1 – Then
the lab rats are no more – But living in there delusional world – they
don’t even know the truth when it walks up and slaps them right upside the head.
But thats fine – They say ingnorance is bliss – well soon we shall be reaping that bliss.
Then you here all of them yelling – Protecting Americans is most important – How many
dead americans to experimental drugs? Extermination policy’s? Forgien policy’s being adopted as
American policy’s? Millions homeless – from lying-cheating-bonkers – Yup those blissfull
rethugs – Really know how to protect there bottoms. MInd out of the gutters – thats bottom lines.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1001.blake.html
Gerald i tried following your link and it didn’t load, just the name of the article and author loaded. prhaps you can relink us?
anyway, there are many folks discussing the inetrrelatedness and competition-cooperation perspectives–a very fruitfuul discussion also. but i wanted to give a few examples rooted in eyewitness accounts of the type of economic bullying we have eben engaged in as we became a plutocracy. now for the definition of a plutocracy no one is better than Aristotle…for one brief moment i thought my finances had serendipitusly turned around sufficent for me to restore my library, but that was just a chimera.anyway, you can find the comments of Aristotle on plutocracy and democracy in his workswith the use of a little index exploration: to me they are still revelatory and a grave caution to enculturating citizen apathy,
During the 80s, as America began to tip from a democracy into plutocracy, i lived in NYC where my BF was the office manager and a kind of apprentice learner for an an investment banking firm (he also worked as a bookie–very educative on both counts). His yearly bonus from the firm in mid 1980s regularly exceeded my entire yearly salary as a social work administrator. Interestingly he was an extremely ethical accountant who moved over the eyars from one high levl positon to another at some of NYC’s top firms because of the financial finagling he was instructed to do…that is how he ended up at this small independent firm which mainlty bankrolled shopping plazas and housing developments and the ilk –there was a name for their niche in the market, but i cannot think of what it is, it had something to do with limited partnerships.
anyway…we had an active soicial life that was verty varied because of our divergent interests and work scope…our shared passion was motorcycling, collecting classic bikes and restoring them, and making our own beer (in the bathtub).this is all true btw.
anyway, he died of brain cancer at age 48–his ubiquitous useof the early cell phone models–the primary causative factor. but i digress
the major growth in ugle American excess and exploitive socially iredeemably hurtful personal ethos was dramatically obvious, since homelesssnes was becoming a social siege on the poor that left few families inaffected, the working class and those on fixed income were losing their homes in an epidemic of foreclosures and sales which exceeded anything we are seeing now but impacted those whose lives were not considered socially valuable enough for any interventions.
Main street was going down the tubes in thousands of cities and towns as these stupid mall development projects and other forms of economically based social engineering by the emerging uberrich went up across our land and emptied the small towns of thriving businesses like Co-op City emptying the Bronx .(Except without the racial scare flyers the white Bronx residents received under their doors by the mob connections of the real estate speculators developers to encourage them to move )
I remember going to a party where we were celebrating the purchase of a new home in Westchester County by another social worker adminstrator with whom i worked in foster care. At that time recent stats had been published that were compiled by COFCAA which detailed the horrifying fact that 40$ of the children in care were coming in not from parental neglect or abuse but from homelessness. The primary causes of homelessness were fire displacement (often intentional arsona s the Bronx burned for insurance money) and the rapid rise in rents that displaced families while SECTION 8 housing could not keep up.
Now mind you, many forms of trauma have a genrational impact on families. Fire, especially one in which family members are killed or injured, homelessness, and the endemic violence of most so-called shelters and foster care “homes” which then as now were very attractive to predators, and the trauma of the multiple placements of family and separated children necessitated because too many shelters did not accept children resulted in failed lives and human potential on a massive scale…then came the crack epidemic and AIDS epidemic and it was nightmarish, and violent beyond imagining.
So at this party, this gal begins to brag, with her husband, about how they kicked severaal section 89 families out of the house so they could buy it. That was ugly enough, because social work is blood money, we get our wages on the backs of human misery and suffering and we are meant to alleviate it, not to cause more by exploiting the poor, and if you don’t “get” that in your personal ethos you are far more violent to families that are most vulnerable than any occasional fool with a gun.
But anyway, before long, several other people at the party came over and swapped notes (i call them horror stories but they were proud) of the bargains they made on the backs of the poor.
i never went to another party with my colleagues there.
and i spoke up then and i also spoke up about the drugs they were imbibing at the party, which were illegal and addictive and which were funding criminal enterprise that also preys on the poor who we were engaged to serve, not exploit. this attitude ahsn’rt made me real popular in some circles. but i never was in my work to get a pat on the abck (mucha s i enjoyed thm when they came from those i respected and admired, of twhom there are many still of them)
but we need to rephrase and re assess our consciousness of from whence the violence comes.because we are clearly in error in a myriad of ways that need transcendent thinkingbeyond ideology and labels and sterotypes, HONESTY, and acountability, pockets of applied problem solving (Cory Booker is freaking brilliant at that–he has been so successful in attacking crime that he has received death threats from within the cartels) really we CAN each according to our own capacity help to mitigate violence and the crime and addictions which are its primary causes…but we have to look at the ways in which we contribute by profiteering and change our llives to reflect our values…or change our values to live ethical lives.
we need to stop blaming the straw men and women and look at the actual facts on the ground–the redistribution of wealth and how we have gleefully in some cases acquiesced to that without giving a darn or perhaps truly realizing the desperation and the violence it causes.
Perhaps, it would be better if American never existed, then the European Nazis could have been the world power or perhaps the USSR would have come out on top, yes the superior european culture would have won the day.
Gerald–we can focus on extremists that seek to polarize, or we can seek common ground and responsible approaches to education that don’t result in wholesale shifts from one ideology to another–if we had not thrown out civics training, if we did not respond to our desire to change the system dramatically overnight with textbooks that propelled an ideology that ws just as dramatically extreme to these folks who have become the counterwieght to its pull, if we had respct and dialogue and fewer so -called experts in soiety which has not profited mush from all their scholarly talk, because their acts simply put are far too foten ego driven, duisrespectful biased against those who differ, and generated for earning money or pushing an ideology not for enlightened learning and empowerment—then perhaps the backlash would not ahve been so great.
the article itself states that the reediting and restructure of the textbooks was the sigle biggest ideologogical shift in our nation’s history.
well i taught history and i say this:::instead of teaching kids to be cynical and untrusting in the second grade, we eneded to add to our heroic stories with archtypes of heroism from all different socio-economic groups–because that BUILDS on teh American story.
instead, too many textbooks adn writers wante to demystifyu and deconstruct and destroy it.
that is a very controversial thing to do to a young mind seeking for a philosphy of living–itnfor one assumes that kids are happier and better developed when they have no ehroes.
ALL of human history tells us and i include the East Texans in my operational definition of us–that that is not true.
it only helps to make kids lower their expectations for themselves and fear and be wary of others…and it shreds the idea that human beings can be fully developed and good…
well for many parents that is not what they want their kids to learn and what they learn they become.
the bigotry and other ilk that has no place in school teaching ….but it is necessary to understand that the pendulum swung so far it was teadching young white boys that white males were evil…now that’ is just stupid and wrong
we need to add to the lexicon of archetypal heroes and actors in the world, and help kids to absorb the rich tapestry of their untapped human potential and all the wonderful learning they can discover and be good people in an imperfect messy world…which needs heroes not celebrity junkies
Eli, my first thoughts on Avatar, which I have not yet seen but plan to.
Do you think white Americans watching this film are identifying with and rooting for the “bad guys”? I doubt it. Nor are we/they able to identify with the Na’vi, however much we may root for them. Rather, we identify with the characters who have been written precisely as vehicles for that identification: the good, liberal-rational whites who recognize the oppressiveness of the system within which they operate and side with the Other, against it. That is the common structure of political relations in liberal popular culture. (Another example: Schindler’s List.) That, it seems to me, is where to look to understand the psyche of the audience and the political significance of the film.
In this case the good guys are scientists who subvert the empire’s principle source of power (again, as commonly depicted) – i.e., advanced technology – and deploy it on behalf of the oppressed. So we, the good audience, get to identify with the wizardry of good science.
For the global (interstellar) corporation, technology serves the cause of greed; for the radicals, compassionate solidarity with the real earth people (who are of course exotically alien to us) and their threatened ecosystem. But the structure of the story conveys the ideological notion that the latter is truer to the essence of science and technology. How? Because it is the scientists themselves who are moved by their greater, more perceptive – more deeply scientific – rationality to betray the war machine.
What could be more comfortable for us than to identify ourselves with the champions of liberatory scientific rationalism? That is, in large part, the self-understanding of liberal American imperialism.
There is also a critique of science commonly found in popular culture, but 1) it is focused more on the alienating effect science and technology have on *us* – as its seduced victims, not its masters; and 2) it is as often as not bound up with a reactionary, anti-rationalist, romantic spiritualism. It would be interesting to explore the similarities/differences between that and the romantic spiritualism of Avatar and its magickal folk.