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Bush and the 'Pathology of Normalcy'

opinion by Donald R. Torrence, contributor

Eric Fromm in his book, The Sane Society, traces the development of capitalism and a belief system that perpetuates exploitive activities. Fromm found that our socio-economic system distorted reality and fostered what he referred to as a "pathology of normalcy." Humankind's true nature is distorted and the innate proclivity to love, to foster community, and to cooperated with others is perverted by an ethos that sanctifies individualism, acquisitiveness, and competition. This new world order alienates us from ourselves, from others, and from nature.

The policies of our oil-soaked president and his cohorts, in their efforts to silence dissent regarding their war aims, have manufactured a fear of a "terrorist threat" and a war atmosphere in which any criticism of foreign policy is seen as treasonous. In their manic obsession with control of the world's oil supply and their assertion of US dominance, the Bush administration has pushed an agenda that is harmful to the interests of humankind and beneficial to the interests of elites. Truth is butchered and lies promulgated in order to normalize the unthinkable, to create Fromm's pathology of normalcy.

Traditions of love and tolerance are negated by the simplistic duality of good vs evil and by threats against those who refuse to accept Bush's new world order of free trade and privatization. There has been little public outcry against the 500,000 children who have died as a result of sanctions in Iraq. The public has by-and-large not questioned the incarceration of over two million citizens in our prisons. There is no general call for justice when we are told that the net worth of the world's 358 billionaires roughly equals the combined annual income of the worlds 2.5 billion poorest people. There is little organized opposition to our use of chemical warfare in Colombia. Criticism was muted when right wing extremists recommended that we allow torture to be used against designated enemies of the state.
We must strive to transcend the madness and reassert our common humanity. We must join together to create a reality that reflects our loving, giving, nurturing selves. We must acknowledge our mutual right to the basics of life--food, water, shelter, healthcare, and education. We must not give in to a sense of powerlessness, but rather we must fight like hell and confront the forces that are bent on privatizing all economic sectors and ultimately transforming all humankind into commodities to be bought and sold.