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Teetering on the brink of the new Depression
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grufty jim
grufty jim
1978 posts

Edited Sep 23, 2008, 20:50
Re: Teetering on the brink of the new Depression
Sep 23, 2008, 20:46
stray wrote:
If I've got what you're arguing for wrong though, I apologise, you'll have to set me straight.

To an extent you have my position right, stray. Though you're seeing it through a rather narrow filter (no fault of yours, I've not explained it and I don't expect you to be psychic).

What needs to be understood about my position is that it's far more extreme and wide-ranging than you suggested. I'm talking about a top-to-bottom restructuring of our entire society.

I do not claim to be in possession of a detailed plan of how this can be achieved, though I am going to start working on one fairly soon (as soon as I complete my current project).

I believe that our society is suffering from a psychosis. And I use that word in the literal sense. As you may or may not know I'm just about to complete a Masters degree in Psychoanalytic Studies, specialising in Group Psychodynamics. I believe I can demonstrate that the twin mechanisms of a global free-market in resources and the international media have generated a collective psyche that includes most of the human race. I also believe this collective psyche is suffering from a psychosis.

Indeed, it is my thesis that the following two statements are saying the same thing in different language (the first in the language of environmental systems theory, the second in the language of group psychodynamics):

1. "This society is unsustainable"
2. "The collective mind generated by this society is suffering from a psychosis"

My point about the credit crisis is that I believe the sooner we begin this process of radical restructuring the more likely we are to succeed (though I also feel there's a chance it may already be too late). The money being used in this bail-out could instead be used to kick-start this process.

It won't be of course. And I'm not suggesting that there's even a sliver of hope that the Dubya Bush administration would be so forward-thinking or so radical. I'm merely expressing my opinion on the issue.

EDIT: For those interested in Group Psychodynamics; the field has evolved significantly over the past 100 years. Briefly (and therefore not very accurately) it begins with Freud's "Civilization and Its Discontents" and evolves through the work of Bion, Fromm, Reich and finally to arguably the most important person in the field, Gregory Bateson. If anyone wants suggestions as to further reading in the area, I'd be happy to make some recommendations.
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