You know, it could be genetic...

Having argued with all sorts of people about 911, Iraq, the so-called Clash of Civilizations, etc. for several years, my working theory is that there are many people for which xenophobia and an us vs them mentality is the hardwired-by-nature, default mental setting. Probably this is an inheritance from humanity's tribal origins.

Even if it were definitively proven that 911 was an inside job, that the Clash of Civilizations is a figment, that the Iraq War was a geopolitical, aggressive war of choice - such people would simply keep grumbling to themselves about the middle eastern (or chinese, or russian) boogeyman.

I suspect that a good portion of that 30% of the electorate that comprises Bush's base has the gene, so to speak. Logic has no purchase with a hardwired brain. I think this is what Leo Strauss, the neocons' leading ideologue, meant when he stressed the importance of cultural myth-making - appealing to that knee-jerk, default mentality.
Submitted by Carl Nelson on Sat, 04/07/2007 - 2:28pm.

I agree with you that the xenophobic, brain-locked responses to 9/11 facts at odds with the Authoritarian Conspiracy Theory are greatly due to hard-wired genetics. If this is the case, then our challenge as a species is to open ourselves to new and empowering truths. To learn how to take profound responsibility ( response ++ ABILITY ) for what is and is not happening in our personal, local, regional, national and global milieu.
We start with ourselves. As Gandhi stated :
"We must *become* the change that we wish to see in the world."
If we follow that statement down its Rabbit Hole what we will find sooner or later is that each of us must deal with this paradox:

That each one of us, from a profound spiritual level, is creating our world *exactly the way it is*. That we actually prefer it this way.

AND

That others affect us, and we affect others.

Take the first by itself and we become overly self-centered, naive, and grandiose.

Take the second by itself and we become perpetual victims.

How can we, here, now, grab this bull by both its horns and get down to really fundamental work?

***

I remember a time in my life, a specific time: walking on a sidewalk in the sun outside of my Junior High School, and I said silently to myself: "God, or Whoever, I'm ready. Whatever it is I'm on this earth to do I am ready to go.
Bring it on."

Well, Somebody, or Something as listening. I deeply wished then to experience an epic awakening: to go down as far as I could, like Jesus into Hell, and to persevere and then rise, free, liberated from fear . . . to be a hero who others would admire: " . . . wow, he went through *all that hell* and look at him now! Wow!"

Haven't most or all of us done this at some point in our lives: decided, dreamed what we wanted our lives to be? And didn't we somehow forget that dream? We need to remember it now, so we can adjust, expand it, to better suit our current vision.

Are we *programmed* to struggle against epic Darkness?
If we are, then we will continually re-create it, trying each time to do it better, to get it right; when all along we've been getting it *exactly* right! We *are* engaged in an epic struggle against the powers of Darkness!

Am *I* willing to give up my need to struggle; to fight heroically against seemingly insurmountable odds, and begin to dream something new: a world of joy. A world of compassion, and creativity, and rich community?

You see, I'm still grandiose as hell: I actually believe that *I* can affect the trajectory of world history! OMFG, is that ridiculous, or what?
Yet I also know that I'm one . . . neuron . . . in this planetary consciousness. That I can only do *my* part as best I can: to *become* that change I wish to see in the world.

I haven't made it, folks. Far from it, but I have made it far enough to know that the more of us who are awake enough to grapple with this enormous, ferocious paradox, are in the best position to affect fundamental ( instead of systemic, or outer, temporary reform ) change. People awake enough to know that anything less, really, is pissing into the wind.

I pray for the grace to see what I cannot see now; to learn to love tomorrow in a way I can't today. To live my life supporting and supported by other beings loving and noble enough to join me.