Yes, indeed! Those with mass influence, power and wealth who seek to keep it have mastered the "divide and conquer" tactic a long time ago... Pat Buchanan, a speech writer for Nixon's campaign, one quipped that the way to win an election is to "divide the country and take the bigger half". Now, with polling, both parties take opposing positions on a multitude of issues selected via multivariate analysis and work incessantly to pull us all apart from each other with proxy issues that will help them win the election. We fall for it, and identify strongly with it, because we told them (in polls) what motivates us most... which is a far cry from what truly matters most. So it's little wonder that it feels like society is being ripped apart at the seams. As you've said, it's alienation nation. I applaud you Gregg for the call for immunity from these forces in the ToK community. My concern is that this internal political machinery makes us vulnerable to attacks from outside influences fanning the flames of discontent and the fact the millenials have been taught to hate the US, and themselves. I will stop there. :) On Sat, Oct 31, 2020 at 7:35 AM Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi All, > > > > I feel very much apolitical/metapolitical these days. I believe that the > system is essentially corrupt and broken, and the two parties have entered > a “bad divorce” mindset that is more about winning than about cultivating > the commons that is the USA. That said, I loathe Trump in a, well, unique > way. I am driven by the meta-values of enhancing dignity and well-being > with integrity. And whatever you say about Trump or think of his policies, > no one can deny that he is the absolute antithesis of someone who has > integrity, especially intellectual integrity > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.psychologytoday.com_us_blog_theory-2Dknowledge_201609_intellectual-2Dintegrity-2Dand-2Dthe-2Dbirther-2Dconspiracy&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=6UAE3_HEPbU-oEwyVQCxP0lvChLfYnEAwwtuUn2w9Cw&e= >. > > > > > Four and a half years ago, in May of 2016, I started to get nervous > Trump could actually win. It was still implausible, but I had gone from > “essentially inconceivable” (see here > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.psychologytoday.com_us_blog_theory-2Dknowledge_201509_trump-2Dpsychosocial-2Danalysis&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=uFl9xil0h-i1Z3F_IQLVuyLZ-BZGS1LrXpYTRdyPlEM&e= >) > to “OMG, this is possible”. As such, I wrote the attached “Morning After” > letter. I would say his Presidency has not been as bad as I feared, but by > and large what I expected. Given how I feel about Trump, I feel it is > useful to share this letter again. > > > > Intellectually, I seriously doubt he will find his way to another miracle > victory, but having been burned before, my gut is anxious. > > > > Finally, let me say here that I think the TOK Society should be very > careful to avoid political polarization traps. In that regard, let me say > that I am not attacking the Republican party nor intellectual > conservativism. I am operating from the meta-value position, especially the > value of intellectual integrity, which he blatantly rejects and therefore > he should be rejected from my value-based vantage point. > > > > Best, > Gregg > > > > ___________________________________________ > > Gregg Henriques, Ph.D. > Professor > Department of Graduate Psychology > 216 Johnston Hall > MSC 7401 > James Madison University > Harrisonburg, VA 22807 > (540) 568-7857 (phone) > (540) 568-4747 (fax) > > > *Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.* > > Check out the Unified Theory Of Knowledge homepage at: > > https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.unifiedtheoryofknowledge.org_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=Ck9b1yWh0UXCEwaQmdoxZE5hwlpnLXxMSraCJmWy9uk&e= > > > ############################ > > To unsubscribe from the TOK-SOCIETY-L list: write to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] or click the > following link: > http://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=TOK-SOCIETY-L&A=1 > -- --- james lyons-weiler, phd Author, CEO, President, Scientist Editor-in-Chief, Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.publichealthpolicyjournal.com_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=LEZGTnT60zJhxNQC5Og29mwOvghbTTzARu93gz0oZJQ&e= > Guest Contributor, Children's Health Defense <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__childrenshealthdefense.org&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=KVVW5ScRqFp3lxOpQBHkOokT1Zz2Bx9VN-fjZmMGdPI&e= > The Environmental and Genetic Causes of Autism <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__amzn.to_1KNSxPp&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=Y8_mTmjsYvUS5G1hJ-dJX4tR60l2B9v_J4qq30y2vGo&e= > (Skyhorse Publishing) Cures vs. Profits: Successes in Translational Research <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.amazon.com_gp_product_9814730149_ref-3Das-5Fli-5Fqf-5Fsp-5Fasin-5Fil-5Ftl-3Fie-3DUTF8-26camp-3D1789-26creative-3D9325-26creativeASIN-3D9814730149-26linkCode-3Das2-26tag-3Dlivgrelivwel-2D20&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=whtopkwX6xg6Ny0fp9QxVTmwSBWrb1KKSf4CXArE1fw&e= > (World Scientific, 2016) Ebola: An Evolving Story <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__amzn.to_1TGYY9r&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=pben6XHebyPbNOD4ydtm_e_kajUM0uL4sVLRfQOlA9Q&e= > (World Scientific, 2015) cell 412-728-8743 email [log in to unmask] www.*linkedin*.com/in/*jameslyonsweiler* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_jameslyonsweiler&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=uIqPtWa48cJVZm7P84tqgIpucSU1f-kDEM2PWxQk4TU&s=KPmWIv1aPDHAuaqyDQWTSh7dNorjzteY-rDdljSS3vI&e= > ############################ To unsubscribe from the TOK-SOCIETY-L list: write to: mailto:[log in to unmask] or click the following link: http://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=TOK-SOCIETY-L&A=1