MEDIA ROOTS — U.S.A. finds itself mired in systemic corruption, which sucks the country underwater like a riptide. Much like oceans have currents, so does the United States. All types of currents, from benevolent to malevolent, rush across the country influencing U.S.A.’s macro behavior. Social fractal theory helps elucidate how and why corruption has proliferated across every strata of society. If social fractal theory is accurate, then the nation suffers from a perversion of values within our smallest and most basic social units.
In order for the rigged system to continue benefiting the status quo, social control myths are employed. Social control myths mislead vulnerable people to believe concepts that are not in their interests, whilst unwittingly supporting the interests of the powers that be. Two social control myths which gravely endanger U.S.A.’s social fabric hold (one) U.S. citizens receive fair and equal justice, and (two) similar, basic opportunities are freely available to everyone. Looking at the tax code highlights the absurdity of such fallacious beliefs.
Financial elites have exploited U.S.A. using social control myths, enabling them to loot the vast wealth of the country. To this day, the financial elites still have not faced legal repercussions. Their ability to evade justice reveals a gaping divide between the common U.S. worker and the oligarchs and plutocrats who have purchased the political process with propaganda and the obedience of many of our votes. The structural integrity of U.S.A.’s foundation weakens by the day, as rampantly corrupt leaders are elected into power by our friends and neighbours.
Charles Hugh Smith, Of Two Minds, employs social fractal theory to diagnose what ails U.S.A.
Adam Miezio
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OF TWO MINDS — The concept of social fractals can be illustrated with a simple example. If the individuals in a family unit are all healthy, thrifty, honest, caring and responsible, then how could that family be dysfunctional, spendthrift, venal and dishonest? It is not possible to aggregate individuals into a family unit and not have that family manifest the self-same characteristics of the individuals. This is the essence of fractals.
If we aggregate healthy, thrifty, honest, caring and responsible families into a community, how can that community not share these same characteristics? And if we aggregate these communities into a nation, how can that nation not exhibit these same characteristics?
If this is so, then how do we explain the complete corruption of America’s financial and political elites? What else can you call a nation that passively accepts financial predation, looting, robosigning, etc. by protected cartels as the Status Quo but thoroughly corrupt?
There are three distinct but highly interactive dynamics in America’s social and financial fractals that have led to the nation’s corruption. We can think of these dynamics as feedback loops: positive feedback is self-reinforcing, negative feedback offers restraint and opposition.
Read more about the Vast Corruption of the U.S.A.
© 2012 Of Two Minds
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Photo by Flickr user Beverly & Pack
I’d like to see this idea more in everyday discussion. So many of us think that all we need is to “fix” the larger systems and then everything will be ok.
Sure there are many changes that would benefit the country at the governmental level, say for instance true SEC rule enforcement, however if the individuals in the system are still being trained to be psychopaths and we still reward that in our society, the psychopaths will invariably find a way to subvert the larger system.
In short, it’s critical that personal/community reform occurs along with governmental reform if we truly want to see lasting improvement in the countries condition.
Good article/topic. Glad to see people talking about this idea.