Many people have asked, how is it that people can still be voting for GW? How is it, that they don't get it?
I offer you here the reality of brainwashing and the signs thereof:
Symptoms of Emotional Abuse: by an Abusive Government: terms here such as 'abuser'and 'partner' have been exchanged for 'Government' and 'constituents'.
Take a moment to consider these questions. Your Government might have behaved as though these things were okay, even though it's obvious that they aren't okay...:
cont below the fold:
An abusive Government will railroad discussions, so that you don't have time to think about what's right and what's wrong in their behavior.
Do you feel that you can't discuss with your Government what is bothering you?
Does your Government criticize you, humiliate you, or undermine your self-esteem?
Does your Government ridicule you for expressing yourself?
Does your Government isolate you from those that would validate your abuse?
Does your Government limit your access to work, money or material resources?
Has your Government ever run up debts for you to handle?
Does your Government swing back and forth between cajoling you and threatening you?
Have you ever felt obligated to take it in the a** just to avoid an argument with your Government??
Do you sometimes feel trapped in this relationship with your Government?
Are you afraid of your Government?
Why do we believe the ridiculous crap they tell us? One aspect emotional abuse is that it eventually brainwashes the victim.
THE PROCESS OF BRAINWASHING (MIND CONTROL) by an abusive government:
1. The Government keeps the victim unaware of what is going on and what changes are taking place.
Your Government might control your finances, make plans for you, or not tell you what it?s plans are until the last minute. Your Government may talk about you to others behind your back, to isolate you from them.
2. The Government controls the victim's time and physical environment, and works to suppress much of the victim's old behavior. The victim is slowly, or abruptly, isolated from all supportive persons except the Government.
Your Government might have insisted that you stop certain social, hobby, or work activities. Or you may have been asked (or told) to reduce or stop contact with specific supportive people in your life.
3. The abusive Government creates in the victim a sense of powerlessness, fear, and dependency.
Verbal and emotional abuse creates these emotions, and they become stronger and stronger over time.
4. The Government works to instill new behavior and attitudes in the victim.
Your Government trains to you behave in ways that it wants you to behave. Your Government gradually makes you feel differently about yourself, and erodes your confidence in yourself.
5. Your Government puts forth a closed system of logic, and allows no real input or criticism.
In other words -- What It says, goes.
Phase 1 - TENSION BUILDING:
Tension increases, breakdown of communication, victim feels need to placate the abusive Government..
Phase 2 - INCIDENT:
Verbal and emotional abuse. Anger, blaming, arguing. Threats. Intimidation.
Phase 3 - RECONCILIATION:
Abuser , gives excuses, blames the victim, denies the abuse occurred, or says it wasn't as bad as the victim claims.
Phase 4 - CALM:
Incident is "forgotten", no abuse is taking place.
To consider whether your Government emotionally abuses you, look at the information available on physical abusers. The patterns are similar:
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF~: an abusive government
- an abusive Government has an explosive temper, triggered by minor frustrations and arguments.
- an abusive Government is extremely possessive and jealous. They experience an intense desire to control their constituents.
- an abusive Government's sense of masculinity depends on their constituents dependency . An abusive Government feels masculine only if their constituents are totally submissive and dependent.
* an abusive Government has rigid expectations of their constituents and will not compromise. An abusive Government expects its' constituents to behave according to its' expectations of what a constituent should be like. An abusive Government demands that its' constituents change to accommodate the Governments' expectations.
- an abusive Government has a great capacity for self-deception. It projects the blame for it's difficulties onto its' constituents. It wouldn't get angry if only its' constituents would do what they're supposed to do. an abusive Government denies the need for outside help, advice, counsel because there's nothing wrong with It. Or It agrees to seek help, advice, counsel and then avoids it or makes excuses to not follow it. an abusive Government might not want its' constituents to seek same outside help, advice, counsel because, an abusive Government reasons, Its' constituents wouldn't have any problems if they only turned to, said Government.
- an abusive Government may be described as having a dual personality -- It is either charming or exceptionally cruel. It is selfish or generous depending on it's mood.
- A major characteristic of an abusive Government is their capacity to deceive others. an abusive Government can be cool, calm, charming and convincing: a con man.
- The constituency is usually a symbol. The abusive Government doesn't relate to his constituency as people in their own right, but as a symbol of (a significant other). This is especially true when the abusive Government is angry. It assumes that the constituency is thinking, feeling, or acting like that significant other -- often his mother.
EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM EMOTIONAL & VERBAL ABUSE ON THE VICTIM
Isolation from others - Low self-esteem - Depression - Emotional problems - Illness - Increased alcohol or drug use - Withdrawal from real life into the 'bubble' of the abusive Government
If you suspect that your depression is being caused by, or intensified by, your relationship with an abusive Government-- get help. Free assistance is available in any area of the country; Just log onto to DailyKos or call your Democratic Headquarters!