Right Wing Extremists and the Reptilian Brain
65Is the Threat Real or Imagined? Your Brain doesn't Know the Difference
Dr. Paul MacLean, Chief of Brain Evolution and Behavior at the National Institutes of Health, theorizes we have three brains that have unique functions.
The reptilian brain acts on stimulus and response, and is useful for quick decisions without thinking—the key words here are “without thinking.” The reptilian brain focuses on survival, and takes over when we are in danger, or think we are, and don’t have time to figure things out. In a world of survival of the fittest, the reptilian brain helps keep us alive and at the top of the food chain. The reptilian brain is fear driven, and takes over when we feel threatened or endangered—we don’t have to actually be threatened, just think we are.
A second part of the brain is the limbic stem or mammalian brain. The limbic stem is the root of emotions and feelings. It affects moods and bodily functions.
Corpulent Drug Addict Dance Rush Limbaugh
"It would be a much better country if women did not vote." - Ann Coulter
Heated up Rhetoric Stirs up the Reptiles
Since Obama has taken office, the Right wing propaganda machine is doing what totalitarian regimes, fascists, institutions, and churches, and bosses have done throughout human history—motivate the masses by stimulating the Reptilian brain. They manufacture false threats to activate people’s deepest fears, and then use these people as pawns to do their dirty work. Once they get the crowds foaming at the mouth and calling for blood, they distance themselves just enough to claim innocence and insist they are only listening to the will of the people. If the targets of their hate are assassinated or denigrated, they refuse to take responsibility for stoking the fires. They claim status as the only real patriots, Americans, Christians, or whatever the case may be, and marginalize all who don’t serve their agenda to gain more power, control, and money. While the men behind the curtain may be smarter than the pawns, they are driven by their own Reptilian instincts to control the masses of the misinformed and vulnerable, while aligning themselves with other reptiles with the same agendas.
Joe Wilson screaming, “You lie,” triggers a Pavlovian response, and his base starts instantly salivating – his followers now have some red meat – we are being lied to again and again! - and without thinking about the facts, they feel threatened and ready to pull the trigger on Obama’s health care reform and even Obama himself, without actually knowing the facts. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Palin, and Beck are all experts at button bushing, at working up a crowd.
Beck just has to claim, “I think Obama hates white people,” and his crowd is off and running. They now have their fear that Obama is the other, the outsider, the foreign born, validated. Obama is now the enemy to be defeated at all costs. Obama is not really the President, he wasn’t even born here, he is a terrorist, a socialist, a hater of the white race—it goes on and on building lies upon lies. The reptilian brain fears the other, the unknown, and perceives “it” as the enemy.
Palin talks about “death panels,” adding fuel to the fear of change – overriding reason and the fact that insurance companies have become the death panels we should really fear by denying coverage at every opportunity, making deductibles so high you may lose your home to pay your medical expenses. Even though you have so-called insurance, you’re not really insured.
Here is some hate speech by Coulter guaranteed to help further the cultural divide in this great melting pot--America, home of the brave and of the free.
- Liberals: "Best way to talk to 'em are with baseball bats."
- Muslims: "Not all Muslims may be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims."
- New York Times: "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building."
- Women: "It would be a much better country if women did not vote."
- John Edwards: "he's a faggot!
It only takes knowing what buttons to push to trigger the reptilian brain into overdrive. Once stimulated the reptilian brain overrides the neocortex, or the most advanced part of the brain that governs our ability to speak, think, and solve problems. The neocortex affects our creativity and ability to learn. The neocortex makes up about 80 percent of the brain, but can quickly be overridden by the ancestral reptile. The neocortex gives us the ability to actually solve complex problems, to think outside of the box, to create art, music, and think of the well being of others.
Liberal values include: caring for the environment, caring for our fellow humans, making education a priority and available to all, supporting the arts for the sake of the arts, equality for minorities and women, freedom to be religious or not, making health care available to all. These values are meaningless to reptiles. They require abstract thinking, the ability to learn, and critical thinking.
The problem is that to use the neocortex, we need to be rested and have time to process information. If we are bombarded by stress, working 12 hour days, have no health care and have cancer, have just been layed off and are losing our home, make minimum wage and are a single parent, we’re more likely to go into reptile mode. That’s why the Hitlers of the world prey on the disenfranchised.
Totalitarian regimes and fundamentalism
both foster reptilian styles of functioning. Rulers and the power elite expect
their subjects to obey orders and conform to the rules without thinking. In the
Industrial Age, management performed the functions of the neocortex. Management
did the thinking and workers did what management told them to do. In an
information age, workers must think for themselves, problem solve, and be
willing to learn new information. Religious zealots use fear to keep
congregations dependent on their teachings.The right wing holds power over those with the least time to think and the least resources to buck the system.
Barack Obama’s Style – the Opposite of the Reptilian
Obama uses a low key reasonable approach
to solving problems. He has managed to earn the reputation of a guy who can keep his cool or has grace under pressure. I think he has honed this skill because to survive in the white world and climb the ladder to presidency, a black man has to stay cool so he doesn't scare the skittish whites. By remaining calm and reasoned he seeks to lesson the fears of the
fired up reptiles who have been riled by the power brokers. Even when under
attack, he stays above the fray, sometimes frustrating the liberals and
progressives who feel he is too soft on the opposition.He has the reputation of being the only adult in the room and he has no room to deviate from that image. He cannot confront the reptiles with the freedom of a white guy.
Consider his strategy—he wants to get things done without fanning the fire; he wants to get through the next 4-8 yrs. alive!The Beck’s and Limbaugh’s are already amping up their base--calling for insurrection, slitting their wrists, succession--to the point where it’s impossible to have any kind of civil town hall meeting. We’ve got birthers and tea-parties; we’ve got Palin and Coulter getting people to drink their special brand of cool aide.
Obama doesn’t want to take the bait, I can see why. That said, when he gives a speech like he gave the other night on health care, he seems to inspire and bring out the best in the neocortex, He speaks to our "better angels." But, of course, the backlash of reptiles is inevitable.
For more on this topic read:
How Ugly Rhetoric Increases America’s Great Divide
Right Wing Extremists and the Reptilian Brain
Glen Beck is a Pathetic Loser and has a Deep-Seated Hatred of Brown People
CommentsLoading...
Thanks Dolores. I should probably brace myself for the onslaught!
Anyone can regurgitate that which is espoused by a textbook(s). It takes a man or woman to make a position of himself. You are interesting "folk" -- to say the least. Your kind never cease to amaze me -- thanks for the lesson on reptilian brain matter. LOL.
My friend, here on hubpages -- James - is right! (Absolutely correct) Our nation really should part now and do so peacefully. *You can read his hub entitled "Partitioning America." (User name James A Watkins)
kartika,
clear and precise, great job! i'm still working on that 2-legged reptile cage, tremendous back-order.
keep hubbing!
Hi blue dog, Thanks for backing me up! I think I may be a target now, but you gotta say what you gotta say! You guys got me fired up and motivated to contribute to the discussion.
Funny how you refer to our "arguments" as on "onslaught" -- as if we are somehow criminal because of our belief system and you know, that's, quite frankly, what scares me about you folks. *After all you are not really about freedom of speech are "you."
Prior to the release of Gibson's Passion of the Christ, the ACLU (Champions of individual rights) LOL...attempted to have the film banned. I don't remember anyone holding a gun to their head(s) and telling them they would have to spend their money to see the film ...you guys really are quite an interesting "subject."
By the way kartika, are you from the Left Coast or the Northbeast? I'm not sure whether I should feel sorry for your kind or simply try not to laugh.
You have some interesting ideas. The part you left out is that Conservatives always favor smaller government, the polar opposite of Totalitarianism. President Obama is certainly a socialist. His mommy, daddy, best friend, preacher, mentor, and his ACORN are all Marxists. "What we need is a coalition of power to bring about redistributive change." Barack Obama 2001 radio interview. That is what socialism is. I can't help it.
I'm not reptilian—I love art, broadway plays, film, books—and I spent 20 years as a professional musician, so I obviously enjoy music. You probably know by now that the White House issued a mandate to the NEA to produce propaganda. That is not the charter for the NEA. You probably know that at least 5 of Obama's Czars have announced themselves as Communists. Were they not vetted?
You do make some good points. Liberals are compassionate. Glenn Beck should not have called Obama a racist. Joe Wilson should never have insulted the President that way. Ann Coulter does say some goofy things.
But your claims that Conservatives want to take over ignores one key point: On virtually every issue you can name, Conservatives are playing defense, not offense. I agree with all of the liberal values you listed in this article. But you only listed the most flattering of the views of Social Liberals.
Conservatives are for conserving the Constitution, the beliefs of the Founding Fathers, the traditions and customs that are the American Way of Life that made this country great in the first place, the family as the basic unit of humankind, and for life to be protected. And all of this is under constant threat from Liberals.
Adolph Hitler was the head of the National Socialist Workers Party. He nationalized everything in Germany—never do Conservatives do such a thing. Every Totalitarian government outside the Muslim world is and has been Leftists—Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Minh, Chavez and more. When the government controls your life from cradle to grave that is leftist and it is totalitarian. It is the opposite of Liberty and Freedom—that which Conservatives which to conserve in America.
Bravo for a taking this issue and wrapping it into a theme that everyone can understand. There it is in black and white (no, that is NOT an attempt to play the friggin RACE card!). When fear is up against rational thought, fear will win every time. The problem is these fear=mongering puppetmasters are inciting people to picket against their own self-interests. It's insane! If they sat down and thought through for 5 minutes the broader implications to EVERYONE of having healthcare available to all -- e.g., LOWER PRICE FOR THEM and GUARANTED COVERAGE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, maybe they would recognize how much they are being played.
James -- your comment "the family as the basic unit of humankind and for life to be protected." Does that not include protected from greedy insurance companies who are basically denying our citizens the right to life and liberty (freedom from disease and freedome from financial hardship due to astronomical healthcare premiums???).
I do not believe that our Constitution is in danger because of any of Obama's policies.
I believe if people really paid attention to what he is trying to accomplish they would see it is for the good of this country. Not communist at all. LOL. Silly, silly geckos, lizards, snakes and alligators!
I second Might Mom's opinions - I was pretty terrified when the so-called conservatives took us into an illegal war, lied about the reasons, practiced torture and rendition, created Homeland security with its right to arrest without cause, practiced wire tapping on journalists and American citizens, ran the economy into the ground by refusing to regulate corrupt and greedy corporations, let it's own people drown in Hurricane Katrina and refused to properly clean up the mess and rebuilt one our oldest cities, refused to force the FDA to do its job and address food safety issues, never addressed the tragedy of the uninsured Americans until forced to by a new Democratic president,
and basically sold out to big corporations that kept them in power, aligned themselves with Christian fanatics (what about separation of church and state?,refused to address global warming or acknowledge its existence, debunked credible scientists if they challenged big industry. Why do you think the conservative intelligentsia has jumped ship and all that is left is the lunatic fringe that claim to be conservative but are so far to the right they have fallen off the planet earth entirely.
MM— Who do you think is more apt to reduce fraud and keep costs down, a company that has to make a profit or a bureaucrat who has no stake whatsoever in the financial results? The two Medis have a $100B a year fraud problem—15% of all claims. How come Visa/MasterCard only has a fraud rate of .04%? They care about fraud, of course. We, the taxpayers, were originally told the two Medis would cost $4B a year—they cost $660B! By all means, let's give them a $16 trillion business to run, they've done such a bang up job.
The problem is the link between work and health insurance—a link created by labor unions and government. The government sets the price of 700 medical procedures now. The government prevents insurance companies from selling across state lines—drastically reducing competition. This government refuses to reform malpractice claims. Some surgeons pay $200,000 a year for this—we pay for it in the end. That's why doctors order so many unnecessary procedures—putting people through torture—so if they get sued because their "practice" didn't work, they can show they ordered every procedure under the sun. The trial lawyers—talk about wealthy people—have the Dems in their back pocket: that's why there is no tort reform allowed.
Have you ever wondered why the cost of ALL technology goes down except health care? Because the government is playing middle man. Do you notice an explosion in the cost of computers, TVs, cell phones, microwaves? No. The free market means competition drives prices down. Now, if the government stepped in and set the prices of all these things; and you had to pay an army of bureaucrats to shuffle paper for you—do you think these things would soon cost more or less?
The problem with health care now is that the government is in it. The prescription to poison is not more poison. Medicare and Medicaid ruined the health care system regarding costs. When did health care costs begin to explode?
The two Medis say they won't be able to pay for the programs they've got now, for the baby boomers, like me. They should be turned over to a private company—yes, for profit. The greatest example of having the government running the world has been tried—in the USSR. Did they build a better country than we did in the US?
Greedy Insurance Companies? What was the percentage of net profit for the stockholders of Blue Cross/Blue Shield last year?
Who says the war was illegal? Have any lies been proven to have been told? You are more concerned about 4 terrorists being waterboarded—as our special forces are themselves during their training—than all the chopped off heads by the enemy and the World Trade Center deaths? Do YOU personally know anyone arrested without cause or wiretapped? Do you think Conservatives created the Community Reinvestment Act, or the Stock Swap bill that led to subprime loans and mortgage derivatives? Do you think big corporations have back Conservative candidates more than they have Liberal candidates in the past 5 presidential elections? What impact did Christian fanatics have in your life in the past eight years? Do you think the last two years have been warmer than usual? Do I strike you as part of a lunatic fringe?
Just curious.
I forgot to ask: who started the practice of Rendition? President Clinton or Bush?
The credit card companies are legalized loan sharks, torture is wrong, and we are just going to have to agree to disagree on everything!
Not everything, darlin'. I agree with you about the Credit Card Companies. See! We've found common ground. :0
I'm so sorry I did not read this hub of yours before I read the one about rhetoric. I understand after reading this piece of garbage, that there can't be any intelligent discussion with you. You believe the crap from people like MSNBC and prefer not to think for yourself. James Watkins is right and thank GOD we have great Americans like him counteracting stuff like you put out.
Let "us" tackle an issue that you've raised thru this particular hub -- wire tapping. I've always said, nothing to hide -- nothing to fear.
I think most Christians would agree with my having said, we don't care what you watch, who you are or are not banging or for that matter what drugs (liberals) are using today but we find wire tapping a sensible solution as it pertains to protecting even you and your kind.
The next time a terrorist residing in the U.S. asks me who he should target, would you find it okay if I told "him," the building down the street on the left is chock full of left-thinking, liberal folk that are not concerned with protecting each and every U.S. citizen regardless of their religion of choice and/or actual intelligence level which really is inferior. Wow, tackle, you just created perhaps the world's longest run on sentence. Tough.
The only common ground that I have with kartika seems to be her comment on credit card companies.
"Obama uses a low key reasonable approach to solving problems."
Sure. He calls the Boston police stupid and in the same sentence admits he doesn't know all the facts. That's low key and reasonable!
He attacks hedge fund managers in his press conferences, in direct violation of federal bankruptcy laws. Never mind that the funds were held in retirement accounts for employees of the state of Indiana.
He takes over GM, insists that he 'doesn't want to own GM', then calls the mayor of Detroit to assure him that GM wasn't moving out of Detroit. He forces the CEO of GM to resign, then he appoints his hand-picked representative to the GM board of directors.
That's low key and reasonable! Sure!
I love this "Obama is A Socialist" rubbish. You clearly don't know what socialism is, you're just trained to be scared of it. I'm an ACTUAL socialist, I believe in the violent overthrow of the capitalist system, the socialisation of the means of production, as well as housing, food etc and the democratic, state-run economy. I don't think Obama stands for any of that. So stop accusing me of being a bouregois liberal, because that's all Obama is. The "redistribution of wealth" is not necessarily socialist and can be seen in a number of capitalist and liberal strains of political thought (J.S. Mill and John Rawls to name but two.)
wow- reptilian brains still believe in false left/right paradigms. Here is a truth flash- the left and right are both bought and paid for by one world government. Wake up- a bunch of us our- obama is as much a puppet as bush. we cannot behanve like frieghtened children anymore
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Dolores Monet Level 7 Commenter 2 years ago
A great hub. I've been reading some of the reptilian hubs and don't want to leave them a negative comment for fear of reprisal. (That would be my terrible fear of random thumbs down). Anyway, the reptilian brain concept fits.