Two broad camps: life is good & life is scary

Some believe that our life here on Earth is meant to be a form of Heaven, flourishing with love, compassion and peace among all sentient beings, a land of love, friendship, joy and good cheer.

That people have the tendency to be good to one another and build community among our own species and the others in the animal and plant kingdoms is obvious to one and all. This is the mainstay of humanity. We see examples of it across the planet, among people of the same and different cultures, religions, sects and tribes. “Live and let live” is the overall motto. This is our way of being human, and yes, there are a handful of exceptions, obstacles to be overcome, addressed below.

The world is good - a form of Heaven – cooperation at its base

We, the majority, believe that Earth is “a land of plenty”, with bounty to share with family, neighbors and friends from everywhere. There is no lack or shortage. There’s plenty of sunlight, rain, land, food, shelter, song, dance and culture if one digs down deep enough.

These people who believe and embrace this perspective tend to be happy, full of love, good-natured and live long, healthy lives surrounded by family and friends, such as life often described in the Blue Zones.

People cooperate with each other, collaborate and build long-lasting communities.

The world as scary - a bad movie with domination & conquest at its base

Then some believe quite the opposite. They believe that life is a struggle, that survival is a dog-eat-dog affair, each one for oneself and that there is limited bounty, really for those who are strong and “fittest” enough to commandeer it.

In short, you could say that there are these two broadly defined camps, pivoting on Einstein’s important question: Is the Universe friendly? Those who say yes, they bend toward Heaven, camp 1, and those who say no, they see life as dog-eat-dog and well, hellish, camp 2.

In camp 2, boundaries are set, nations are built, and thoughts of both military defense and offense arise. It’s an entirely different paradigm yielding radically different results.

These people may live long, but they don’t tend to be particularly happy. They tend to argue and squabble with their own family about possessions and measure their personal worth by their assets. It’s indeed a jagged, disharmonious life.

In his most recent book, Beyond Darwin, cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton makes clear that the Darwinian theory of “survival of the fittest”, despite its wide embrace for centuries, is actually quite mistaken in its assumptions. Lipton makes a strong case for “survival of the cooperative”, with which so many of us long agree, as it has proven its truth over millennia. We are grateful for Dr. Lipton’s clear articulation of this as part of his new theory of evolution.

To that, I would add the idea, which is also pivotal, of “the survival of the friendliest”.

One just has to look at Nature to see how Nature operates so successfully. In soil, fungi and bacteria are exchanging food and fluids, helping each other stay alive. Trees communicate, protecting each other and nourishing each other. You could say that Nature is the par excellence example of how cooperation works and how effective it is. We are simply part of nature.

This may sound funny until you dig in a little deeper. Without cooperation and a level of friendliness, none of us would be here right now. We are here, not because we ravaged our foes for food, but rather because we shared our food. And we have all survived, and no less, with smiles on our faces.

Simple as this may sound, it’s a radical distinction between modes of thinking, attitude and behavior between these two camps.

Why is any of this relevant? Well, if we look at today’s world, in fact, if we look at the world we’ve constructed over the last several thousand years, with some exceptions, we see that as a species, we’ve opted for the latter perspective: that the world is a dangerous place, everyone is out for themselves. You better defend what you’ve got despite most of us not feeling that way at all. It is “the few” who ascended to power, who set the terms which most people, most of the time, don’t agree with or want.

Making enemies, threatening and attacking them to protect one’s own bounty seems to backfire more often than not, and surely does not advance the joys of creativity and civilization.

Very few people jeopardize the world for everyone

As we see in abundance, there is a class of individuals who value material wealth and power over the greatest beauty and the deepest love. These are both reduced to a numeric value of dollar bills, as is human life itself. Ask the insurance companies.

These folks are living from a survival, ‘dog-eat-dog’ mentality which corresponds to the lowest level of human brain function, the reptilian. Another way of putting this is “kill or be killed”, dominate and conquer or be dominated and conquered.

While the reptilian brain has many useful functions in terms of fast action, reactivity to avoid danger or for self-defense, to use it as one’s primary brain function is a regressive disaster.

We have several other higher-level, prefrontal cortex functions which allow for rational consideration of options, not knee-jerk, protective or offensive actions which tend to dig a deeper ditch for us when it comes to others, other tribes, species or nations.

While I believe that the vast majority of people embrace the belief that cooperation, collaboration and trusting one’s neighbor is our better game on Earth, they just want to live their lives peacefully, celebrate holidays and enjoy their families and community. Yes, life as celebration.

This enormous tribe, the majority, camp 1, must reckon with the, may I say it, distorted, highly irregular, imbalanced and perverse desires of “the world as scary” group, the dog-eat-dog mentality, or camp 2.

It is of value to distinguish these two to help one understand the differences in these two entirely divergent modes of being, thinking and acting, as they are not at all compatible. If one is concerned that they may be someone else’s ‘lunch’ at any given moment, it disturbs the nervous system fiercely, and there’s rarely a moment of peace. It is not sustainable!

By clearly distinguishing the set of actions, attitudes and thinking of one from the other, one can be discerning about what is in balance, in harmony and what is not.

The dangers of living by the dictates & beliefs of the Dominator Model

The world in which we currently live is clearly the Dominator Model, as Riane Eisler and others have referred to it for decades.

To see our currently endangered situation, we are obliged to look at the current President of the United States, of what is said to be the most powerful nation in the world. He is an archetype of the dominator type that wants to “own everything” and stamp his name on it too.

If you want to fly with angels, you better know something about the devil. Hence the importance of understanding just how unethical and inhumane some members of the Dominator Class can be.

The weak, narcissistic psychology this represents is embarrassing for anyone, much less the President of the U.S. He also bludgeons his way into sovereign countries and acts as though he owns them, from Venezuela to Gaza to Greenland. It is an unheard-of aggression, breaking all norms, not to mention all forms of law.

No laws, domestic, international or Constitutional, constrain him. He is like a child with a wrecking ball, a mad-hatter. While all nations’ leaders see this pathological behavior, no one is quite sure what to do except to consult their local psychologist for advice about how to deal with an infant wearing a man’s suit if they happen to have a dialogue with him. The whole matter is shameless and embarrassing to all who have any semblance of integrity, equanimity or dignity.

These points are made here so we can see the clear divergence between what could be a calmer, balanced, peaceful, sustainable world, camp 1, and camp 2, one that is thrown into turmoil because of the “conquest mentality” being so dominant, and has no chance of lasting or providing anything of lasting value but, to the contrary, hurting and even killing millions in its wake.

Whether it is through tariffs, sanctions, insults, name-calling, ICE attacks or military grandstanding, everyone feels threatened.

The consequences are not friendly but dire. For instance, due to a war this President started against Iran against all advice from his military leaders, with no clear roadmap or purpose, the U.S. and global economy are being shaken to their roots.

The cost of oil has skyrocketed; diesel, on which the entire world runs, is over $6.40 per gallon and rising, making all food, all everything, significantly more expensive, driving farmers, truckers and many others right out of business. Is this helpful in any way to any American, any farmer, or human being from anywhere?

The world has turned against the U.S., not because they don’t like Americans but because there is a President who doesn’t have any of the qualifications to be President and is harming people, his own People, with every step he takes, and interestingly, enriching himself, completely illegally and certainly unethically.

As Imposter-in-Chief, he plays the role of a ‘tough man’ while he’s destroying all long-time relationships that have helped to stabilize diplomatic and trade relations with other countries around the world.

Ironically, the man known as “Bone Spur Don,” who dodged the military draft, is now Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful military in the world. What exactly qualifies him for this job: his skill at draft-dodging?

Apparently, he’s not doing such a good job: he’s run out of munitions while tanking the world economy and alienating all of the U.S.’s traditionally good relations all over the Gulf and around the world. Republicans have called for his Secretary of “war” to be impeached. The rest of the world is calling for Trump himself to step down, in short, saying “Donald, you’re fired!”

Most scientific agencies that study weather, geology, marine biology and climate patterns have been gutted by this confused, angry, incompetent person in the White House. We cannot have a society in alignment with goodness and with Nature if we cannot read her signs and signals.

Our very survival is at risk without proper information about the state of the planet. One cannot live in balance and harmony with Nature in the natural world without this kind of knowledge.

The latest wrecking ball has been aimed at a few of the leading journalists, whom he has threatened and removed from the White House Press Corps in direct, defiant violation of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution he took a vow to uphold.

In addition to this, he has taken a wrecking ball to our system of voting, doing everything he can to disrupt and destroy this sacred foundation of our and any Democracy. In a word, he has aimed at the American People themselves, whom I think he actually fears because they’re beginning, finally, to see right through him. The Emperor, indeed, has no clothes and what a sight it is.

I would think that a lawsuit should be mounted, not just as a reaction of defense against the ongoing onslaught, but one that offensively challenges the President’s deliberate violation of his vow to uphold the Constitution, which could and should lead to his removal by disavowing the 1st Amendment and our Voting Rights.

We have never seen a President or Congress act against the American People as blatantly and extremely as this, with some Americans being killed on U.S. streets during ICE raids. It is so insane and preposterous, beyond words.

From voting, to removing healthcare for millions of people, to SNAP benefits and school lunches for hungry children going up in smoke, to his rapacious execution of a ridiculous, purposeless war against people who did not attack us, you could only think that the current President hates Americans and America. Everything is for sale, and only has value if it puts money into the President’s pocket or his name on the side of a building.

We can learn from this rogue, extremist Administration about what not to do, how not to live

But from all of this, we glean great learnings about the nature of leadership and domination that the U.S. has symbolized and actualized since its inception. We can really learn from this Administration, perhaps more than any other, what we, as a nation, as a People, should and should not do and be.

  • Threats don’t work; they backfire.

  • Sanctions lead to workarounds. Clever people will always find a way around economic punishment just as a blood vessel finds its way around a clot.

  • Competition, as in war, has a natural conclusion, in which ultimately, no one wins; everyone loses.

  • Capitalism, left purely to market forces alone, will lead to the demise of everyone and everything. It doesn’t work. Modified by compassion, moderation, regulation and reason, it can work in many contexts.

  • War doesn’t accomplish any goal because it leaves a trail of destruction and murder in its wake. While war is the basis of our economy, this is a destructive economy with only so much ability to survive, and it will eventually peter out. While anyone can fight if needed, it is the opposite of our higher nature.

  • Only nature collaboration, compassion, kindness and diplomacy work long-term.

  • Men who pose as strong are fundamentally very weak—strong men use their hearts and minds to navigate to mutually beneficial outcomes—they don’t use force.

  • Cooperation, compassion and collaboration work, always have and always will. Win-win always works.

  • Less is often more.

  • As our mothers taught us, “share and share alike.”

  • Kindness is next to heavenliness.

  • Working with Nature’s ecosystem, biomimetics, always works.

The data center fight shows Heaven on Earth’s power

The fight against data centers among people of all different parties, backgrounds and cultures symbolizes how what matters is what the People want, not the politicians. The fight also symbolizes people’s disinterest and disdain for a billionaire class trying to commandeer our country, our land and our way of life. This is an expression of Heavenly power, of people unifying and standing up to conventional power structures, demanding that thy will be done.

Having learned these points from examining the Heavenly Model, we can see the Dominator Model for what it is: a Trojan Horse.

This will lead us back to where so many of us began, where most indigenous people “live”, the ground of their being, and bring back the mindset, this time for all people, of this being a place for Heaven on Earth.

Camp 1, the experience of Heaven on Earth, goodwill and cheer among people, is looking to reassert itself once Camp 2 is more thoroughly cleared and removed from positions of power.