A Rare Oppotunity ...

Good Morning Monday!

We'll must say that I am amazed. CNN has a lead story about something positive that's happened ... the Russian Sub that was entangled in some cables some two hunderd meters below the surface off the eastern coast of Russia in the Pacific Ocean was freed and the crew rescued. That's simply amazing ... both the story and that a major news network ran it "as is." (They tried to get some "juice" in it, but it was a dismal attempt actually.)

What's even more amazing in some ways is that a major world govenment learned a lesson from past mistakes and corrected a situation based on their learning. This is cause for hope and maybe even celebration. I'm sure some of you remember the situation back when that Russian submarine the Kursk was sunk off the coast in the Barents Sea. In that botched up mission one hundred and eighteen Russian sailors died. Obstensively the intention of delaying the request for international aid or accepting it when it was offered was to "protect vital Russian military secrets." Of course this was accepted by the officials at that time as more "vital" than the lives of those sailors.

Just get this and we're again on our way regarding how Social Ontology works.

At the time it was accepted that "vital military secrets" were more important than the lives of those sailors.

It's really just that simple. Those were the "facts" at that time, accepted by all (Russian leaders involved) and acted upon as "fact."

Now they (the Russians) weren't all that different than any other major force military commanders or politcos of that time. I remember growing up watching post WWII war movies (some of my favorites at the time) with none other than the likes of John Wayne starring in the lead roles. Many of these movies celbrated the bravery, courage and heroism of men who gave their lives for their country. Often to get or to perserve "vital military secrets." And, this was the socially accepted lore and mythology of the time. I totally got this message and lived (and to a great extent still live) within it's boundaries.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that these folks who died in this way weren't heros, they most assuredly were and are heros. What I'm offering is how the frame and boundary conditions change. How the frame and boundary conditions are established and built ... and then sustained. This is the essence of a significant piece of the social ontology we all share (at least the vast majority of us share it).

So let's pick it up there ...

How does the frame and boundary conditions of social ontology get established and sustained?

Well one of the most potent forces in the world at setting the "acceptable" frame in place and sustaining it is the shared media. These include the "News-makers" if you'll recall my comments from a previous post. It also includes the major entertainment companies. Not just motion pictures, but television and music, as well as theatre and stage productions (although much less so - I'll get why a bit further on) and of course all the literature that produced and especially popularized. This isn't an exhaustive list, but a relatively inclusive one nonetheless. So in some ways the entertainers join the News-makers to become the force that shapes much of the shared social ontology. Then just to round things out a bit more we could add the "learned ones," academicians and scholars who spout their "official" opininons into the mix as well.

Of course you realize that the mixture of these is the most potent of all, e.g.: the News-makers quoting the learned ones that eventually get made into a "true story" by the entertainers that becomes a popular movie ... BRILLIANT!!! By the time it makes it through all the various combinations of media that "we" get it MUST be true ... or so it seems. One of the powers of story is the power to be retold ... and the more often it's retold the more "True" (upper-case "T") it becomes. This is the "trick" of repetition for those of you out there tracking the persuasion and propaganda techniques I'm establishing and sharing with you all.

Yet here we are with an example of the 'media' doing something brilliant and seemingly worthwhile ... saving seven Russian sailors by a reference to an old "story" about a tragedy that the Russian policy-makers (read "politicos") didn't want renewed. Instead it becomes a story of "international co-operation and triumph." It will be interesting to see how the various countries involved attempt to use this to reinforce their individual positions, platforms and strategies. Just give it a day or two - you'll see it if your watching.

From my point of view "it don't matta'" I'm pleased that in this case seven sailors didn't have to die to protect any secrets. I'm pleased that the folks could find a way to work together to do something that is humanitarian, instead of destructive. While I understand the requirement and even the necessity for a strong military given the "way of humans" ... I even "get" the sometimes necessity of war, in total disagreement with the armchair intellectuals who believe only in peace while others die to perserve their right to speculate on a better way - although I take it as Clausewitz did, as failed political policy ... what I often don't "get' are some of the decisions NOT to be of assistance when it seems obvious and humane.

But here's the cause of hope ... a shred of reason in the seeming morass (you gotta love that word ... more ass) of failed military intelligence ... a group of people who just get together to save lives ... in spite of their differences, politically or otherwise. And, especially the Russians putting aside whatever "vital military secrets" could have been compromised during the joint mission. BTW - shame on the Americans and British and Japanese if they used this opportunity mostly to exploit the vulnerability of the Russians in this moment. What a bizzare word to use, eh - "shame" - but this is a basic human emotional response to doing something that is known to be wrong. What's missing of course in this situation that makes "shame" a bizzare concept is that anybody would consider anything they did in this situation as morally "wrong." It would have been in the interests of "National Security" after all and in that domain nothing that can be done could be wrong.

Let me close this down with a reference to a major moment in the construction of modern social ontology. In pre-war (WWII) Germany there was nothing wrong with the idea of accepting the Nazi premise as a valid political position. Even the Jewish population turned the other way and allowed this position to ferment and grow to full power. This put the National Socialists and Hitler into power. The idea that fundamentally some people are more equal than others became acceptable and acted upon and history tells this story. It made it possible for Hollywood to shot and sell those post-WWII movies that entranced me and shaped my beliefs as a child (and the ones shot and sold to the British, the French, the Danes ...) this WAS THE WAY IT HAPPENED. No one's to blame but those nasty Germans ... and all the others who conspired to allow it (NOT MAKE IT - BUT ALLOW IT) to happen. Including the local and worldwide Jewish population, the Americans, the British, the French, the Danes ... all the "sworn enemies" of the National Socialist Party in power from post 1934, who allowed them to assume and retain and grow their power - political and military.

My only reason for this example is to alert my readers who are considering this topic of the construction of social ontology to one of the most powerful forms it can and does take ... "-isms," including nationalism, which I personally think of as far more frightening than any form of fundamentalism that has ever existed on the planet. The only thing more damaging in the history of humankind is when nationalism meets with religious fundamentalism and the propaganda begins with regard to G-d's chosen people. Then the really frightening stuff begins to happen. Metaphysics meets politics with the ability to mold the physical and psychic realities we share ... hot damn ... us all.

But remember ... in this case that wasn't the case and seven more live to tell the tale ... another story to be told and retold ... but it didn't make the front page ... so it's up to you to share the story for yourselves.

Until next time ...


Best regards,

Joseph