Blood In, Blood Out!

Have you ever been "brainwashed"? I am probably dating myself by using that term. WWII vintage perhaps! But it was the title of the final album by George Harrison in 2002. Can I safely substitute  words like advertising, parenting, education, indoctrination and perhaps even conditioning? Is brainwash too harsh a word to describe these experiences we all have in life? 

Blood In, Blood Out was the title of a 1993 movie. It is some sort of Bond of Honour used today by violent gangs. To get into the gang you must spill blood (probably kill someone), and then there is no way out, except death (get killed yourself!). The easiest promise in the world to make is to offer someone a special treat after they die. Given the fact we live in a world full of violence and cruelty being promised a better life after death sounds pretty good. But then, if it does not happen at the time of death, you can't come back and accuse the individual, or organization of deceit!

I realize of course there is a subtle difference in some of the above words. Children are indoctrinated into the religious beliefs by their parents, soldiers into the army, followers into the late Jim Jones Peoples Temple! Recently, some young Canadian men were 'radicalized' into blowing up oil refineries in the middle of the African desert resulting in the death of thirty-eight hostages and twenty-nine militants. Many of the militants were wearing suicide vests as well! Are there others out there who might come home and use their newly acquired skills here? What promises were made, and by whom, remains a mystery.

 The word radicalization is broad enough to include extreme political, social or religious ideals that oppose the status quo. As someone once said radicalization is 'what goes before the bomb goes off'.  The radicalization process can even include some sort of violence, such as sleep deprivation, to create motivational or mental preconditions for terrorism. On the other hand, it can be much more subtle and depend on the pre-disposition of the subjects - like frustrated teenagers! Nor does it necessarily imply a violent end. Whatever it means, most of us read it as meaning something very negative and that is what the press wants us to believe!

Of course, looking back over more than eighty years of life I can safely say there have been many people -  parents, religious leaders, teachers and friends that have had a strong influence on my view of the world. I thank them for their input, I know it was well intended, but I realized years ago that some of their "advice" obstructed my ability to self-direct.

E.M. Forster, the author of such books as "A Room with a View" and "The Longest Journey" once wrote that democracy will never be a Beloved Republic. He did go on to say, "It is less hateful than other contemporary forms of government, and to that extent it deserves our support." (What I Believe)
Democracy allows people an opportunity to create something or discover something new. It allows us to bring up our children decently. It permits criticism. It permits liberty. Of course the conundrum is it also depends on force; the police and the army, if the government hopes to rule. Remember Pierre  Trudeau and the October Crisis of October 1970! Sometimes that in itself can be a major problem.

So as long as we live by the rules of democracy, Canada is about as good as it gets. But we can make our lives even better by examining, from time to time, our own beliefs, our ideas and our view of the world. Ask yourself if you have been brainwashed or indoctrinated along your path of life? Without becoming negative, it helps to be critical of the tons of information available to us daily on our devices and to learn not to believe everything that is put in front of us. After all, that is what 'Growing Up' really means, and the job of growing up never ends!

               And that's Dick's View of the World this Week