America's Spiritual Suicide
By Mary Hamer, M.D.
05 June, 2010
Countercurrents.org
“Civilizations die from Suicide, not by Murder”. Arnold Toynbee. (1)
*Mr. Clint Mansell has written a Requiem for the Gulf (of Mexico Oil Spill) (2) that says in a powerful, dramatic way --How tragic this oil spill is to America & to the Earth.
*MISSION STATEMENT: This paper is about America’s addiction to oil & the tragic consequences of this obsession -- that has led to the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill. This American addiction to oil, Oil wars, the Autoculture & other excessive Oil consumption diseases are leading to America’s overdose & suicide. What is the cause of this deadly fossil fuel habit? The cause of this lust for oil is America’s lack of respect for the Earth. Due to the finite nature of this natural resource & increasing global demand for oil, America is starting to experience delirium tremens withdrawal symptoms. Only an Intervention, detoxification & a spiritual transformation will cure America’s craving for fossil fuels. In this essay, I investigate the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill & I show how Leaders have acted irresponsibly in 3 main categories of: Legal, Moral & Psychological conduct. For example, for a leader to say that: He did not think an oil spill was possible is: #1. In a legal sense irresponsible, #2 in a moral sense unethical, #3. in a psychological sense arrogant & #4 in a business sense a failure to consider a “Worse case scenario” & a “Plan B”. America’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was a distraction to more important issues such as Middle East peace & enforcing offshore oil drilling safety guidelines. What motivates me to write an article such as this one? Every day I wake up to the Violence & cruelty that humans cause to the Earth, to the Animals, the trees, the oceans & to human victims -- & I cry out to the universe for all the pain & suffering Homo Sapiens cause other living beings & to the Earth.
*The Key sections of this paper are: I. Introduction to America’s Suicide. II. America’s History of Violence, III. Key Features & Failures of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. IV. The Proposed Triple Test of Psychological, Legal & Moral Testing for U.S. Leaders & CEO’s regarding Human & Environmental Safety. V. Legal Issues. VI. Morality Issues. VII. Psychological Issues, VIII. Human Deaths. IX. Crimes against the Earth. X. Conclusion [Responsibility, The Triple Test, Psychological Disorders of Leaders, Consequences of Poor Leadership, The Power of the Masses to Withdraw Consent, Letter to President Obama & CEO’s & the Gulf of Mexico Rape Metaphor].
I. THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL:
*HOMICIDE, GENOCIDE, ECOCIDE & SUICIDE: Homicide, genocide, ecocide & spiritual suicide are transpiring in the Gulf of Mexico here in the spring & summer of 2010. The Gulf of Mexico Oil spill of 2010 is now one of the most tragic man-made environmental disasters in history. (3) The homicide of 11 people occurred on 4/20/10 with the Deepwater Horizon Oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The Genocide of dolphins, whales, sea turtles, tuna fish & pelicans & the Ecocide of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems is also occurring due to the oil spill. Also, Fishermen have lost their livelihoods. Beaches & marsh lands are destroyed. No terrorist, no extremist, no enemy caused this oil spill. As Pogo says: “We have met the enemy & he is us”. (4) This tragedy symbolizes the spiritual suicide of the American culture – due to it’s Addiction to oil. Americans have chosen this Addiction to oil, the Autoculture (5), Climate change, Wars for oil, the Interstate Highway System (6), air pollution, suburbia, cookie-cutter homes, Shopping malls, traffic jams, alienated TV home life, abandoned downtown cities, road rage, the Drill baby drill frenzy, etc.. The Autoculture will cause the collapse of our American society.
*CAUSES OF THE OIL SPILL CHAOS: The cause of this catastrophe is multi-factorial; This disaster is systemic, systematic & widespread taking origins in the Obama Administration’s exemptions of BP from standard safety rules. [Section V. Legal Issues] An Inspector General report shows that Materials Management Service (MMS) officials responsible for oversight of the offshore drilling industry -- engaged in pornographic activities & illegal drugs while on the job; These MMS officials also fraternized & exchanged gifts with oil industry personnel. [Section VI. Morality Issues]. Also, this tragedy involved several multi-national Corporations who violated general standards of safety.
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE: The National Wildlife Federation states: “The Gulf of Mexico is a Crime scene”. (7) Claims are being made of criminal negligence. Please see the Legal Section V.
*LACK OF REVERENCE FOR THE EARTH: Questions are being raised about America’s response to this catastrophe: “Where is the outrage?” (8) Americans seem more interested in pornography & football games & drugs than we are of: 11 human lives, fishermen, dolphins, beaches & ecosystems. Americans lack reverence for the Earth. If Americans had true respect for human & animal life & nature, then this tragedy would have never happened. If Americans valued the Earth, they would have inspected the blowout preventer more carefully, they would have demanded better safety measures & they would have not been distracted with pornography or bribed with football tickets. There were more than just a few bad apples involved in this catastrophe. As a review of Mestrovic’s book The Trials of Abu Ghraib states: “A good portion of the orchard is contaminated, & the orchard-keepers have yet to be held accountable” (9); Similarly, with the Gulf disaster, How much of the orchard is diseased? & Will we hold the orchard-keepers responsible for their misconduct? Overall, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster symbolizes the spiritual suicide of American society.
*PURPOSE: Overall, this paper is not about criminalizing Homo Sapiens for their oil addiction. This essay Is about taking a stand against: #1. Homo Sapien reckless disregard for the Earth, #2. Legal, Moral & Psychological Failures of the Human race, & #3. Holding U.S. Presidents & CEO’s to a higher standard.
II AMERICA’S HISTORY: As a medical doctor I am concerned about America’s history of genocide, ecocide & it’s potential for self-destruction. The United States: #1. Committed genocide against the Native American Indians (10), #2. America inflicted slavery upon the African-Americans, The U.S. Bombed Hiroshima & Nagasaki with atomic bombs (11), #3. America committed ecocide against Viet Nam with Agent Orange (12), #4. The U.S. inflicted Depleted Uranium on the Iraqi people & U.S. soldiers in the Gulf Wars (13), #5. America practices the horrific animal factory farming industry & the assembly-line slaughtering of animals & #6. The U.S. practices the tragic animal experimentation methods for medical pharmaceuticals & “safety” testing – all in the name of God, Democracy & Freedom.
III. THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL: KEY FEATURES & FAILURES:
*ADDICTION: The Gulf of Mexico oil spill represents the American addiction to oil. President Bush stated in his 2006 State of the Union Address: “America is addicted to oil”. (14) America goes to War for oil, America destroys ecosystems for oil & America causes climate change for oil. In this age of Peak oil & increasing global demand for this resource, this U.S. addiction to fossil fuels means drilling for oil in more dangerous & expensive locations, with greater risks – such as the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill. As with an alcoholic or a drug abuser, we Americans have a serious oil addiction. We need to go through an Intervention & a petroleum Detoxification program & treat our withdrawal symptoms.
*EGO: This Gulf catastrophe represents the human desire to conquer, dominate & subdue the Earth, it’s animals & ecosystems.
*IRREVERENCE: We Homo sapiens are irreverent toward nature. We are disrespectful of the Dolphins, sea turtles & birds and Gulf of Mexico ecosystems involved in this tragedy.
*LEGAL ISSUES: Please refer to Section V.
Claims of Criminal Negligence. In my opinion, Human beings have committed Manslaughter in the Gulf of Mexico: i.e. “The unintentional, accidental killing of (11 human beings) through carelessness”. (15)
*ETHICAL ISSUES: e.g. PORNOGRAPHY, PEACH BOWL tickets & DRUGS: “Federal officials who oversaw drilling in the Gulf of Mexico accepted gifts from oil companies, viewed pornography at work & considered themselves part of (the oil) industry, the Interior Department Inspector General says in a new report. … The investigation uncovered violations of federal regulations & ethics rules by employees of the Lake Charles, Louisiana office of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the federal agency that oversees offshore drilling. …We discovered that … individuals (were) involved in fraternizing & gift exchange (between government & industry).” (16) Continued in Morality Section VI.
*PSYCHOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES: Please refer to Psychology Section VII.
*POOR RISK MANAGEMENT, IGNORANT OPTIMISM, ARROGANCE & FLAWED THINKING: BP has stated repeatedly regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil well that it was “Unlikely that an accidental … oil spill would occur”. (17) It is important that U.S. Presidents & CEO’s understand Probability theory, Risk management (18) & Outcomes analysis including the possibility of a “Worst case scenario”. It is important that unlikely failures of an oil drilling operation-- including an oil spill & the potential for harm to humans & the environment -- be factored into the operation of an oil well. It is essential for a business leader to consider bad outcomes, as well as good outcomes. Intelligent leaders apply: the Precautionary principle & the Do no harm ethic when executing risky ventures. To say that an oil spill is unlikely when drilling miles deep in an ocean – Is an arrogant attitude & an example of Ignorant Optimism – Out of touch with reality. It would be important for any leader with such irrational thinking to find new employment.
*LACK OF RESPECT FOR WORKERS’ SAFETY on the OIL RIG.
*FAILURE to APPLY the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE: The Precautionary principle states: “If an action of Policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, … the burden of proof that (the action) is not harmful falls on those taking the action”. (19) In other words, the burden of proof for oil drilling safety lies with: the U.S. Federal Safety oversight agencies, the Oil company & it’s other corporate associates. Also, the burden of proof for the safety of the oil dispersants in the Gulf belongs to British Petroleum. Claims are being made that the oil dispersants used by BP are “Carcinogenic, Mutagenic & highly Toxic”. (20)
*AMERICA’S EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES: “Americans constitute less than 5% of the world’s population, but (America) consumes 26% of the world’s energy”. (21)
*CORPORATE MISCONDUCT including GREED for Profits. [Morality Section VI].
*OBSESSION WITH TECHNOLOGY: We humans believe in the power of technology. & yet multiple attempts to try to stop the oil spill with some of the best scientific minds & technology -- have failed to stop the oil spill as of June 1, 2010.
*INCREASED RISK OF SEISMIC EVENTS: Oil drilling increases the risk of Earthquakes. (22)
*HUMAN IMPERFECTION: The difficulty that humans are having in trying to stop the oil spill demonstrates Homo Sapien fallability.
IV. TRIPLE TEST: I claim that it is important that America’s political, military, religious & corporate leaders undergo: Psychological testing & personality profiles – As well as meet Legal & Moral standards of behavior. These leaders make critical economic, political, social & environmental decisions regarding vital issues such as: Whether or not to go to war, Developing an energy policy, How to manage environmental problems such as climate change & peak oil -- that significantly affect people, animals & the Earth. It is important that these leaders be rational & emotionally stable -- as well as legally & morally sound decision makers. I argue for America’s & other world leaders including: #1. Presidents, Prime Ministers & other Heads of State, #2. Military Generals, #3. Religious leaders such as the Pope & #4. Corporate CEO’s – to undergo a Triple Test of Legal, morality & psychology testing as part of the job interview & vetting process, before taking office. I will use the Gulf of Mexico BP Oil spill as a test case for my proposed new standard of legal, moral & psychological behavior. I am not a Psychiatrist, but I am a medical doctor who cares deeply for the Earth, human victims, animals & ecosystems who are at risk of exploitation by Homo Sapien leaders. Every day I wake up to the Nightmare Homo Sapiens perpetrate upon the Earth, including the Obama & BP Gulf of Mexico Oil spill disaster. I Apologize to the Universe for all the harm humans have inflicted upon the Earth, the animals, the trees & human victims.
V. GULF OF MEXICO: LEGAL ISSUES: e.g. CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE
*EVIDENCE FOR CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE: #1. ”BP knew the vital blowout preventer was damaged weeks before the spill, yet did nothing to fix it”. (23) #2. Engineering Professor Bob Bea … (told) 60 Minutes that “BP ignored an even more critical safety measure, ordering the rig operator to remove the ‘drilling mud’”; “MMS drilling engineer Frank Patton calls drilling mud ‘The most important thing to safety for your (oil) well”. #3. Also, “BP told rig workers that ‘Things’ were plugged when, in fact, final cementing wasn’t in place. With out it & the drilling mud, an operable blowout preventer was the last lime of defense. Drilling (intentionally) without (any of these safety features) was willful criminal negligence”. (24)
*BLOWOUT PREVENTER: ”At least 4 significant problems have been identified with the Blowout preventer (BOP): (including) #1. There was a leak in the hydraulic system that provides power to the shear rams”. #2. The BOP had been modified in unexpected ways. … Drawing(s) of the BOP provided by TransOcean to BP do not correspond to the structure that is on the ocean bottom”. #3. “Emergency control to the BOP may have failed in multiple ways: ‘Of the two control pods for the deadman switch, the one that has been inspected so far had a dead battery”. (25)
*260 Failure Possibilities: Also, “A … report by Transocean … indicated there could be as many a 260 failure possibilities in the (Blowout) equipment”. Mr. Bart Stupak, the Head of the House Subcommitted on Oversight & Investigations asked: “How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?” (26)
*BP CEO & FELONY CHARGES: Scott West (EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division agent) investigated BP in 2006 after a pipeline burst in Alaska; BP officials were found culpable including the current BP CEO Tony Haywood. “West learned enough to warrant Felony charges, but Bush officials blocked (West & shut) him down”. (27)
*SAFETY EXEMPTIONS: “The Obama Administration granted Oil giant BP a special exemption (in 2009) from a legal requirement that it produce a detailed environmental impact study on the possible effects of it’s Deepwater Horizon drilling operation in the gulf of Mexico”. Specifically, the Federal “Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) gave BP a “Categorical Exclusion” on April 6, 2009 to commence drilling with Deepwater Horizon even though it had not produced the impact study required by law know as the National Environmental Policy Act. The report would have included probable ecological consequences in the event of a spill”. .” (28), (29)
*HISTORY OF SAFETY PROBLEMS: A New York Times article discusses the history of safety problems regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil rig dating back to 2009 regarding the well casing & the blowout preventer; This review states that BP’s actions regarding the well casing: “Violated the company’s safety policies & design standards”. Also “documents show that in March (2010) … BP was struggling with a loss of ‘Well control’”. (30)
*HALLIBURTON: “”Halliburton may have completed a flawed cementing job to cap the well, just prior to it’s blowout. Halliburton claims that their cement plug, the final barrier to contain the well ‘was Never set’”. (31)
*BLAME: Transocean & Halliburton “Blame BP for it’s instructions to remove drilling mud from the riser prior to capping it … The mud, whose pressure likely helped to contain the well, was replaced with seawater before the well was sealed, possibly contributing to the blowout. It is unclear why this was done”. (32)
*U.S. GOVERNMENT SEEKS CRIMINAL & CIVIL INVESTIGATIONS:
The “Federal government announced criminal & civil investigations into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill (on 6/1/10) …Washington lawyer Stan Brand said that two likely criminal law theories the Justice Department would pursue are False statements to the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service & Obstruction by failing to produce evidence to investigators”. (33)
VI. GULF OF MEXICO: MORALITY ISSUES: TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
*MMS: PROSTITUTION, DRUG ABUSE, PEACH BOWL tickets, etc.: The fractal seeds of chaos & negative karma for the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill -- start with the U.S. MMS Department – the agency responsible for the oversight of offshore drilling. Details of the Interior Department’s investigation include:
-- “A former MMS inspector sent an e-mail with pictures of the company plane on which he, an oil company official & others flew to Atlanta for the 2005 Peach Bowl game”.
-- “E-mails for MMS inspectors … revealed that in 2005, 2006 & 2007 various offshore companies invited MMS personnel to … skeet-shooting contests, hunting & fishing trips, golf tournaments, crawfish boils & Christmas parties”.
-- “The IG found numerous instances of pornography & other inappropriate material on the e-mail accounts of 13 employees … There were 314 instances in which … employees received or forwarded pornographic images & links from their government e-mail”.
-- “An MMS clerical employee told investigators that she began using cocaine & methamphetamine with an (MMS) inspector when she started working at the agency …
-- “’MS safety inspectors were flying high in private jets, taking bribes, while allowing oil & gas companies to fill out their own safety inspection forms’ said (the) House Natural Resources committee Chairman”. (34)
*MONEY SEDUCTION & CONFLICT OF INTERESTS: “Sarah Palin accused U.S. President Barack Obama … of being lax in his response to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster & suggested this was because he is too close to Big Oil”. “More that 3.5 million dollars has been given to candidates by BP over the last 20 years, with the largest single donation … going to Obama” (35)
*PROFITS: ”BP wants to recover ‘As much oil as possible from the (site) rather than dimply plugging & capping (it), which would then place it off-limits to further drilling”. “Company officials are deceiving the Obama administration & public about their so-called ‘kill shot’ or ‘top kill’ plan to permanently seal the well. Instead, they intend ‘to shoot cement into the pipe in an attempt to cap’ it temporarily, later hoping to dig ‘a trench for side drilling (to) recover as much oil as possible’, no matter the risk of an even greater disaster-- that won’t deter their quest for profits”. (36)
VII. GULF OF MEXICO: PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES
*SELFISHNESS & Failure to Share Information with the Public: ”BP with the full complicity of the Obama administration continues to conceal safety data (e.g. Air sampling tests related to the oil spill) as proprietary information”. (37)
*REFUSAL TO SHARE Vital Information with the Public: “The exact spill flow rate (of the Deepwater Horizon Oil well) is uncertain – in part because BP has refused to allow independent scientists to perform accurate measurements”. (38) Estimates of the oil spill flow rate range from 5,000 barrels to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. (39) BP’s “Low estimate of (the) Oil spill’s size could save BP Millions (of dollars) in court” – Since the “Size of the oil spill … was a significant factor that the jury considered when it assessed damages against Exxon”. (40)
*COVER-UP: Allegations have been made that “BP (has) engaged in a ‘Cover-up’ about the extent of the damage & the amount of crude flowing unchecked from it’s ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico”. “BP said … it was siphoning 5,000 barrels per day of oil from the gusher”. “Scientists analyzing video of the oil gushing from the seabed have pegged the spills volume at about 70,000 barrels per day”. (41)
*WITHHOLDING VITAL INFORMATION to Americans & the World Community: RE: The Oil Blob: “FEMA & U.S. Army Corps of Engineer sources say that ‘U.S. Navy submarines (in the Gulf & Atlantic off the Florida coast) have detected (& are tracking) what amounts to a frozen oil blob (deep below the ocean surface) (It’s now) transiting the Florida Straits between Florida & Cuba”. (42)
*PROSTRATION & SUBSERVIANT BEHAVIOR: The Obama Administration’s Response to the BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: Shannon Jones in her Gulf Oil Spill article states: “The response of the Obama administration to the (BP Gulf of Mexico) disaster is indicative of it’s prostration before the powerful corporate & financial interests it serves”. “Following the oil rig explosion the Obama administration remained Silent & indifferent”. “The White House continued it’s silence as the scale of the disaster widened, continuing it’s calls for expanded offshore drilling”. Downplaying the significance of the unfolding environmental catastrophe, (President Obama) merely called the oil spill an ‘Incident’”. (43)
VIII. HUMAN DEATHS RELATED TO THE DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION:
*Human Deaths: 11 people died in the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion & fire on 4/20/10.
IX. CRIMES AGAINST THE EARTH:
I would like to modify & extrapolate the Crimes against Humanity definition (44), (45), (46)
-- To a definition of Human Crimes against the Earth. Hence this new doctrine of Human Crimes against the Earth would include: “Odious offenses & attacks on the Earth’s dignity or grave humiliation or degradation of the Earth, humans, animals, trees, etc. – including atrocities tolerated or condoned by Governments, CEO’s, Military generals & Religious leaders. Crimes against the Earth include: Homicide, Genocide, Ecocide, Human & Animal Abuse, Torture, Rape, Slavery, Apartheid, Nuclear Waste, Pollution & Oil Spills.
X. CONCLUSION:
*CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Who is Responsible for this Environmental Catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico? British Petroleum, Halliburton, Trans Ocean & Cameron International are responsible for the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the destruction of Gulf of Mexico ecosystems near Louisiana, the damage to the fishing industry and the killing of birds & animals including dolphins & pelicans -- & the risk for a Seismic event in the Gulf of Mexico. I feel BP, Halliburton, TransOcean & Cameron International failed to apply the Precautionary Principle in their Deepwater Horizon Oil well operation in the Gulf of Mexico – especially with respect to safety measures such as the Blowout Preventer. (47), (48)
*U.S. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY: I believe that the fractal seed of the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill started with #1. The Obama Administration’s exemption of British Petroleum from safety standards in 2009 & #2. The MMS Department’s unethical behavior & failure of oversight of the offshore oil industry. As the Butterfly effect states: “Small differences in the initial condition of a dynamic system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system”. (49) Overall, all Americans are responsible for the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill tragedy. But, American citizens have choices including: Voting it’s leaders out of office & choosing other Non-violent methods of protest & action. (50)
*FOUR CORPORATIONS & THE U.S. GOVERNMENT: “Four corporations were involved in the equipment manufacture, drilling, operation & servicing of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig & four corporations appear to share blame for the Gulf spill. (i.e. British Petroleum, TransOcean, Halliburton & Cameron International) However, inadequate government regulatory oversight by both the executive & legislative branches (of the U.S. government) also contributed to the spill”. (51)
*TRIPLE TEST: President Obama, BP, Halliburton, TransOcean & Cameron International fail the Triple test regarding safety issues related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These leaders failed to both prevent this catastrophe & the failed due to their poor management of the problem after it happened. Specifically, in psychological terms, these leaders demonstrated: Narcissistic, High risk, Impulsive, Greedy & Reckless behaviors.
*POLITICAL PROPAGANDA: We sterilize this Gulf disaster with our detached professorial talk. As George Orwell said: “Political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful & murder respectable”. (52) I extrapolate Mr. Orwell’s quote to say: “Press conferences & political propaganda make the Homicide, genocide & ecocide of the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill sound respectable”.
*The “Suicide” of the Gulf of Mexico is symbolic of the American addiction & lust for Oil, cars, big-wheel trucks, suburbia, the Interstate Highway system (53), etc.. Humans lust for oil & consumer goods; We live in a Go, go, go – Fast lane – Groupthink Mob mentality era. We lust for technology & stuff & things. & Our leaders are running us over the cliff. Humans claim they are the superior species. In my opinion, humans are the most violent & cruel species on Earth.
*MORALITY: We humans value: Safety exemptions of companies, football tickets & pornography -- more than we value Kohlberg’s highest level of morality: To do the right thing & to follow universal principles of ethics. (54)
*Hence I Mary Hamer withdraw my consent for the Homo Sapien: Homicide, the Genocide, the Ecocide & the Suicide of American society in the Gulf of Mexico & elsewhere.
*RECOMMENDATIONS: The “TRIPLE TEST” FOR WORLD LEADERS:
*TRIPLE TEST: Overall, I recommend world leaders & CEO’s undergo a “Triple Test” when deciding any major policy that affects significant numbers of people, animals or the Earth.. The Triple Test is a set of three tests including: the Legality, the Morality & the Psychology of any public decision. I recommend an International panel oversee world leaders such as in America & that this panel monitor the impact these leaders have on economic, political, social & environmental systems.
*Psychological Testing: An example of a Psychological Tests for Leaders is: Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) method of “ABC” questions to determine: The rationality of thinking, the degree of emotional disturbance & behavioral issues. (55) Other psychology tests that could be used to evaluate leaders include: Psychometric testing (56), Personality Disorder testing (57), the Myers-Briggs testing (58) & Rorschach testing (59)
*TRANSFORMATION: Will President Obama, BP & the Oil industry undergo an Aldo Leopold (60) & a Deep ecology (61) transformation as the result of this Gulf of Mexico tragedy? Aldo Leopold described man’s transformation in stating: “A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land (to) … (a) plain member & citizen of it. It implies respect for … the (Earth) community”. (62)
*PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF LEADERS:
1. NARCISSISM: Key features of Narcissism according the DSM criteria include: “A grandiose sense of Self-importance, a need for admiration & a lack of empathy.” “This pattern of self-centered or Egotistical behavior is not caused by drugs or alcohol use, head injury, acute psychotic episodes or any other illness”. “Narcissists use other people to get what they want without caring about the cost to the other people”. (Narcissists & their lack of empathy show) “No concern for others’ distress” (63) Ego definition: “An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others”. (64) Review of the facts shows evidence of Narcissism & Ego as contributory factors in the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill.
2. AGGRESSIVE Disorders: e.g. Aggressive Wars (65) such as the Iraq War for Oil. U.S. history shows evidence of anger towards enemies & resultant violence.
Anger definition: “A strong feeling of displeasure, hostility or antagonism towards someone … usually combined with an urge to harm”. (66) Violence definition: “Action intended to cause destruction, pain or suffering”. (67)
3. GREEDY CONSUMERISM: e.g. Addiction to Oil & Autoculture.
4. HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR & RECKLESS DISREGARD for the Safety of Humans, Animals or the Earth. “Studies now indicate that the inclination to take high risks … may offer such a thrill that it functions like an addiction”. “Research has … revealed the darker side of risk taking. High-risk takers … (are) more likely to abuse drugs, gamble, committ crimes & (to) be promiscuous”. (68) “Sensation-seeking is the pursuit of novel & intense experiences without regard for physical, social, legal or financial risk. … Scientists have discovered some similarities between the brains of drug users & high sensation-seeking athletes”. “Adolescent males are the most likely subset of the population to partake in risky behaviors. This is because in adolescent males the brain’s reward system develops long before the inhibitory system” -- Resulting in a failure to consider consequences & to restrain oneself from risky behavior. (69) An example of high risk behavior is failure to apply the Precautionary Principle when engaging in a risky activity. “The precautionary principle states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is Not harmful falls on those taking the action”. Also, there is “A need by decision-makers to anticipate harm before it occurs”. (70) The Gulf of Mexico Oil spill leaders show features of these high-risk takers including a lack of inhibitory control.
5. MACHO GROUPTHINK ATTITUDE: Grossinger states in the book Abu Ghraib: The Politics of Torture: “When slaughterhouse workers in West Virginia are filmed stomping on live chickens for fun, flinging them against the wall, strangling them with latex gloves while hamming it up, squeezing birds till they explode, & ripping off their heads for a pen to (write) graffiti in blood, how far are we (Americans & the human race) from hell itself? … Why wouldn’t the same arrogant, sociopathic treatment of (living beings) be transferred from commercial fowl to … prisoners of war (e.g. in Abu Ghraib)”. (71) I would like to extrapolate Grossinger’s question to ask: Why wouldn’t the same arrogant, sociopathic treatment of living beings by violent people be transferred from commercial fowl to the Deepwater Horizon workers & the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems?
6. ANTHROPOCENTRISM & Environment Denial & Animal Denial – Similar to Holocaust Denial. i.e. Homo Sapien Self-Centeredness dominates the world at the risk of Animals & the Environment.
7. DENIAL: Definition: “Refusing to acknowledge painful or overwhelming external circumstances; Avoiding the facts or minimizing the consequences. …(Denial can become) a maladaptive or harmful response”. (72) America is in denial of it’s addiction to Oil.
8. FEARS, Phobias, Awfulizing: e.g. The Interstate Highway System was developed not only for private & commercial transportation, but also as part of a “National defense system” -- to serve for “Transport routes for military supplies & troop deployments in case of an emergency or (a) foreign invasion”. (73) Have America’s fears of a foreign invasion created an expensive oil-dependant interstate highway system – When a national train/railway system would be more economically & environmentally reasonable?
9. THE BUDDY, BUDDY SYSTEM: e.g. U.S. Presidents & Corporate America.
10. DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR.
SOCIETAL COLLAPSE, Poor Leadership, Human Overpopulation & Consumption:
*Jared Diamond’s book: Collapse: “Diamond … shows clearly that poor leadership & greed by the ruling elite consistently results in disaster” … “It is clear from Diamond’s analysis that Control of population growth & hence consumption of scarce resources (including energy) is the single most important factor in a society’s avoidance of collapse”. (74) Will the American society follow Mr. Diamond’s advice & improve it’s leadership, control it’s population size & control it’s consumption of limited resources? – Or will America collapse due to it’s poor leadership, overpopulation & mismanagement of resources such as Oil?
*POWER of the MASSES: TO WITHDRAW CONSENT from THE LEADERS [Hamer, Mary. I Withdraw My Consent for Human Violence. Countercurrents.org. 3/10/10.]
We, the people, are responsible for the actions of our leaders. While leaders may be the primary forces making decisions such as: Whether or not to go to war, committing genocide, committing ecocide, etc. – We the people are then secondary complicit murderers – We the people are not innocent bystanders – We the people are not victims. Why are Americans so passive or ignorant about the irrational, unethical & illegal actions of their leaders e.g. RE: the Gulf of Mexico BP Oil spill? Joel Hirschorn asks “Where is the national outrage” among the American public RE this oil spill? “Where are the loud calls from everyone & the media demanding a stronger federal response?” “Where is Obama’s … anger & … firing of many federal officials?” (75) Is America so immersed in it’s violence that it can not see the truth about it’s poor leadership?
*DEAR PRESIDEN OBAMA: Please #1. Develop a national public transportation system, #2. Increase energy efficiency & #2 Develop alternative renewable energies such as wind and solar power. Please phase out of nuclear power since nuclear waste is an expensive, dirty, toxic,CO2-producing & unsolved major problem.
*DEAR CEO’S OF THE OIL INDUSTRY:
*COMPASSION –VS- PROFIT MOTIVE: Dear CEO’s of the Oil Industry: I write this essay to appeal to you to paradigm shift from a profit motive to compassion in your oil companies. Please paradigm shift from human domination & exploitation of animals, humans & the Earth to a partnership, peaceful co-existence & respect for other living beings & the Earth.
*NEW EARTH ACCOUNTING METHOD: I appeal to the fossil fuel industry to paradigm shift from the greedy capitalist accounting method to a new Earth accounting method that is more honest in it’s assessment of true costs. I define the Earth Accounting Method to mean not only an accounting of standard production costs (land, labor, supplies, legal & insurance costs, etc.) -- but also the costs of the pain & suffering of the Earth, the workers, the animals & the ecosystems involved in oil production & combustion. What are the real costs of the fossil fuel industry in terms of the destruction of ecosystems & harm to humans & animals in extracting & consuming oil?
*NEW AWARENESS: How much pain & suffering on behalf of the Earth & animals & human workers has gone into each gallon of oil that a person consumes?
*GULF OF MEXICO BP OIL SPILL: RAPE METAPHOR
*The human race has Penetrated & raped the Gulf of Mexico with the Deepwater Horizon Oil well, explosion & oil spill -- & The Earth is bleeding to death & the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem has been left for dead. #1. Homo Sapiens are selfish; Humans are more interested in their Addiction to fossil fuels, the Peak oil drill baby drill frenzy, greedy consumerism, human overpopulation & the status quo. People are less interested in the environment to take significant safety precautions. #2. Also, Humans lack forseeability & preventive behavior for catastrophes such as the BP Oil spill. Overall, Homo Sapiens do not value the environment, animals or human victims. Humans raped the Gulf of Mexico by penetrating the Earth’s crust with the Deepwater Horizon Oil well, failing to apply safety standards proactively & then by mismanaging the oil spill after it happened. The Earth never gave it’s consent to this rape in the Gulf of Mexico.
*FINAL NOTE:
We humans say that we are the Superior, civilized, religious species & yet we kill humans, animals & ecosystems. Homo Sapiens are Narcissistic, disconnected from nature & bad stewards of the Earth. The human Ego is the most dangerous thing in the universe. Homo Sapiens are cavemen in business suits. I withdraw my name from the human race. & I grieve as I witness humans destroy the Earth.
Salaam. Shalom. Shanti. Peace.
Thank you. Respectfully, Mary Hamer, M.D.
REFERENCES:
1. thinkexist.com: Arnold Toynbee. English Economic historian & social reformer. 1889-1975.
2. www.countercurrents.org: Requiem for the Gulf. By Clint Mansell.
3. en.wikipedia.org. List of environmental disasters.
4. thinkexist.com: Walt Kelly, American cartoonist notable for his comic strip Pogo.
5. www.sustainableenterprisses.com: Autoculture.
6.en.wikipedia.org. Interstate Highway System.
7. www.nwf.org. BP Can’t be Left in Charge of Gulf Coast Crime Scene. By Miles Grant. 5/19/10.
8. Joel Hirschorn Oily Obama. Countercurrents.org. 5/23/10.
9. www.amazon.com. Mestrovic, S. G. The Trials of Abu Ghraib. Paradigm Pulbishers. C 2005.Product Description.
10. Hamer, Mary. Apology to the Native American Indians. Countercurrents.org. 12/8/9.
11. Hamer, Mary. Apology to the Earth for Nuclear Bombs & War. Countercurrents.org. 1/4/10.
12. Hamer, Mary. Pro-Life Killers. Countercurrents.org. 4/15/10.
13. Hamer, Mary. The New Gandhi. Countercurrents.org. 4/22/10.
14. en.wikipedia.org. Addicted to Oil. Referencing: NPR & The State of the Union.
15. thesaurus.com: Homicide.
16. www.nytimes.com: Interior Probe finds Fraternizing, Porn & Drugs at MMS Office in LA. By Noelle Straub of Greenwire. 5/25/10.
17. www.guardian.co.uk. Gulf Oil spill at Deepwater Horizon. By Robin McKie. The Observer. 5/2/10.
18. en.wikipedia.org. Risk. Referencing: OHSAS & Landsburg, Steven. “Is your life worth $10 Million?”. Everyday Economics.
19. en.wikipedia.org. The Precautionary Principle.
20. www.guardian.co.uk. Gulf Oil Spill Chemical Dispersant too toxic. By Suzanne Goldenberg. 5/20/10.
21. en.wikipedia.org: Energy Policy in the United States. Referencing: SEI Energy Consumption.
22. Hamer, Mary. The Rape of the Earth & the Human Ego. Countercurrent.org. 5/14/10.
23. www.countercurrents.org. BP & Administration Lies, Deceit & Cover-Up in the Gulf. By Stephen Lendman. Referencing: Judith Evans Timesonline report: BP Pressured Rig Disaster Workers to Drill Faster.
24. www.countercurrents.org. BP & Administration Lies, Deceit & Cover-up in the Gulf. By Stephen Lendman.
25. en.wikipedia.org: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Referencing: Stupak, Bar, Chairman. “Inquiry into the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Coast Oil Spill. U.S. House Committee on Commerce & Energy.
26. newsvote.bbc.co.uk. Oil Blowout Device “Was Faulty”.
27. Lendman, Stephen. Obama’s Gulf Commission. Countercurrents.org. 5/25/10.
28. www.freerepublic.com. Obama Sheltered BP’s Deepwater Horizon Rig from Regulatory Requirements. By Tom Eley. 5/6/10. Referencing the Washington Post.
29. www.washingtonpost.com: Eilperin. U.S. Exempted BP’s Gulf of Mexico. 5/5/10.
30. www.nytimes.com. Documents Show Early Worries about Safety of Rig. By Ian Urbina. 5/29/10.
31. news.suite.101. Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
32. news.suite.101. Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
33. news.yahoo.com. AP BP Stock Tumbles as Feds Announce Oil Spill Probes. By Mike Kunzelman & Greg Bluestein.
34. www.nytimes.com. Interior Probe finds Fraternizing, Porn & Drugs at MMS Office in LA. By Noelle Straub of Greenwire. 5/25/10.
35. news.yahoo.com: Palin accuses Obama of Being in Bed with Big Oil. By Andrew Gully. Referencing the Center for Responsive Politics.
36. Lendman, Stephen. BP & Administration Lies, Deceit & Cover-up in the Gulf. 3/22/10.
37. www.countercurrents.org. Referencing Betinis, Kristina. The Social & Economic Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill. WSWS.org.
38. en.wikipedia.org: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Referencing: The New York Times. 5/15/10.
39. en.wikipedia.org: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
40. www.mcclatchydc.com: Low Estimate of Oil spill’s Size could save BP Millions in Court. By Marisa Taylor, Renee Schoof & Erika Bolstad. McClatchy Newspapers. 5/20/10.
41. news.yahoo.com: BP Accused of Cover-Up. By Matthew Bigg & Jeremy Pelofsky.
42. www.countercurrents.org. BP & Administration Lies, Deceit & Cover-up in the Gulf. By Stephen Lendman.
43. Jones, Shannon. Gulf Oil Spill Threatens Economic, Environmental Catastrophe. www.countercurrents.org. 4/30/10.
44. en.wikipedia.org. Crimes against Humanity. Referencing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As Quoted by Guy Horton in Dying Alive. April 2005. Co-Funded by Netherlands Ministry for Development. Section 12.52 Crimes against Humanity Pg 201 He references: RSICC/C Vol. 1 Pg 360.
45. www.survivorsrightsinternational.org: Definition of Crimes Against Humanity.
46. Horton: Dying Alive: A Legal Assessment of Human Rights Violations in Burma. Crimes against Humanity. Publisher: Images Asia. April 2005. Pg 201-206.
47. en.wikipedia.org: Precautionary Principle Definition.
48. www.aolnews.com: Oil Spill Points to Rig Fail-Safe as Utter Failure. 4/30/10.
49. en.wikipedia.org. Butterfly Effect.
50. www.aeinstein.org. Gene Sharp’s 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action. The Politics of Nonviolent Action. Boston. 1973.
51. news.suite.101. Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
52. thinkexist.com: George Orwell quote.
53. en.wikipedia.org: Interstate Highway system. Referencing: Petroski, Henry. (2006) On the Road. American Scientist: 94 (5) 396-399.
54. en.wikipedia.org. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Referencing: Colby, Anne. Et al. (1983) A Longitudinal Study of Moral Judgment. The Univ. of Chicago Press.
55. en.wikipedia.org. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Referencing: Dryden, W. & Neenan, M. Essential Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Wiley. 2003.
56. en.wikipedia.org. Psychometrics.
57. en.wikipedia.org. Personality Disorder.
58. en.wikipedia.org. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
59. en.wikipedia: Rorschach Test.
60. pantheon.cis.yale.edu: The Transformation of Aldo Leopold. By Amy McCoy.
61. highered.mcgraw-hill.com: Glossary: Deep Ecology.
62. www.leopold.iastate.edu: More about Aldo Leopold.
63. www.halcyon.com: What is a Personality Disorder?: Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Referencing: DSM-IV American Psyciatric Association. 1994.
64. wordnetweb.princeton.edu: Definition of Ego.
65. en.wikipedia.org. War of Aggression.
66. en.wiktionary.org: Anger Definition.
67. en.wiktionary.org: Violence Definition.
68. www.psychologytoday.com: Risk. By Paul Roberts. 10/1/2009.
69. lifemorenatural.com. Extreme Psychology. By Lindsey Konkel. 7/12/9. Referencing: Zuckerman’s definition of Sensation-seeking.
70. en.wikipedia.org: Precautionary Principle.
71. Abu Ghraib: The Politics of Torture. Essays by Many Authors including: Richard Grossinger: Abu Ghraib: A Howl. Pg 132-133.
72. www.medicalnewstoday.com. Refusing to Face the Facts – Denial & Health. Mayo Clinic. 4/10/7.
73. en.wikipedia.org. Interstate Highway System: History.
74. www.amazon.com. Jared Diamond. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Viking Adult. C 2004. Customer Review by Allen Hundley.
75. Hirschorn, Joel. Oily Obama. Countercurrents.org. 5/23/10.
