A key to Understanding Intolerance
A proposed "wave" theory of intolerance and tolerance
Technological and accompanying economic changes are destabilizing. They advance the economic interests of one group rathr than another. The “winner” in such circumstances is by and large a group that already holds political and cultural power. As their wealth and power increases disproportionally (or at the expense of others) so also does popular anger and unrest.
When ruling elites fear potential disorder, they seek ways to turn the anger away from their own apparent “selfishness” toward other groups, groups that throughout Western history have been likely targets: heretics, Jews, Muslims, ethnic neighbors, and sexual minorities. A wave of intolerance sweeps across society.
Tolerance, however, has an equally long and successful historical tradition in Western societies. The core values of the Judeo-Christian tradition are the universality of peoples and the primacy of love. These have often been strong enough to silence the voices of intolerance.
And as well practical considerations have worked in favor of tolerance. As economies centralized in larger cities, the nature of economic markets and the mutual interests of people with diverse economic roles forced people to meet each other as partners in a web of social interactions. This challenged their “otherness.”
It was always, though, a rising economy, a fairer economic structure, that supported tolerance and respect for each other despirt, even because, of our differences.
These inherent forces of tolerance have again and again transformed America from a nation of waring minorities into a Republic of self-governing majorities. Remember, our majorities are almost always “sausage-links” of minorities.
As we are presently experiencing a wave of intolerance in the United States, it is critical that we join forces with those that fight injustice and oppose the economic forces that are dividing us from one another.
I see many signs of these changes. The present reevaluation and understanding of the ideas and work of Bayard Ruskin is a case in point. There is much about intolerance that is self-defeating. There is much about tolerance that is self-affirming. I don’t see reason for despair. Martin Luthor King’s “arc” of history does bend toward justice, but not until waves of intolerance have lost their grip on our hearts and minds.
Our potential is great and our energies rightly focused can shape the future. Nothing weakens us more as a nation than intolerance. We were never prouder and stronger as a nation than when we celebrated together our common humanity.
Truly, we can either fight our common enemies (war, injustice, natural disasters, sickness and greed)—or we can fight each other. We cannot do both.
I'm not so sure about supposed Judeo-Christian values. I am inclined to suggest that Carl Jung was right about shadow selves. It's the part of us, like trauma, shame, resentment, and other things we keep hidden. A green light's been given to unleash this part of ourselves. It's externalized unresolved internal issues. It's why I have family members who say a politician says what they're thinking. The shadow self isn't necessarily a negative thing to have but it's being directed and amplified that way. People are broken instead of becoming whole. Weaponized.