Monolithism

I know, I just made up that word. But I think it’s a convenient term for people whose knowledge and depth of thinking is so shallow they create neat little buzz words and (buzz concepts) for complex, multifaceted people, ideas and events.

For examples, listen any time to right wing talk radio where callers and hosts converse in nothing but buzz words and concepts so simplistic that they are devoid of any true meaning.

One of my favorites right now is The Terrorists. Yes, THE Terrorists. That one, like-minded global group of people bent on terrorizing everyone else. We even have a War on Terror to fight The Terrorists.

It reminds me of THE Communists of yesteryear. All Marxist totalitarian states were Communist and in cahoots with each other. Never mind that the Soviet Union and Communist Red China (China was lucky, it got TWO evil designations: Communist AND Red) were bitter rivals nearly going to war on a few occasions. Communist Vietnam invaded Communist Kampuchea and in retaliation Communist Red China attacked Communist Vietnam, all in 1979. The Communists seemed to be living in a house divided. But they were monolithic and out to get us. All of them. That’s why it was important 55,000 Americans die in Vietnam.

Today, from our simple minded president on down, people conveniently place their need for a mortal enemy at the base of The Terrorists monolith. Of course, The Terrorists never seem to include white (Timothy McVeigh) or Christian (Eric Robert Rudolph) killers who are responsible for the second and third worst terror attacks in the U.S. Too much diversity kills Monolithism.

Simple minds (no, not the ‘80s band) also have a hard time with the quasi-organization of a given group that uses terror as a weapon. They do, however, understand nation states. They’re easily understood in a monolithic sort of way. So, to resolve the cognitive complexities, The Terrorists are given all the attributes of an evil nation bent on territorial acquisition and world domination. Therefore, you get ridiculous notions that The Terrorists want to take over Iraq and make it A Terrorist Nation (remember the Communists and Red Communists). Just as Hitler and Germany acquired Poland, so too shall the Nation of Terror gobble up land until the hoards of The Terrorists hit our shores and eventually take over. Because that’s their goal: to rule the world. Or something easy to understand and dislike.