ABSTRACT
This essay addresses the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq as well as cultural wars within the United States. It observes that deep divides in the country––targeting race, ethnicity, religion, age, political beliefs, and economic status––stem from deep-seated insecurities and a pervasive need for power and identity. From mob violence in the Colonies before the Revolution to the aftermath of the Civil War, and from American warfare in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the essay demonstrates how a hunger for power has always resulted in reckless, reactive violence and exposes the warlike nature of American politics. After reflecting on the psychodynamics of rage and hate as displayed in tribalism and populist reactionary nationalism, the author turns to theories on the terror of dispossession and regulation, amid promises of radical opportunity and freedom that fall within the psychological matrix of the Mother. The chapter comes to its conclusion with Greek mythology and the divinities of revenge, the Furies, discussing how cultural splits can only be mended through psychological integration.
