Zoom Link—‘How do We Recover Our Democracy? Democracy as a Sign of Collective Mental Health’

Live Session Today at 12 noon EDT / 9 a.m. PDT

There is an underlying, unspoken reality: that a democracy is only as good as its level of collective mental health. When the world imitates the United States, it is not just copying a fashion or even a method of governance. It is in truth drawn to its evolved state of collective health, which in the past two centuries democracy has made supremely possible. But it is not inconceivable that a titular democracy can be undermined, exploited, and perverted to minimal efficacy. Indeed, this is what we are watching happen with the rise of predatory capitalism, political corruption, and now subjugation of the populace through structural violence and psychological abuse. Indeed, in a study of violent death rates in forty countries over forty-six years, my colleagues and I discovered that inequality and unemployment were overtaking the benefits of global violence reduction through democracy.  This study complemented the one that we did on violent death rates and the political parties in the United States, where my colleagues and I showed that when we had Democratic presidents, violent death rates roughly halved, and when we had Republican presidents, violent death rates roughly doubled, almost without exception for 110 years.  Violent death rates can thus be seen as a barometer for a society’s working democracy, and indeed general level of health.  At this juncture of great perils and possibilities, our nation is showing a renewed capacity for flexibility and resilience in the face of adversity.  The question now is whether we can seize this opportunity for our restoring our collective mental health and reversing the Death Spiral in which we and the world increasingly find ourselves.

(I apologize that this series is now for paid subscribers only, to ensure continuity and commitment. Your generous contributions will be put to use strictly for the public good. Thank you!)

Announcement:

Dr. Bandy X. Lee is inviting you to the fourth live session in a series:

Time: Jul 26, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)