I enjoyed this article and think it wonderful. I spent a lot of time as treasurer and campaigning for a Democratic Party State Representative candidate in rural Texas in 2020. We knew we wouldn’t win but we campaigned on the three issues most pragmatically and impactful to our part of rural Texas that weren’t even being talked about: 1) Underfunded and closing hospitals and clinics with lowest in nation healthcare coverage/support, 2) underfunded K-12 public schools, teachers, curriculum, 3) poor infrastructure especially lack of broadband and cell phone coverage. We agreed with our Republican opponents and campaigned as NRA pro-gun, true Christian anti-abortion and keep taxes low as possible. This complete agreement with the three mantras of the far right with focus on the actual issues affecting the local population for a job (Texas State Representative as a job description is a low level hard work low pay grunt job that actually should be a non-partisan office) had no effect. Being all and only about the local issues of community interest did not move the needle. And this was for a local candidate (school teacher) long lived and truly loved in a county that represented 30% of the district population.

When literally 85% of people don’t act in their own common interest something twisted is going on.

Glen I think your article is spot on and as a believer in Carl G. Jung theories (of course Sigmund Freud and many others came before and after) of ego and unconscious it is my guess that the psyche investment in archetypes runs deep. Un-dealt with (as I see it) the effects of your archetype description in a runaway condition are toxic and caustic.

I am a believer in hope. My hope is for a pendulum swing back to cooperation and realization of interconnected nature and care for each other.