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That's a very interesting and novel perspective for me. The thing is, I think the West has the guilt of a psychopath. It uses it as a ruse to obscure the ongoing maintenance of global hegemony. I ascribe darker purposes for the push towards infantilization. Of course for women , infantilization is a long historical trend that doesn't seem to change much in its essence. It was always about male dominance and control. Now it is spreading to men. So who's dominating? One would think it is an effective way to keep people docile and compliant in the service of the socio-economic status quo (the old bread and circus routine)and so serves those who stand to benefit most from its perpetuation. Another problem emerges. A mass of infantilized people is a huge tantrum waiting to happen the moment their steady diet of distraction is interrupted.
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+autodidactia Maybe you misunderstand me, or you think that guilt would be a good thing.
Actually what I have found are infantile defences against guilt -- especially splitting. On the one side, the dump all their guilt and hair-splitting antagonism onto me, the former child of a colony. Then they go off and abuse others, turning their blind eye to war and capitalism and other forms of domination (these are in the "too hard" basket.) It's projective identification and infantile splitting all the way. And these are direct results of the shame and means of avoiding the guilt.
Don't you see it where you are too -- or is American culture really all that different from Australian culture?
I don't disagree that the broadening sphere of infantilization benefits those who actually do dominate in the economic sphere, but so far as I can tell all that has happened is a lure has been cast and then people have done it to themselves, by taking the path of least resistance in all things.
Actually what I have found are infantile defences against guilt -- especially splitting. On the one side, the dump all their guilt and hair-splitting antagonism onto me, the former child of a colony. Then they go off and abuse others, turning their blind eye to war and capitalism and other forms of domination (these are in the "too hard" basket.) It's projective identification and infantile splitting all the way. And these are direct results of the shame and means of avoiding the guilt.
Don't you see it where you are too -- or is American culture really all that different from Australian culture?
I don't disagree that the broadening sphere of infantilization benefits those who actually do dominate in the economic sphere, but so far as I can tell all that has happened is a lure has been cast and then people have done it to themselves, by taking the path of least resistance in all things.
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