07/28/2009 07:35:44 PM EST
Cenk, here's the slowly turning key that will unlock repressive cultures like North Korea, Iran...
posted by Anne Wood
The cultivation of nurturant, respectful parenting is an
exceedingly vital element in solving long-term foreign policy puzzles like North Korea and Iran.
The violent Iranian men who brutally repress their fellow citizens were, most assuredly, themselves horrifically treated as children. As were their fathers and mothers, and their fathers and mothers, and their fathers and mothers…
The deepest roots of violence and repression lie in the shocking human history of infanticide, abandonment, neglect, torture, abuse, and disrespect of children.
It is clear that the level of future violence in our world is in the hands of young parents. We must find a way to convince young parents of the advantages of trying to break the chains of autocratic interactions, starting with their children.
We must make the case to elite young parents that they can help free their future progeny from the fear of revolt, reprisal, and revenge -- while sustaining relative wealth, privilege and power -- by cultivating cooperative, respectful interactions with their children today.
We must prove to poor young parents that their future progeny will more easily rise from a legacy of under privilege, oppression, and violence if they cultivate cooperative, respectful interactions with their children today.
Amazing, encouraging case studies exist of Eastern European countries where radical, positive social changes happened in just one generation once parenting methods improved.
It seems patently obvious. How children are treated MATTERS. “Of coouurrrse!!”
Yet the fundamental, vital importance of nurturant, respectful parenting and education simply isn’t part of our broad national conversation. Heck, it’s barely part of the progressive conversation.
The formative experiences of children are rarely discussed in coverage of world events. Or when discussing or developing policy. Even on TYT. Sigh…
Yet it’s vital. Because indifference, violence, and oppression will continue to ravage humankind as long as children are neglected and abused in great numbers.
We absolutely need to create awareness, encourage discussion, and develop a focused strategy on how to cultivate respectful, nurturant parenting worldwide.
Along with exporting our yummy pizza and burgers, we must find ways to encourage a shift away from repressive parenting and encourage respectful parenting.
___________
Excerpts from "Parenting for a Peaceful World" by Robin Grille
"So much of our past needs to be re-evaluated in terms of collective adaptations to early trauma. Megalomania, sociopathy, and credulous adoration of charismatic leaders, are but some of the results of childhood neglect and abuse. Humanity has been split into delinquent leaders, and those who were mesmerised or submissive to their power. This perilous social combination has ensured that war, abuse of power, and environmental devastation followed humankind wherever we set foot. But this kind of society is inevitable when a significant portion of individuals are living out symptoms of untreated post-traumatic shock; the product of collective early life trauma. Violent and autocratic societies suffer a kind of social retardation, borne of tortured and loveless childhoods."
...
“Thanks to the progress made in child rearing, the western world — and increasingly, much of the developing world — have accomplished unprecedented levels of democracy, welfare, gender equality, fairness in labour laws, and awareness of ecological issues. This bears exciting implications for future societies. What is even more exciting is that improvements in child rearing are accelerating, propelled by our current information revolution. So, although we remain a long way from a just, equitable and sustainable global society, the continuing evolution of child rearing may give us reason for hope.”
http://www.our-emotional-he
alth.com/book_whatChildhood
TellsUs.pdf
