Eliminating Bad Ideologies

What is a lousy ideology? Is your particular brand of religious belief true while other people's are false? What do ideological systems of thought propose to address? What are ideologies reacting to? Ideological belief systems don't arise in a vacuum. Where do the ideas come from? What's their context?

Alexander Skunder Boghossian, Ethiopia “The-End-of-the-Beginning”1972-73.

Pick your favorite —ism and tell me in the comments why it's the best of all existing or possible —isms.

Another thing to consider is how difficult it is to take power away from a powerful —ism.

ideology

a set of beliefs or principles, especially one on which a political system, party, or organization is based 

People believe all kinds of strange things for all sorts of reasons. Most people tend to take their passions and beliefs for granted. Human passions and beliefs are powerful things.

Imagine you are an explorer during the age of discovery. You arrive in a far-off land inhabited by people so alien to your way of life that you can scarcely think of them as human. So, you go about the business of taking their resources, enslaving them, and eventually eliminating them through violence or by converting them to your cultural beliefs and coopting them into your system of doing things and your way of life. This has happened over and over again throughout history.

One country may want a world based on international law and another based on amorphous rules that The Empire can break at will. 

Whatever reasons and justifications an organization has, their ingrained ideological beliefs will ensure they can and are motivated to fight to preserve it. Ultimately, the most powerful side generally absorbs the weaker side, but this is not always the case.

Christendom has fought Islam for hundreds of years, and both are still with us. Neoliberal Coded Fossil Capitalism currently controls the world, but other ways of doing things continue to percolate under the surface. When one powerful system falters and collapses, new definitions of old ideas resurface, and the struggle over ways of managing things continues.

Ideologies are often deeply rooted in cultural, historical, and social contexts. Eliminating an ideology raises ethical concerns and can conflict with principles of free speech and diversity of thought. Does one even think these principles are desirable? 

Once we agree on what's universally harmful to our clique or life on earth, there are constructive ways to address and counteract destructive ideologies.

Education and Rigorous Thought Processes

Promoting education and encouraging critical thinking, open-mindedness, and a well-rounded understanding of history, philosophy, and culture can help individuals evaluate and question ideologies.

Whoops! What constitutes a "good education." Can we agree on that?

Dialogue, Diplomacy and Communication

Engaging in respectful and constructive dialogue with individuals who adhere to different ideologies can foster understanding and bridge gaps. It's essential to listen, empathize, and present alternative perspectives.

Whoops! How can we begin that process without knowing our interlocutor's perspective, culture, and beliefs? Whether they are your enemy or a stubborn standout, you can't even begin to achieve a positive result if you don't know who you are talking with.

Can We Agree On What Is Good?

Encourage and promote positive ideologies emphasizing inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for human rights. Highlighting the benefits of such ideologies may attract people away from harmful ones.

Whoops! Soft Power is good, but how hard is it to get different cultures and countries with various wants and needs to agree that the above values are universal and desirable? Do we all adhere to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? What enforces our commitment to such values?

A Firehose Of Information

Developing media literacy skills helps individuals critically analyze information and discern fact from fiction, reducing the impact of propaganda and misinformation associated with certain ideologies.

Whoops! It seems to me there is a lot more propaganda than unbiased content, a lot more emotional rhetoric than sage advice. Even the most careful consumers of information get fooled day in and day out. Our thought processes are not as pristine as we like to imagine.

Community, Coherence, Conciliance, Alignment, Health—Game Theory

Creating strong, supportive communities that provide alternatives to extremist ideologies can be effective. People are often drawn to "Bad" ideologies due to a sense of belonging or purpose, and healthy communities can positively provide these.

Whoops! How do we characterize strong, supportive communities? Can there be all kinds of good communities? Define Bad. Define health. The devil is in the details, and we still have to go back and know each other, discover our differences, and determine what we can both value and agree upon.

Government & Governance—Ethics

Governments can enact policies that address the root causes of extremist ideologies, such as socioeconomic inequality and discrimination. Legislation should balance the need for security with protecting individual rights and freedoms.

Whoops! Who says? We have to assume we are talking about effective governments that are good at governing and govern in the name of the, what, corporation, people, or sovereign or what? What rights? What freedoms? What constraints? What limitations? Here we go again.

Economy, Politics, Justice, Stability, Security, and, again, Health

Understanding and addressing the underlying issues contributing to the appeal of certain ideologies, such as economic disparities, social injustice, and political instability, can help prevent their spread.

Whoops! And it's common for people who are being bullied, oppressed, and taken advantage of to rebel even if it's not in their immediate best interest, even if it means dying for the opportunity to be treated like a decent human being. And aren't the best leaders in the current iteration of The Great Game sociopaths and psychopaths? To fit into the current system, you need to be a self-blinding careerist or an American Psycho.

Support

Offering psychological support to individuals who may be vulnerable to extremist ideologies is crucial. Identifying and addressing underlying issues like alienation, trauma, or mental health challenges can be part of prevention efforts.

Whoops! Mental health issues for Gen Z, WEIRD people, or folks from Palestine, Somalia, or Libia? Do Indonesians have special needs? Do Nigerians? The Empire believes that once there is a Disney Land in every country and people from every culture worldwide follow their rules, however arbitrary, we'll have heaven on earth. 

We Will Always Have Competing Ideologies

Completely eradicating an ideology is unrealistic, but promoting positive alternatives and addressing the root causes can help mitigate their impact. Additionally, it's crucial to do so while respecting fundamental principles of human rights, freedom of expression, and diversity of thought.

Whoops! There I go with the WEIRD fantasy ideology of the 20th Century again.

Can people learn to respect each other and treat each other fairly? Are there moral and ethical systems we could adhere to that would make it easier for people with diverse backgrounds to get along? Most of us must know that there are, but our passions and prejudices prevent us from following their teachings, advice, and systems. We'd rather feel righteous than be righteous.

I hate to say it, but we, in the 21st Century, now know what it's like to live during the Holocaust, the collapse of civilization as we know it, and with existential threats that are entirely out of our control and imminent.

Why is it so satisfying to point our finger at the other guy and say it's their fault? It's hard work to understand each other, listen, and respect each other's legitimate needs.

Powerful countries and institutions must take a step back and reevaluate their position and the responsibilities it entails.

We need to take war off the table. War should not be politics by other means. We need to slow down and listen to each other, get to know each other and feel in our hearts and souls that people who do things differently are not that different than us. If world leaders could agree on that one thing, it would be a good start to eliminating destructive ideologies.

When will we ever learn?

Give Peace A Chance!

These young people are having a conversation about what it would take to change things for the better. It’s complex, difficult, and requires sacrifice. Will young people have the strength and the moral fortitude for a revolution that is a solution?