As politicians and security officials debate whether Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, committed a hate crime, act of terrorism or was the result of gun violence, the real experts who knew Mateen claimed he was emotionally unstable and mentally disturbed.
Indeed, Sitora Yusifiy, Mateen‘s first wife, claimed “He was mentally unstable and mentally ill and obviously disturbed, deeply, and traumatized.” She furthermore said he was an erratic and troubled person who physically abused her and kept her hostage.
Mateen’s father, the other true expert, reinforced Yusifiy’s concerns. “I hear the media trying to make this about ISIS or Islam,“ declared Mir Seddique, “but it is about imbalance, it’s about society, it‘s about parenting, accepting each other.”
Mass Murderers and Killers Have One Thing in Common
Yusifiy and Seddique expressed what all killers have in common. Whether a leader who orders a pre-emptive invasion or mass murderer, war criminal and corporate CEO that poisons children, they all believe they are at the center of the universe.
Though we try and delude ourselves about cultural relativism, it is difficult to ignore how every society has positive and negative aspects. The same goes for America, where it too instills similar prejudices and biases, including a sense of being the center of the world.
While most societies believe they are at the center of the universe, America’s highly commercialized and violent culture has taken this dangerous view to extremities by “radicalizing” self-centeredness and self-importance at the expense of “the Other.”
During Gulf War One, for instance, the U.S. media complacently crowed about the few casualties suffered in the conflict, almost never calculating in the equation the enormous Iraqi losses. But when extreme ethnocentrism comes home to roost, it’s not that amusing.
Believing One Is at the Center of the Universe Is a Cultural Illness
In America it is unarguable many values and traits center on being at the center of the universe, ultimately leading to erroneous conclusions and lethal results. In effect, this social environment of extreme self-importance and invulnerability is a cultural illness.
It’s also illusionary and pathological. Otherwise, how could the culture that spans most of our society look up to corporate swindlers like Donald Trump and Michael Milken, or war criminals like Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush or Hillary Clinton?
As Mateen murdered 50 people, he thought he was at the center of the universe, too. This radicalized view is in truth a vehicle for violence and hate, just as amassing large sums of wealth is or invading and toppling other nations, killing and torturing millions.
What’s more, every time Mateen beat his wife or held her hostage he believed he was at the center of the universe. When he became angry over two men kissing, he thought he was at the center of the world. When he lived the Dark Web, he felt the universe was his.
Mateen Had Pledged to Many Groups Which Believe They Are at Center of Universe
Mateen had evidently pledged allegiance to ISIS, al Qaeda, the Boston Marathon bombers, a suicide bomber in Syria who attacked ISIS and a twisted kind of martyrdom. He also swore allegiance to the United States and its culture when he became a citizen.
When these societies abuse women, skin people alive, throw gays off of buildings, pre-emptively invade and occupy other nations, murder remotely with drones or imprison people indefinitely, they also mirror a cultural illness of being at the center of the world.
Cultural loyalties, especially pathological ones, push people to act with a great disregard for others and an even greater disregard for their best interests. Thousands of ongoing FBI probes should be probing a collective pathology, or I’m-the-center-of-the-world sickness.
Indeed, despite the many accolades about American progress, it would be hard pressed to find individuals who are truly well-acculturated, willing to recognize the existence and rights of others while also sacrificing their lives for the greater good of all.
For instance, as Mateen slaughtered 49 people, 11 more were also gunned down in the same town. Meanwhile, there were more refugees and more Iraqis killed – as were Libyans, Syrians and Yemenis – all caused by individuals who also believed the universe was theirs.
A Culturally Ill Nation Cannot Recognize Culturally Ill Citizens
Ironically, Mateen was employed by a federal contractor working for Homeland Security. Along with tracking terrorists and establishing security centers in case of a terror attack, he had passed a psychological evaluation and held two licenses for guns.
But it’s hard to identify a radicalized, culturally ill citizen in a society that prides itself on usury, violence, ethnocentrism and war, and an assurance of being at the center of the world with a divine destiny. There is little room for cultural assessment let alone sanity.
During a press conference, FBI Director James Comey tried to explain how Mateen could have been interviewed twice and on the Terrorist Watch List. Accordingly, he said looking for radicalized individual was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But in a Made-In-America society, that teaches its citizens they are the center of the world and their nation is destined for greatness, every individual is the haystack. The needle is in fact a rare individual which is well-acculturated and universally compassionate.But in a Made-In-America society, that teaches its citizens they are the center of the world and their nation is destined for greatness, every individual is the haystack. The needle is in fact a rare individual which is well-acculturated and universally compassionate.
Dallas Darling (darling@wn.com)
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