It’s important to name what’s really happening here, not just from a political lens, but from a human one. Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) teaches us that health, individual and collective, depends on systems that support regulation, connection, and integration.
An administration that prioritizes power displays like a $45 million military parade in honor of one man–while its citizens face deep systemic neglect–is not supporting the regulation and well-being of its people. That is not leadership; that is domination.
We must protect our shared nervous system from the dis-integration that comes when pathological power (a pathocracy) takes the wheel.
When the nervous system of a nation is hijacked by fear, spectacle, and unaccountable wealth, the cost is borne by those with the least power. Our elders, children, and communities struggle to survive. We are witnessing chronic disregard for truth, empathy, and justice. That’s not patriotism. It’s trauma.
Elon Musk’s DOGE has played a dangerous role in this, glamorizing hyper-individualism, platforming disinformation, and aligning with authoritarian rhetoric while stripping workers and the public of the relational safety needed to thrive. He trivializes systemic harm and disorients people from the consequences of unchecked power.
“Finding billions” in an “audit” does not justify wasting public resources on a dictator-style birthday party. It proves how much wealth is hoarded and hidden from the people who need it most. That money could support healthcare, education, climate action, or trauma recovery.
We must challenge any system that rewards cruelty, spectacle, and domination over compassion, accountability, and repair. If your sense of national pride depends on hero-worship of someone who demands a military parade for himself, I invite you to ask: what’s influencing your nervous system right now, truth, or trauma?
