Category Archives: Politics
From Personal Trauma to Systemic Abuse, the Antidote is the Same
The same dynamics I experienced as a child–unpredictable abuse, bystanders who froze, and systems that protected the abuser–are now playing out on a much larger scale in the world. In medical systems, the same patterns repeat. People suffer abuse, neglect, … Continue reading
Posted in Abuse, Politics
Tagged authoritaianism, Community, creating, dancing, Domination, laughter, politics, resistance, singing, support, survival
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Charlie Kirk’s Philosophy: A Neurobiological Perspective
Charlie Kirk’s ideas are under debate, and many people use his words to promote political agendas or cultural narratives. My goal is to consider his philosophy from an objective neurobiological view and its implications for human well-being. From an Interpersonal … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged accountability, Charlie Kirk, Civil Rights Act, family, feminism, free speech, IPNB, MLK, responsibility, support, TradWife, well-being
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Conservatism’s War on Human Health
The current form of American so-called conservatism, particularly as it has evolved under Trumpism and aligned with far-right movements, is so biologically adverse in that it promotes conditions that undermine human nervous system regulation, relational safety, and social well-being. This … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged conservatism, dependence, disability, health, ideology, interdependence, IPNB, LGBTQ, political, politics, poverty, reproductive rights, well-being
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Unhoused by Design: Trauma, Culture, and Survival
The Trump administration’s attacks on unhoused people have drawn intense controversy, and for good reason. Instead of addressing the structural causes of homelessness, like skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages, inaccessible healthcare, and systems that fail to support trauma recovery, the focus … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Community, culture, dignity, homelessness, housing, interpersonal neurobiology, IPNB, profit, safety, stability, Trauma, Trump, Trump Administration, unhoused
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Why Hierarchy Is the Problem
Hierarchy creates the separation that promotes contempt, which is the breeding ground of cruelty. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology perspective, hierarchy disrupts the natural processes of connection, safety, and co-regulation that support human well-being. In relationships or systems where hierarchy dominates, … Continue reading
Posted in IPNB of Hierarchy
Tagged Domination, harm, hierarchy, power, reciprocity, separation
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The Patriarch’s Ledger: A Tale of Power and Estrangement
Several years ago, my brother told me that he intended to leave his multi-million dollar estate to my sister, me, and our female children, because he understood that women are at a disadvantage in this culture. It struck me as … Continue reading
Posted in Family, IPNB of Hierarchy
Tagged alienation, brother, Domination, estate, family, interpersonal neurobiology, IPNB, money, no contact, patriarchy
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Hidden in Plain Sight: Predators, Power, and the Systems That Shelter Them
I didn’t set out to study the neurobiology of predators. I got there by surviving them. My interest in this work comes from a long history of being harmed by people in power, capped by what is known as “The … Continue reading
The President Parenting Our Nation
Our nervous systems respond to leaders the same way we react to people who hold power in our lives, especially caregivers when we were young. That’s because our bodies and brains develop in the context of relationships. Safety, connection, and … Continue reading
Posted in IPNB of Hierarchy
Tagged alloparenting, America, Donald Trump, hierarchy, parenting, President, Trump, Trump Administration, USA
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The Growing List of the World’s Worst Authoritarians in Modern History
Here’s a list of some of the worst authoritarians in modern history, in rough chronological order, emphasizing the scope of their harm, how they used power, and how they manipulated institutions or populations: Benito Mussolini (Italy, 1922–1943) Promised national strength, … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged authoritaianism, dictatorshipTrump, Donald Trump, fascism, Hitler, Kim Dynasty, Mao, Mussolini, Pinochet, Pol Pot, Putin, Quadaffi, Stalin
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From Tyranny to Corporate Rule: Reclaiming “We, the People”
On this Fourth of July, we’re not only celebrating independence. We’re mourning how much of it we’ve lost. The founders of this country declared their refusal to live under tyranny. They rejected inherited power, royal decrees, and governments that served … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged 4th of July, America, Community, connection, Empathy, Independence Day, kings, safety, tyranny
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