Image by Rodrigo/Adobe, from my article on DEI.

Hi all,

I'd hoped to put out one more Psychology Today post before I sent this email, but I wanted to alert you to a very important documentary which you can see for free online through February 17. I'd actually encourage you to make a small donation to watch the film - it is tremendous - but if you  really can't afford it, click the "share with friends" button, and enter your email and a price (from $0-12) and submit. You should be able to watch it for free.

The documentary is THE BIBI FILES, and it is a masterclass in the rise of abusive power, and likely a model for what we are seeing in the US, with the added antigen of autocratic state capture by Elon Musk. I think Elon could well be vandalizing government information for his own financial benefit, under the guise of rooting out "corruption, fraud, and abuse." I'm glad that the actions of Trump and Musk have been at least temporarily halted by the courts, but there is sincere question about whether they will comply with the law, and then whether the judiciary will hold.

Watch THE BIBI FILES online til February 17, 2025

Bibi's brother Yoni was the commander of the famed raid on Entebbe, and the only Israeli killed. Both Bibi and Yoni were macho "admirers of strength and power" and Yoni's death propelled Bibi into politics, and a fight against "international terror." This made him a hero to many, including far-right forces who believed that "Palestinians don't even exist," for example, and that Israel must ultimately control Gaza, the West Bank, and territories of other bordering countries. Bibi's rise leads him to grandiosity, manipulation, endless lying and seemingly infinite capacity for self-justification and other-devaluation, and feeling he was exceptional, above the law, and entitled to do as he pleased - because he was the state. He was under investigation for bribery, and then tried to crush the judiciary and the Supreme Court, leading to massive protests in Israel. He propped up Hamas to the tune of $1 billion or more, in order to divide the West Bank's Fata from Gaza. And we all know what happened on Oct 7, 2024 - a great tragedy but justification for a "forever war" and expansion of Israeli control. Now we are in a semblance of cease-fire, though I've been unable to keep up with all the details. My understanding is that the IDF is continuing their fight in the West Bank, and incidents implicating both sides have occurred.

A telling line in the movie is when Bibi says "I believe the Palestinians are human beings - but they won't keep smashing their heads against a wall. But if they see a crack, they will keep fighting." Hence the idea that "Israel" - and therefore he - must "be a wall." 

But people are not walls, and even the social construct of a nation is not a wall. Imagine the wall that must be built inside each of us to dispel "inconvenient truths" of conscience and relatedness. This "boundary" involves complete denial, and is a split in the soul itself. As I've written - abusive power resists insight and thus forces enactment. I hope we can choose the type of enactment we have in our own country. I fear that the far right and wealthy interests so resist relationship – with our diverse demography and the reality that supercapitalism is unsustainable that they are practically egging for a violent resistance, which they would put down violently.

For nonviolent enactment to win will require us all to stand up in some way to abuse - to say "no, this is not ok." "Not on our watch." We are all so dependent on legal and social norms. Our existence depends on laws and mentalities. Musk and Trump should not be allowed to uproot the bedrock of our American life.

What's needed is a revolution of  consciousness.

Here are my other posts from the last month.

East Wind eZine

MOSF 20.2: President Trump and the United States of Confusion, Perched on Catastrophe (February 2, 2025) Mr. Trump’s shocked most observers with his recent presser after the horrific DC mid air collision. It amplified normal existing confusion about relationships into catastrophe as he tries to roll us America back into Jim Crow mentality.

MOSF 20.3: Asian American Medical Students, Microaggressions, and DEI Initiatives (February 5, 2025) More than two-thirds of Asian American medical students surveyed experienced microaggressions. DEI was designed to build teams and foster a more supportive and nurturing environment for diversity. DEI was supported by psychological research and cultural experience – though programs do need constant evaluation and improvement. We are under attack. This is the original article that was censored by Psychology Today. (The redacted PT article is linked in this article, see below.)

(I also am soon to read The New Yorker's article on DEI.)

Psychology Today

Asian American Med Students Experience Microaggressions (February 5, 2025)
More than two-thirds of med students surveyed experienced a variety of microaggressions. (Here is the censored version of the article I published at East Wind.)

Substack

And a reminder - you can follow me on Substack for more granular and timely receipt of my writing and thoughts that won't fit in these published essays. Here is a sample:

Welcome Back to the Pathocracy (January 30, 2025) DC air tragedy reveal Trump's knee-jerk reflexes and talking points for the next 4 years.

Warmly,

Ravi

Yoni and Bibi Netanyahu - from THE BIBI FILES