Collective Consciousness: The Demise of American Independence

By Mildred Robertson

As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence. We see ourselves as individualistic, self-motivating, and self-sustaining.

Don’t believe the hype.

In reality, we are more like the “Star Trek” character whose group consciousness swallowed up everything it encountered. American values grew from a stubborn individuality, but we have devolved into “the Borg”; a hive-minded collection of drones who internalize and regurgitate predetermined directives for which we will fight, kill or die, no matter how absurd or bereft of fact.  

Case in point—the right-wing attack on the president’s citizenship. This baseless, futile exercise consumed countless news, radio, TV, webcasts, tabloid and magazine pages. While most thinking people dismissed this controversy as the distraction it was, “the hive” internalized and replicated it, wasting valuable time that could have been used to discuss meaningful government reform.

This mindless dash toward the next political, social or economic issue is facilitated by the media. Once heralded as the fourth leg of government and the people’s watchdog, the media now stumble over each other to be the first to report rather than the first to research and inform. Like reality TV, they hunt for the highest ratings with little regard for the public’s need for unbiased facts to make informed decisions.

Whether we label ourselves liberal or conservative, we have allowed ourselves to be subject to the constant guidance of self-proclaimed spokespersons who determine what is right and wrong, not just on an individual basis, but for an entire nation.

We tune into “Morning Joe”, the “Ed Show”, “Fox News” or Rush Limbaugh to receive our cues. We find out whom to hate, who to trust, for whom to vote, and who to oppose. The “hive” lets us know whether we are doing well, or whether we are struggling. It tells us whether to buy stock or divest. It lets us know whether we will be supporting President Obama, or whether the Republicans will overtake him. They tell us who will win an election before a single vote is cast.

The “collective consciousness” not only facilitates the sharing of thoughts, but also the ability to adapt with great speed to defensive tactics for any supposed danger. And then it tells us how to respond to these perceived threats.

During this election cycle, we find our mailboxes, email, and phone lines inundated with propaganda from the party of our choosing if we are Republican or Democrat, and from both, if we are Independent. Our opponents are painted as scoundrels and thieves; our candidates are pictured as compassionate and impassioned.

It is time we disconnect from the hive and question the source of our information. We must demand less rhetoric and more fact and discern fact from fiction—truth from lies. Only by disconnecting from the group-think that has overtaken our nation can we recapture the true American spirit of independence.

The “Borg” would say ‘resistance is futile.’ But resistance is the only sane thing to do. Only by resisting this hive mentality can we be worthy of self-governance.