How does the world’s richest and most powerful nation treat it’s citizens?

We have a saying in my country that a nation or state is no better than how it treats it’s most unfortunate, vulnerable and weakest part of it’s population!

It’s obvious these days that leaving almost everything to the market, including wellfare, healthcare, social services and medical equipment, – is not working ! Now everyone, even big businesses in the US. call for a strong and powerful not least rich Federal State, that can rescue them. Otherwise, it usually seems that over half of the US. population prefer to downsize the power of the State.

We are all in the same boat now!

Yes, we are all in the same boat, but not all of us travel on first class!

This is obvious when we see what is happening in New York these days. The pictures of piles of dead citizens transported in freezer trailers to Hart island are heartbreaking to see.

What does this crisis tell the world?

You’ll need a strong state with strong economic muscles, when crises arise. The best combination in peacful as in turbulent times is a strong state, and a vital thriving business community, where everyone is willing to pay their share of the cake through a fair tax system. This will be more and more true as we face an increasing global environmental crisis.

Why is Pychological Universe occupied with this?

There is a simple answer to that. Every human individual is dependent on others to survive. And the next level outside our family is the local community. Then we have the town or city, whitch in turn is dependent on the politics of the State. And the separate State as in the US. is thereafter in it’s turn dependent of the Federal State, which is dependent on the policy of the Party governing the country.

Balancing the nervous system and nervousness of the individual.

Have you ever seen more nervous and anxious people than on the New York stock exchange in Wall Street? (I have, in some occasions at the psychiatric clinic). To make a citizen psychologically safe and sound, all the above mentioned levels must cooperate mutually. The effect of this is less paranoia amongst the inhabitants, and less fear for the future. Even less fight internally between different groups to secure economical survival.

Eventually we will all gain by this many leveled security net. And we will achieve much more willingness among the population to contribute to the wellfare of each other. ( See Pickett & Wilkinson’s “The Spirit Level”, about how inequality undermines stability in a state, and breaks down the unity of a nation!) At the same time there’s no problem getting rich even in such a state. Look to Norway! (my argument)

Don’t worry! The money is there, – anyway. At least in the wealth of the resources of the population.

When we time after time show us willing to pay billions of dollars to banks and business corporations when collapsing, we can also afford to give the less fortunate admittance to first class lifeboats when our dreamboat “Titanic” is sinking.

“Моя Россия, я люблю тебя! Moya Rossiya, ya lyublyu tebya!”

Fascination, respect, wonder, fear and love!

– First we take America:

Why do I start this post with such a confession. My love for Russia? It seems very strange for a guy who celebrated US National Day on the Fourth of July, every year, even though I was not an American. I even did it very solemnly, with the Stars and Stripes flag on my chest and sang “The halls of Montezuma”. I had many American flags on a pin, which I also distributed to my working colleges at the big hospital. That’s when I was a student and very young, and when parts of my family had lived in New York for a long time. They had sent the most amazing technological innovations to us at home in Norway, which for many years after the second world war was characterized by a lack of everything, apart from unity.

But America was something else then, in the wake of President Roosevelt’s New Deal policy. Still there are a lot of Americans however, that you’ll be instantly fond of even today! So, yes “My America” ​​still exists among the population! Just like most Russians who are wonderfully nice when you meet them, and you are invited home to them, served vodka and delicious meals. And here we are back to today’s theme.

• Unfortunataly there was a big dark cloud lying over the US and it’s stars and stripes, in the fifties and sixties. This shame was not that prominent however in New York, as in the South States: The discrimintion of black people, whose ancestors had been kidnapped from their own country and put to work as slaves for the rich white American population. Then eventually with the help of Martin Luther King and Lyndon B. Johnson, they at last got their equal Civil rights that “The Declaration of Independence(1776) guaranteed every citizen of this vast country. (Here I recommend the movie “All The Way” on Netflix to understand the difficult process, that cost the reverend Luther King’s life)

Dreaming of America, Germany and Russia.

Sometimes I dare to be very personal also on this public website. Just as I ask my patients for their dreams, if it suits the process, I dream a lot myself at night. Most dreams do not seem very interesting to anyone but me. But there are some repeated dreams, that I do not quite understand, although I am a clinical psychologist. I’ve had some former dreams where I happen to meet heads of states and give them advice, eg. former Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schrøder (1998-2005), to name one. Angela Merkel has not yet entered my dreamworld, but that would absoutely be welcomed.

I’ve had two dreams with President Obama in them. In the first, he and I are at a conference together. We are very bored and instead of continuing to attend the conference we steal ourselves out of the arena for a jog in some beautiful scenery with interesting historical buildings.

The year after, I dream that his Chief of Staff in The White House is calling me saying that President Obama will celebrate his 50th birthday at my house! It turns out to be a very special party.

Then I’ve written here earlier about the dream where I happen to end up in the middle of a meeting between Putin and Trump in the Kremlin, Moscow. I suggest for them that the two States join forces with Europe in a large defense union NARTO, the North Atlantic and Russian Treaty Organization. My main argument is that instead of using the huge amount of money on expensive military equipment, the money could alternatively be used on the people in these regions. Not the least in the American Health system. And instead of suspiciousness and paranoia the US. Europe and Russia could work together. And believe it or not, we get an agreement on this new alliance between West and East.( How naïve can one be at night, you may ask)   

– Then we take Russia:

We have finally come to Russia, where I have this recurring dream:

I am 8 years old and on vacation with my parents in the areas of St. Petersburg, it seems to me. Here I am not quite sure about the geography. At least we are on a guided tour outside a beautiful castle set in picturesque landscape with rural surroundings.

Suddenly I let go of my mother’s hand and run out onto a hilltop nearby. When I see the landscape unfolding in front of me, something strange happens. My body starts to tremble, a lump in my throat is growing. I feel tears in the corner of my eyes, and the next moment I throw myself down on the ground and kiss it, while crying out: “My, Russia, my Russia, I love you!” (“Моя Россия, я люблю тебя! Moya Rossiya, ya lyublyu tebya!”)

(the photos above do not excactly match the images from the dream, but they are close)

How to interpret such dreams?

When this dream repeats itself in several variations it’s a bit strange! But my simple interpretation is that I am very fond of Russian classical music, especially Borodin (pronounced Baradinn, I believe) Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Glazunov and Scriabin. Music creates images, music conveys culture and landscapes. Music conveys people, music even conveys pain, hope, anger, and not least love. Then I also have some friends who think I must have been Russian in a past life. I’d really hope that life would have been in a very nice period of this vast and beautiful country’s history!