Are our people suffering from "stockholm syndrome"?

[JABOOM]

Just something to think of as we all go on with our daily lives in Amerikkka

A friend of mine brought this up in a conversation on how many of us are willing to except even defend this country.................here is the description of "STOCKHOLM SYNDROME"

Stockholm Syndrome describes the behavior of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors. The name derives from a 1973 hostage incident in Stockholm, Sweden. At the end of six days of captivity in a bank, several kidnap victims actually resisted rescue attempts, and afterwards refused to testify against their captors.
While some people are suggesting the recent Elizabeth Smart kidnapping sounds like a case of Stockholm Syndrome, the most famous incident in the U.S. involved the kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst. Captured by a radical political group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974, Ms. Hearst eventually became an accomplice of the group, taking on an assumed name and assisting them in several bank robberies. After her re-capture, she denounced the group and her involvement.

What causes Stockholm Syndrome? Captives begin to identify with their captors initially as a defensive mechanism, out of fear of violence. Small acts of kindness by the captor are magnified, since finding perspective in a hostage situation is by definition impossible. Rescue attempts are also seen as a threat, since it's likely the captive would be injured during such attempts.

It's important to note that these symptoms occur under tremendous emotional and often physical duress. The behavior is considered a common survival strategy for victims of interpersonal abuse, and has been observed in battered spouses, abused children, prisoners of war, and concentration camp survivors.

I believe this is true to a great extent in the Black community but I believe it reveals itself in ways we'd rather not say. I'll try to list a few:

A CASE FOR BLACK STOCKHOLM SYNDROME TOWARD'S THE WHITE RACE

1. The majority of Black people are staying loyal to Christianity, a religion pushed upon our ancestors by their white masters. Many, many Blacks will vehemently 'rebuke' you if you have anything negative to say about Christianity. Now, I understand what the Black church has been to the Black community but who says we all can't continue to meet up on Sundays after we drop Christianity? We should remember that Black activism isn't written into the Bible so we would certainly be able to continue the upliftinged; even more so, I believe.

2. As the neo-soul/natural hair fad waned, I began to hear (and be approached by) people berating those who were holding onto their natural styles when they were no longer considered fashionable. I've actually had many sistas angrily ask me why I wear my hair in an afro. I still find it to be difficult to wear my fro without receiving deadly stares from other Black women. I can only see this treatment as an expression of the undue respect many Blacks give to the European standard of beauty. When a Black woman who is clearly wearing the straightest weave she can find, asks why I would want to wear my hair "like that" (referring to my afro), I can only assume that she does not realize the inherant beauty of her own race, yet she trusts that white folks have got the right idea when it comes to beauty, no matter how they've hated us over the years.

3. With this one, I'm not saying that this is true in every instance but I feel it's worth stating since I've actually heard Black men say these things. Another reason I think the Black race is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome is because of the Black men who admit to dating outside of their race SOLELY as a result of Black women being "too bitchy, ungrateful, sexually uncouthed and less-attractive". I believe that we are free to love who we love but when you feel you need to justify your relationship with a white person by belittling members of your race, it's just too obvious that you have identity issues stemming from your view of the white race as being superior.

4. The nearly unanimous support of Bill Clinton for president. If only we knew then what we know now.... But in all honesty, who else would we have voted for back then?

5. I've read some comments on Afrochat that claim that Barack Obama, our first real chance for a Black president, is possibly some pawn for the government. Why do we believe this? I can't help but believe that, as is typical in the Black community, we are leaning on the racists ideas of white America when we say things like this about the man that could very well be the first Black president. But I've heard these comments from other Blacks. Boggles the mind.

And those are just some of my observations about the possibility of Stockholm Syndrome among Blacks.

[mlc0908]

I've never made the Stockholm connection between an entire nation, especially a free nation, and a one group of people that live there. A few thoughts have come to mind but this topic has the potential to be broken down in many ways and instances. My initial opinion on this is that our community does not suffer from this syndrome since we are not captives and are free to come and go and for the most part do as we please. Is it possible that our history as being slaves has a hold on us, keeping us in a mindstate of a people shackled and chained in bondage? If so, why do we remain in this state of mental self-imprisonment forfeiting every opportunity to force and reinforce black culture in America.

It's not Stockholm Syndrome that makes some of us emulate yt's behaviors, styles, or ways of living. Our women dont wear weaves to look more European. Our men dont date yt and yt only just to be closer to and accepted by yt....etc... We are no longer captives of this nation. We are no longer captives of yt. We are captives of ourselves and this is all due to a lack of black culture thats been taken away from us but not forgotten and its sure time to force and reinforce our ways on this nation and its people. i will be back to add to this one

[Samoon]

@ LiseYates:

This is an EXCELLENT commentary that you've posted here. As an addendum to your comments, yes, I do agree with you that, "I can't help but believe that, as is typical in the Black community, we are leaning on the RACISTS ideas of white America when we say things like this about the man that could very well be the first Black president. But I've heard these comments from other Blacks. Boggles the mind."

I guess that there are some of us black folks that vehemently refuse to let go of "father's hand." But? There is always hope, right?

[MadameX]

Originally Posted by Samoon

@ LiseYates:

This is an EXCELLENT commentary that you've posted here. As an addendum to your comments, yes, I do agree with you that, "I can't help but believe that, as is typical in the Black community, we are leaning on the RACISTS ideas of white America when we say things like this about the man that could very well be the first Black president. But I've heard these comments from other Blacks. Boggles the mind."

I guess that there are some of us black folks that vehemently refuse to let go of "father's hand." But? There is always hope, right?

I'll say that this would only be applicable to those misguided brothers and sisters who have allowed themselves to fully embrace twisted idealisms of the so called integrated, fully assimilated Negro/Oreo Cookie . Let us not forget a child is like a flower and whatever the parents instill in the child during their childhood will mold them into either a productive Black Man/Women or a ignoramous/ walking menace to society. Marinate on that my Sista.

[chibaba]

I don’t think this is the case. The main reason is because this country is about the hegemony of the masses (all races) by defining morality and ideology in support of uninterrupted commerce into the pockets of the elite. One of the tools used to control everyone is the use of the concept of race as a diversion.

First, by convincing the majority whites that they can achieve the “American dream”, which is a fallacy.

Second, convincing whites that the reason they cannot achieve the American dream is because blacks are (fill in the blank)

Third, blacks believing that in order to prove that we are just as “good as whites” is to fight to work 30-40 years for corporations (or whatever the popular profession that will make us look like a success in this society), and function in the main stream hoping like heck it is not taken from us by whatever means are at the disposal of those of us who run the government.

And lastly, once we make it to a socioeconomic status where we are considered middle class (which is still 1-3 paychecks away from poverty), we blame those who are not doing “as well as us” as being lazy.

All of examples of being taught how to think. So my belief is that the entire country is brainwashed from the time we enter into the educational system through our adulthood in to believing the empty rhetoric that is designed to keep everyone distracted and support ideology that is against the best interest of the majority of the country.

But that is just my opinion…..

[The Dragon]

Originally Posted by chibaba

I don’t think this is the case. The main reason is because this country is about the hegemony of the masses (all races) by defining morality and ideology in support of uninterrupted commerce into the pockets of the elite. One of the tools used to control everyone is the use of the concept of race as a diversion.

First, by convincing the majority whites that they can achieve the “American dream”, which is a fallacy.

Second, convincing whites that the reason they cannot achieve the American dream is because blacks are (fill in the blank)

Third, blacks believing that in order to prove that we are just as “good as whites” is to fight to work 30-40 years for corporations (or whatever the popular profession that will make us look like a success in this society), and function in the main stream hoping like heck it is not taken from us by whatever means are at the disposal of those of us who run the government.

And lastly, once we make it to a socioeconomic status where we are considered middle class (which is still 1-3 paychecks away from poverty), we blame those who are not doing “as well as us” as being lazy.

All of examples of being taught how to think. So my belief is that the entire country is brainwashed from the time we enter into the educational system through our adulthood in to believing the empty rhetoric that is designed to keep everyone distracted and support ideology that is against the best interest of the majority of the country.

But that is just my opinion…..

.....An opinion that makes a whole lot of sense.

I'd also like to comment on the article above about "Black and Brown." For one I seriously doubt anyone Black or Brown person wrote it, secondly who gives a damned who "Brown" folks choose to vote for? I like how Delbert Blair put it, "vote 10 times if you want to" whomever gets into office it will boil down to one thing, New-World-Order. I highly doubt if any of us, Black, Brown or white is going to like it.

Now the stolkhom syndrome. There is no doubt that we, the still slaves of America suffer from this, and this is just my humble opinion. Black folks will ball you out if you try to say anything about white people in general, especially. They will get mad, call you all types of names, make all kinds of excuses: I don't care how true what your saying is.

Yes, there is definitely something going on in our psyche.

[Terminal Server]

I've never made the Stockholm connection between an entire nation, especially a free nation, and a one group of people that live there. A few thoughts have come to mind but this topic has the potential to be broken down in many ways and instances. My initial opinion on this is that our community does not suffer from this syndrome since we are not captives and are free to come and go and for the most part do as we please. Is it possible that our history as being slaves has a hold on us, keeping us in a mindstate of a people shackled and chained in bondage? If so, why do we remain in this state of mental self-imprisonment forfeiting every opportunity to force and reinforce black culture in America.

Thank you very much. I agree. The assertion that black people as a group are somehow victims of the Stockholm Syndrome is an embarrassingly erroneous over simplification of a complex subject. There are many reasons why individuals indulge in certain behaviors and thinking which may be completely independent of another's. People are free to chose what they believe and how they respond to cultural and social stimuli. Ever notice how different black people feel about a multitude of issues and subjects? That is because they are individuals and they may internalize and respond differently. Do you think and behave exactly like your family members, friends or society at large? WE ARE NOT SOME MINDLESS MONOLITHIC GROUP THINK ENTITY. Such an assertion is just as racist as the mindset and history the individual attempts to condemn.

[umbrarchist]

YES

But it has to be somewhat more complicated than that.

We have conformists and reactionaries plus there is the minor detail that most White people are victims of their own power structure. The White economists aren't telling the White people about the planned obsolescence of automobiles. How many economists are technological morons? We have a really complicated society that engages in lots of information hiding about many things.

um

[mlc0908]

Originally Posted by umbrarchist

YES

But it has to be somewhat more complicated than that.

We have conformists and reactionaries plus there is the minor detail that most White people are victims of their own power structure. The White economists aren't telling the White people about the planned obsolescence of automobiles. How many economists are technological morons? We have a really complicated society that engages in lots of information hiding about many things.

um

I'm sorry and I mean no disrespect but I'm not picking up what youre putting down. I dont understand the correlation between the our people/stockholm syndrome and your reply. If you would be so kind as to point out the relation I would appreciate it. IDK, I may just be having an off day or something. Peace and blessings.