American Soldiers Brainwashed with "Positive Thinking"

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Bruce E. Levine

American Soldiers Brainwashed with "Positive Thinking"
The U.S. military has become increasingly excited about positive psychology techniques. Maybe a better route would be to offer soldiers respect for their critical thinking

July 28, 2010 |


While U.S. military psychiatrists are prescribing increasing amounts of chill pills, America’s psychologists are teaching soldiers how to think more positively about their tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and wherever else they are next ordered to kill the bad guys and win the hearts and minds of everyone else.

The U.S. Army is planning to require that all 1.1 million of its soldiers take intensive training in positive psychology and emotional resiliency. Army Research Psychologist Capt. Paul Lester, who leads the assessment of the program, told the National Psychologist (“Army to Train its Own in Positive Psychology,” July/August 2010), “As far as I can tell this is the largest, deliberate, psychological intervention in human history. . . . We don’t know when the global war on terrorism is going to end so we’re preparing to have to be engaged for a long period of time.”

Lester said the program would develop “communication skills, cognitive reforming skills and help soldiers not to catastrophize -- don’t think of the worse case scenario about every potential problem.” The program also teaches soldiers to focus on “expressing appreciation” and “correcting negative views of ambiguous events.” ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/world/147637/american_soldiers_brainwashed_with_%22positive_thinking%22/

[tanyev]

1. I seem to recall plenty of positive thinking in the Bush administration

in the lead up to and the early days of these wars. Didn't work out too well.

[hootinholler]

5. I was positive

That we were fucked.

-Hoot

[AndyA]

2. When positive thinking replaces reality, it's a problem.

The best example is the guy in Iraq, on television, telling the world that all is well, when just out of camera range you could see buildings burning from the attack. Now that's some positive thinking.

[Historic NY]

3. What are they buying left over LR Hubbard dianetics books...

:hide:

[msongs]

4. next up, whirling dervishes and hasish asassin cults nt

[bemildred]

6. Oh good , Ghost Dancers. nt

[grasswire]

7. this is extremely frightening

are they also being trained to fire on civilians at home when ordered?

[Prometheus Bound]

8. When you accidentally bomb a house with 20 children inside, think positively.

Try to visualize one of those children having grown up to be an evildoer. You'll feel a whole lot better about what you did.

[burnsei sensei]

9. A hedge against the costs of PTSD?

I don't think so.
They can impose all the "emotional resiliency" training they wish.
It won't change a thing.