The Insidious Mind Viruses

When a biological virus invades a cell, it takes over the cell’s protein-making and nucleic acid replicating properties. The virus is then able to dupe the cell to replicate the virus—usually rapidly and exponentially until the cell membrane brakes, releasing gazillion viruses to invade other cells. Soon the body cells are overwhelmed and unable to carry normal functions, and a person becomes lethargic and sick.

The same process could be said of the man-made computer virus, which is essentially a small program introduced into a computer’s working programs. The virus takes over the subroutines of the computer program thereby duplicating itself rapidly and its numerous operations shut down the legitimate program.

Likewise, a mind virus is a piece of information or program that is created by culture or deliberately designed by an agent. Just like a biological virus or a computer virus, the mind virus aims for self-perpetuation and to effect a change in the behavior of the recipient. Infection—a quality of self-perpetuation—, of other cells, other computers and other human animal is also a common characteristic of viruses.
A culture virus may be good for the survival of a community and security for the self. Sometimes the good of the community, however, runs counter to the goal of the self, which is largely the pursuit of happiness.

Looking around us we can see and may notice all kinds of mind viruses. We hardly know from whence they cometh and why they are our belief systems. Some swear by blood, their mothers or their lives that the virus is the essence of who they are.

Take the culture of chopping off a woman’s clitoris; where the heck did that come from? You see an old dried-up hag, whose exciting apparatus was clipped off decades ago, taking herself seriously in doing the ghastly surgery to a nubile gazelle. This single dastardly act probably plunges the girl into some psychological darkness beyond comprehension, leaving her vagina only for the man’s pleasure and breeding. This may have been the intended purpose but nature camouflaged the monthly gushing of blood and gruesome process of birth with a little man in a boat and some other hot spots for ecstasy and pleasure that bring smiles amidst the humdrum of toil and service.

From the African grasslands bands of humanity scattered. In the bands were leaders who emerged to give a sense of order, just like the alpha lesser animal leads the pack. Soon, however, and may have been coincidental with the growth of the cerebral cortex, the alpha human animal had an idea, a piece of information, a virus that he should be adored and fed, along with his brood. He or his agents even declared him a manifestation of God here on earth. He came from a mountain. He defied nature and was born sans sperm of a human but of God himself. All kinds of fantastic viruses were injected into the population. Some traces of the viruses still lurk around.

Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), is the dominant political party. It shot its way into power and has kept hold of power for the last twenty five years under the firm control of the sly Museveni. Without prejudice, any right-thinking person would agree that Obote and his UPC had run its course, it had entropied, and, without self-correcting mechanisms, it had become irrelevant and headed for the dumpster. That is the environmental condition under which Museveni gained power.

Adroitly, Museveni has constantly sung the mantra of his embellished Herculean feat of the conquest of the forces of killers and backwardness. He branded himself as the only one with vision, the will and means to keep peace. He would, even at 65, “go to the bush” if need be. What happened in Kenya and Cote d’ Voire would not occur to the gang of revolutionaries of Uganda, he declared.

Of course, these are all Musevenian mind viruses designed to create fear and an aura of indispensability. In addition, the hums of business activities going around and the garish mansions rising everywhere, make one hopeful. Hence, the ultimate virus: No change!

In the end, the key to being in control is gaining an understanding of the source of information, the why and the real beneficiary. And, as Anthony Quinn said in Zorba the Greek: A man needs a little madness, or else, he never dares cut the rope and be free.