In addition to what was noted in the previous essay, what is also at the heart of the potential collapse of the international order set up by the United States after World War II is that Washington has largely missed the notion of correct and proper management of international affairs, otherwise known as the “Keynesian” approach. Over the course of the last two decades or so, Washington has gone from the laissez-faire approach of George W. Bush to the micromanagement of Barack Obama, only to be followed by the chaos and instability of the Trump Administration. Biden’s approach is largely based on a reckoning with the mania of the course of the last two decades. Thus, what is inherent in the American system is a “boom and bust” cycle based on shifts between mania and depression. But the recurring shifts between mania and depression are unsustainable in the long run. As a result, a balanced approach to the management of international affairs, whereby a middle ground is struck between a manic and depressed approach, is very much needed for the sake of stability and self-sustainability.
As a college student, I was very much swept up by the craze and mania of the Obama days. But in retrospect, the Obama days ended up being some of the worst days of my life. However, the second Obama term and thus the latter years of the Obama era – in addition to the Trump era – made up the healing stage of my life. “Logotherapy” – a term coined by the famous psychoanalyst and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl – is very much what I went through starting from my mid-twenties. Thus, the purpose of reading and writing and in turn educating and teaching others is healing. As the Quran states: “We have sent you as a mercy and healing for others.” However, in order to heal others, one must first heal themselves. Thus, the “logotherapy” approach I took starting from my mid-twenties up until now was very much a healing process which will in turn enable me to heal others in the future through pedagogy and teaching.
Healers are rare commodities in society, and healers are trained in a very special and unique manner. The education of a healer is very much holistic and interdisciplinary – or “unitive” to borrow from the Medieval Persian and Islamic scholar Mulla Sadra. Also, the self-education of a healer is accompanied by the assistance and pedagogical techniques of a “Spiritual Guide.” Many people do not encounter a spiritual guide during their lifetimes. But I was fortunate to have met my spiritual guide in college, and then re-connect with him in a very deep and meaningful way in my mid-twenties, which was around the time I had finished grad school and had begun “logotherapy” and my “individuation process.” Much of the bravado and confidence which might come through these blog posts is due largely to the guidance and love of my spiritual guide. Although I cannot discount self-education, guidance and pedagogical techniques from my spiritual guide are integral to the makeup of this blog. Thus, in addition to having utilized this blogging experience as a means of self-healing, I hope this blog has helped readers in their own journey towards healing.
Adam A. Azim 