All of us are born with a lizard brain, although some of us rely on it a little more than we should.
The lizard brain
The lizard brain is found at the
base of our skull. It’s called the medulla oblongata. It controls our heart
rate, breathing, and the constriction and dilation of blood vessels. It also
powers our sympathetic nervous system, which activates our fight or flight
responses. The medulla is part of the primordial reptilian brain. This is
confirmed by examining the prodigious size of the medulla in crocodiles and
monitor lizards.
The medulla does not generate
emotions, but it does induce the urge to fight or take flight. And where self-defense
is concerned, hate, anger, fear, and vengeance can’t be far behind. With just a
little prodding, the lizard brain can spiral—like a dust devil into a raging
tornado—crowning in suspicion, deprecation, discrimination, and aggression.
Throughout American history, obtuse leaders
have given in to their lizard brains. They kindled the genocide of Native
Americans, the profit of slavery, the shame of Japanese-American internment
camps, the extinguishing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the blasphemy of the Klu
Klux Klan, and the hubris of George W. Bush’s rush to war.
The human brain
Happily, the better part of the
human brain is made up of the left and right cerebral hemispheres of the
cerebral cortex, which, among other things, drive our awareness, conscience,
imagination, and independent will. These are the qualities that allow us to see
and understand the world beyond our own skins. These are the qualities that
stoke the fires of compassion, celebrate differences, and initiate
understanding. The cerebral cortex is what makes us human.
Let’s consider two contrasting
examples from history: one influenced by the lizard brain, the other inspired
by the human brain.
The lizard brain and the Treaty of
Versailles
In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles required
Germany to accept responsibility for causing “all the loss and damage” sustained during World War I. Germany was
forced to disarm, concede 27,000 square miles of territory (approximately the
area of West Virginia), and pay reparations of $442 billion. (All sums in this
article are adjusted to match current dollar values.)
The British economist, John Maynard
Keynes, called the treaty a “Carthaginian Peace”—a treaty fueled by French
revenge that was so severe that it meant the virtual destruction of Deutschland.
By the early 1920s, the annual reparations
paid by Germany greatly contributed to hyperinflation. In 1921, the mark was
valued at 330 marks to one US dollar. By 1922, the exchange was 7,400 marks to one
dollar. The cost of living increased by fifteen fold. In 1932, unemployment was
nearly thirty percent. Then in 1933, when the country was financially crushed, Adolf
Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. We know the rest of the story.
French vengeance and Nazi barbarism
were both inflamed by the lizard brain.
The human brain and the Marshall Plan
It was a different scenario in 1948.
That was the year the Marshall Plan—officially the “European Recovery Plan”—was
set in place. In an effort to rebuild eighteen war-devastated countries, the
United States granted $120 billon, including $13.2 billion to Germany.
Concurrently, in grants separate
from the Marshall Plan, $59 billion were allotted to Asian countries, including
$24 billion to Japan.
In total, from 1945-1953, the United
States granted or loaned $443 billion to return life to a shattered world.
The human brain was put to good use
in the rendering of the Marshall Plan.
Rewriting history
What if world leaders had behaved
differently in 1919? What if a version of the Marshall Plan had been
established after World War I—a plan to raise a nation up, not tear it down? Some
might argue that Germany deserved being razed. To such vengeful thinkers, I’d
like to point out the benefit of a higher-brain approach.
If the Allies had been more
compassionate at the end of World War I, the Second World War may have been averted—saving
the United States over 419,000 lives and approximately $4,000 billion. Globally,
60 million lives would have been spared and $14.46 trillion saved. Suddenly, a
post World War II grant of $443 billion seems like a pittance.
Our sacred duty
And now, in this election year, we all
have a crucial decision to make. Will we emulate the vengeance of the Treaty of
Versailles or the compassion of the Marshall Plan? Will we acquiesce to the
gnawing fight-or-flight instincts of our lizard brains or be uplifted by the
reason and compassion of our human brains? These may be the most important
questions of our time.
I know how I will vote. Do you?
