Cultural complexes can and do manifest as political conflicts. Since the 2010 election, several states could serve as case studies in cultural complexes in conflict and collision. Boris Matthews will provide insight into the manifestation of competing cultural complexes as lived out in recent political conflict in his state, Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin and other states, cultural complexes are manifesting as intense political conflicts. The election of Scott Walker as governor of Wisconsin, the legislative enactment of many of Walker’s agenda items, the apparent rush to pass bills, and the influx of big out-of-state money have activated huge on-going protest and a recall movement. Informing the conflict are differing visions of what a civil society should be: the proper function of government, the responsibilities of individual citizens, and the role of big business and big money. These conflicts continue to rage not only in Wisconsin, but in other states, the nation, and the world in 2012. Jung pointed out that we all know we have complexes, but what we don’t know so well is that complexes can have us. How do we step outside our cultural complexes? And why should we?