On Neuronationalism: Autism, Immunity, Security

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http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/on-neuronationalism-autism-immunity-security/

I'm not sure what I just read...

A thought-provoking piece. I don't live in the Us so feel unable to comment on many of the questions it raises. However here in the the Uk there is also a trend towards medicalising and pathologising autism. In my home town this week there was an autism conference with huge amounts of 'professionals' and no input from us. People are making whole careers and lots of money out of theorising about people whom they never allow to speak for themselves.

No, I can read no more of it. The writing style is completely archaic, it's just too painful to continue.

It's unfortunate that we can easily be cast as a scapegoat for school shootings, in much the same way as video games. Just like video games, (despite the enormity of facts) there's just no way to stop the thick from concluding video games might cause the shootings, or that a neurological variant might cause shootings. They don't care about the facts, they'll just discard them.

Not really archaic, this is simply an overuse of large words. I've heard it called "thesaurus writing" which implies that words were added have randomly from a thesaurus in order to appear smart and use that appearance of smartness to stop rational argumentation. The last article I read like this one was about how Nietzsche was actually a feminist, which was 100% bullcrap as you'd probably guess. I agree, it's way too painful to read. I would call it a form of pseudo-intellectuallism.

I did manage to get through the thick language three times to attempt to discern what was actually said in this article. I do think that many of the points made are well to be made, but seriously not very many people will read this and fewer will take it seriously.

Did this guy have a dictionary open when writing this? After reading this go-nowhere arcticle / assault on the written word, I demand 10 minutes of my life back.

Probably.

The article is arguing that Autism Speaks and the like are doing what has been done repeatedly throughout American history by playing on fear of the others creating a fifth column undermining traditional American patriotic family values. The only thing new is instead of a different color, sexual orientation or ideology people with a different neurology are being set up to be this fifth column. They are also arguing that the nuerodiversity movements have had no choice but to play their game by emphasizing neurology.

This larger agenda has not really been brought into the "curabee" vs "neurodivesirty" arguments which has blamed Autism Speaks profits and blogging moms for othering people. It is so blatantly obvious it is amazing and embarrassing to me that I have not picked on it. I disagree somewhat with the anti identity politics argument. Identity politics has been used to divide and profit. But a lot of the progress that has been made was because of group identity pride. We are being used in this way because we are one of the few groups where it still acceptable to openly other.

I only skimmed the article. I'm not sure about the logic and possibly fallacy within the entire article itself, but I seemed to have understood it.

The main argument by the article is that autism is becoming antagonized in a very disturbing way, very similar to homosexuality in the 1950s, or being black in the 1920s (note, I did not say the article compared the situations to such). As was done in previous ages, the goalposts are being raised as what it means to be "an American", "the American Way", etc. The article hypothesizes that autism has been so antagonized and seen as "the enemy" because it puts American morality and perspective (yet again) at peril, just like blacks and gays.

Discriminating against a black person (especially one of law) will put you in absolute hot water, and racial identity is being questioned. States are now legalizing gay marriage, and more and more people are seeing it wrong to deny a person human rights over their sexual orientation. However, to be autistic, you are painted as an enemy. You are unwanted by society, or you are seen as some kind of "victim", and because you are a "victim", you are seen with less equality as other people around you that represent the "American way". Ever notice how many role models tend to be extrovert and socially outgoing? Notice how it's very similar in packaging with "straight", "white", and "upper class"? Yeah, autism is essentially the same category of "threats" as different races and orientations and genders.

I'm almost certain the article is flawed as others have pointed out, but the hypothesis itself is interesting, and yes, I advocate it. Ask yourself, since when has it been okay to say, "I am autistic"?

If a politician was known as "having Asperger's" they can kiss their career goodbye. Same with the military, no way they're gonna let you in, at least not where I'm from. In the workplace in general, strange thing happen should the word "Asperger's" be associated with yourself, where the most likely outcome is being fired or having your hours cut. It's not even a good idea to tell extended family members.

The similarities with other minorities have always been apparent, none of this is new, you can also see similarities between us and jews, but I'd say it's closer to when being gay was though of as a mental illness, etc.

But what is this fifth column?

The next two links are at best a summary for people un or partly familiar with the concepts being discussed.
Wikipedia American Way article
Wikipedia article Fifth column

The Article is arguing that people with differing neurologists are being seen as a threat to national security. This is similar to the Communists in the past, terrorists and specifically Muslims now. Those groups have and are accused of plotting to undermine the American way of life from within ie a fifth column. Maybe some of the more famous hackers, mass murderers identified as Aspergers is about this?

I think neurodiverse leaders should be aware of this but not make it a public argument. Most people have conspiracy theory fatigue these days. Maybe the article is so muddled because the author was trying to avoid being labeled as a paranoid conspiracy theory freak? . We don't need that label added on do we?

Right. Hell, the article even goes on to make a reference to Elliot Rodger (Not sure if an aspie) and his psychological issues that were played up in the media. Let's not forget Adam Lanza either. Honestly, it does feel as if things have shitcaked ever since then.

In this case the article was probably trying to describe mass hysteria, if anything, about autism/asperger syndrome. Remember when "the gay agenda" was taken seriously outside weirdo religious movements? That's where the article is hitting at.

Oh even 10 or 15 years ago most people did not want gays to teachers because they would recruit their kids

Right, and I don't think a lot of people in 2015 are comfortable with hiring/being near a person with autism/Asperger syndrome, because either we're all a bunch of bronies/nerds that live with our parents or we're psychopaths that hate the entire world.