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Similarly, the sense of control must be continuously maintained so the Control Factor operates constantly. In
turn, the sum of this active and continuous undertaking makes these perceptions all the more familiar and thus
seemingly all the more “real.” In one sense, the Control Factor is the mechanism of what Andy McCarthy
entitled one of his numerous excellent books- willful blindness. The Control Factor is cleverer than we are
aware; that is almost tautological as, if our minds are to create ways to keep us in denial, they must out
maneuver our conscious thinking.

Since World War II, America has had limited experience with threats coming to the homeland. Most of
America’s history has been about “over there,” where we have always known that if things got too out of
hand (e.g. Vietnam) we could always ret urn home. The current generations, for a wide array of reasons, have
had virtually no experience with a threat to this land. (The documentary, Generation Zero, is interesting on
this point).

Consequently, the process of waking up to such a threat parallels the arc of a typical horror film. In such a
film, there is typically a cast of characters surrounding one or two main characters. We in the audience know
there is a threat coming – be it a monster, a virus, a psycho killer, an alien, the blob that ate Cincinnati etc.
This threat is typically defined by its intent- the singular goal of destroying the characters. Much of the initial
exposition shows how the characters first are oblivious to the destruction the threat brings about, then explain
it in familiar terms only to finally open their eyes to see that something uniquely terrifying is happening. The
next stage usually involves a series of failed attempts to deal with the threat- fr om trying to negotiate with it,
to appease it, to coax it, to threaten it with ineffective weapons and so forth. Most of these failings are due to
not adequately appreciating the threat for what it truly is and projecting onto it a host of other attributes
instead. The final stage generally involves a back-up-against-the-wall decision by whichever characters
remain alive. I named this the “turnaround moment” when the character becomes willing to be as ruthless as
the threat. That change in mental state is necessary to ensure survival. Ultimately, the storyline is a race for
whichever characters remain to wake up fully and use whatever advantages they may still have to beat the
threat.

This is the same arc our minds go through in battling our own Control Factors, our own compulsions to deny
that which is staring us in the face. Ultimately, the question is whether we will be able to wake up while we
still have advantages and give ourselves permis sion to fully fight the battle we are in.

I said ear lier that there is a structure to the Control Factor. To oversimplify, I view it much as a pyramid
where on the bottom are the many minute by minute thoughts that are manipulated. I call this level of
maneuvers the many ”D’s” as they include the psychological defenses such as distortion, denial,
demonization, deflection, deletion, detachment, delusion, displacement, discolorization and so forth. Layered
upon these are moves such as projection, where we can assign to our Islamic Enemy traits we wish to see in
them or introject traits from them into ourselves that we wish not to acknowledge. These maneuvers involve a
mixing of identities where we actually lose clarity about who we are and who the enemy is. Projection and
introjection are active almost across the board. It is always helpful, for instance, to ask how what the enemy
accuses us of is more appropriately descriptive of it. When we add Western Guilt and Shame, our need to be
liked, and o ther psychological dimensions, basic thoughts solidify into larger fantasies.

As these narratives (“Our courts will never allow that,” “As a superpower we will always be able to win any
fight we put our minds to,” “Assimilation will ensure Muslims are westernized” …) gain consent from others
they tend to guide us deeply and become infused on our policies. Ultimately, what emerges is a relationship
we take with our Islamic Enemy that parallels that between an addict and an enabler. Emblematic of this
relationship is the “transfer of responsibility” in which we assume responsibility for the enemy’s behavior
who is addicted to transferring it away from itself. The Control Factor actively maintains this relationship and
makes changing that relationship as difficult a chore as any addict finds in breaking his addiction. And just as
an addict needs to devote serious effort and con sciousness to his addiction, so must we devote great energy to
unders tanding how the Control Factor ultimately sabotages us.

FP: Describe the threat we face in our Islamic enemy. And you talk about the three levels of jihad against us.
What are they?

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