In-group Loyalty vs Openess to Out-group Interests

I got an email asking about in-group loyalty, and how r diminishes it. Here is a good example from today. David Petraeus, the man who almost singlehandedly averted a defeat in Iraq, may be hit with criminal charges and imprisoned, based on the accusation that he gave classified documents to Paula Broadwell.

At the same time, Nancy Pelosi is appointing a Muslim to the Intelligence Committee, at the very time Islamic terrorism is on the rise again, and she will castigate anyone who even questions this as stupid, though logic is wholly uninvolved.

One of our greatest heroes may be about to be thrown in prison, at the very moment the rabbits are appointing an Islamic rabbit to our House Intelligence Committee.

I don’t feel totally innocent of r-malaise in this myself. I know that Sharyl Attkisson has openly said that this administration planted classified documents on her computer, so she could be charged and imprisoned for seeking the truth on a myriad of corrupt scandals, from Fast and Furious, to Benghazi. I have little doubt Gen Petraeus would not have given classified documents to Paula Broadwell, or given her the free access to all of his CIA emails they are alleging. I believe it fully possible, if not likely, that a great patriot is being framed by a corrupt rabbit government, at the very moment our government is handing power to individuals who are at least, of divided loyalty, and a great reporter fighting for freedom in her own way was almost similarly dealt with. My compatriots are being struck at left and right.

And yet I am not acting myself. I tell myself it is because it is not time. Things have not reached the point where actions would matter and there is little I could do which would have practical effect at this point. Maybe so. But I suspect it is also related to r/K. If life were a little harsher, if I were to begin from a more irritated baseline, I suspect I would be more K, and more prone to honor the loyalty I probably should afford David Petraeus, even if just by driving up to Washington and protesting in front of the Capitol, handing out flyers for a day. My amygdala would force me, and I suspect as things got worse, I would not be alone.

When the collapse comes, I suspect this nation will have built up a lot of angst, over wrongs left uncorrected, and anger even at having left them so. Once one is corrected, and the relief enjoyed, I suspect brain structures will change to a more action oriented arrangement, and a lot of people will begin clearing a laundry list of wrongs, built up over the times of ease, both to right the wrongs, and to ease their own consciences. Their amygdalae will force them.