The deep politics of war and the curriculum of disillusion

Abstract

This article examines the historic uses of the phenomenon recently defined as 'Deep Politics' to shed light on the underlying realities of the contemporary War on Terror. Deep Politics describes the multiple uses of misinformation to marshal public sentiment in directions desired by dominant political and economic forces. Facing the reality of Deep Politics today can be a disillusioning experience for those wedded to the rhetorical tropes of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. However, as the article attempts to illustrate, drawing on indigenous knowledge practice, disillusionment can be the first step in a longer process of cultural healing, away from naïve realism to an appreciation of the sacredness, or wholeness, of life, and the courage to face and deal with the broader truth of things.