Some of the peculiar psychologies of liberals bear an eerie resemblance to behavioral changes brought about in rodents by toxoplasmosis.
The protozoa is almost unique in that it produces an enzyme that affects dopamine production in the brain, particularly the pleasure center. By doing this, it trains the rodent to be attracted to what it fears, specifically the odor of cat urine, ending up with the rodent being eaten, a necessary step in the reproductive cycle of the protozoa.
An estimated 11 million Americans are believed to be infected by this protozoa, via undercooked meat or cat feces. And since rodent brains are somewhat similar to human brains, it raises the question of the psychological effects of infestation.
Just on the surface, this might explain why liberals are so attracted to America’s enemies, and are so repelled by the idea of us, as a nation, protecting or defending ourselves.
This is only speculation, of course, as associating subtle changes to the brain with psychological results is difficult at best.
You are correct. I use that in the paper, to support the contention political ideology is related to dopamine signaling.
My guess is r and K are fundamental states of mind, and the effects of T. gondii are just a simple exploitation of that pre-designed neurological system.
By shifting rats towards an r-strategy, T.gondii not only makes them approach threats. It will also increase rat reproductive rats by making them more r, thus producing more rats to get infected, and get eaten. If the rat’s didn’t become more r, they might get eaten to the point their population disappeared.
Oddly enough, France has near 80% T. gondii infection in humans, due to raw meat consumption. Animals on farms pick the cyst up from cats and rats, and harbor it in their meat. If the meat isn’t cooked, the cyst will make it into humans. Cook your food.
The singular is "protozoon". It's a New (scientific) Greek neuter; -on in the singular, -a in the plural.
Gk. spelling: prwtozwon.
I've been teasing my cat-loving (obsessed) friends about that for years. There is in fact a correlation between some cultural tendencies and the rates of infection by Toxoplasma gondii, most especially high rates of neurosis.