Attuned to the needs of “the people”, the populist movement as exemplified by the election of Donald Trump in America and its widespread appearance in European nations is an example of the spread of the emotional plague through politics of the Western World. It is another step in the continued degradation of politics that started with the transformation of American society from authoritarian to anti-authoritarian around 1960. This was the time when the traditional two-party system that consisted in fairly equal numbers of liberals and conservatives in both parties, a form of social armor that functioned to maintain social stability, began to break down. This process of disintegration continued to turn into the polarization of the opposing forces of the left and the right that became two irreconcilable political camps each side looking for antithetical political solutions to social problems as represented in the policies of the Democratic and Republican parties today.
The destructiveness with populist thinking is people’s continued belief in the illusion that the emotionally based personal problems that exist within people themselves can be solved externally through politics. Unless recognized and stopped these highly dangerous and contagious belief systems, universal symptoms of people’s distoted, armored ways of thinking, is certain to bring about even more havoc, suffering and disillusionment in the future.
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Neither Left Nor Right
The Emotional Plague
Charles Konia, M.D. 
I have mixed feelings about this post. The first thing coming to mind is the question: Isn’t the populist movement just a necessary rebound to the red shift? Yes, politics can never be the answer but the counter-truth, in this case, seems to be that we haven’t simply enough time to counter the red shift other than by political means. The second interjection crossing my mind: To judge political candidates and advocates I simply look whose thinking is clearer, more logical, and factual. In general, at least here in Germany, it’s a pleasure to listen to, say, an AfD politician, CLEAR THINKING, while listing to traditional politicians of any other party is to enter the sphere of confusion, evasion, and faulty “thinking”. Thirdly, most populist politicians are from the working sphere while most traditional politicians chose politics as their career, and never worked a day in their lives which reflects in all they say and do. Looking at these traditional politicians one always asks oneself whether he or she is from outer space. Actually some of them makes one wonder 😉
You are right. The point is that those politicians who are in better contact are the ones who must have the courage to say that they, as politicians, do not have the answers to the problems of humanity that people are asking them to solve. This clarification would itself be addressing the emotional plague. It would place peoples personal and social problems squarely on their own shoulders.
If I have understood you correctly, you think that in the past political parties themselves, liberals and conservatives were fairly balanced and kept the destructiveness of the other side in check, i.e., keeping the parties quite rational. The same was true for the relationship between the two parties, Democrats and Republicans. In addition, politics in general was less (irrational) socio-political, but the focus was on (rational) administration of state affairs. That changed in the anti-authoritarian era: the two parties became monolithic entities (only left-wing Democrats and only right-wing Republicans) who were irreconcilably opposed to each other and instead of moderating down irrational elements by way of their interaction (simple opposition), they began to incite irrationalism due to their antagonistic opposition. First the left has become socio-political completely, then, as a reaction, the focus of the right became socio-political, too: populism. Trump is (if I interpret you correctly) the highest expression of this disastrous, irrationality producing split and, thus, the highest expression of anti-authoritarian society. This can, therefore, only end in disaster!
Did I get it? Do I confuse something?
The problem with the AFD in Germany is, that they are no real conservatives, they want a strong state, who takes responsibility, and not individual responsibility connected functionally with individual freedom.
So it is absolutely true, what you are writing, Dr. Konia.
But Peter Nasselstein is wrong.
You cannot compare the situation in the US with the situation in Germany, people in Germany irrationally cannot understand, that they are the state and that they are responsible for the state.
There are many former radical leftist, who now support the AFD.
All in all, you cannot vote for any party in Germany, none of them stands for real individual responsibility with individual freedom.
In my perception Germans have a deep fear of freedom and individual responsibility, what may be grounded in their characterstructure.
What you are saying is that politics is not the answer to humanity’s individual and social problems of the 21st century.
That’ s true, thank you for your comment.
In my perception life and orgonomy is not political.
But orgonomy has to analyze politics and the function of politics.
The basic problem in my perception is still the emotional plague, one may set boundaries with politics, to protect society from the emotional plague, but it does not solve the basic problem.
In my opinion and perception a state has to give its citizens enough freedom to take responsibility for themselves and their lives.
It is your own responsibility, if you are living a happy life or not, so you are responsible for your life.
In Germany we have the problem of the well known German Angst, which may be a product of the characterstructures.
This is in my perception the basis of the irrationality that the, Germans never follow natural authorities, but mostly the wrong people.
At first one has to get a perception of his feelings, that he has fear or deeper anxiety., and just feel these emotions and not run away.
Politics in my perception might be necessary in a neurotic society, but after all I see no political solution, as it does not solve the basic problems of mankind, and politics are a mostly a stage play of the emotional plague.
Look at Reich’s Murder of Christ, what did Christ do, did he do politics?
No, he touched people in a very deep way in their biological core, within their basic needs, wishes and desires, and he spoke of the roots of human evil also.
I do not mean it religious, even in the Bible you can read, that God is not the inventor of religion, but the creator of life.
If the basic problems of mankind could be solved, there will be another solution, despite politics to organize society, please notice that I naturally do not mean anarchy, as self-regulation and anarchy is a contradiction, but you must know better than me.
I would like to add to my comment, if you are seeking or pushing or forcing a political solution in Germany, you will get it, it means a Chancellor of the Greens, which means that the emotional plague will destroy Germany again.
The more you push and force it, the bigger the fear, the, sooner you will get a chancellor of the Greens in Germany.
You cannot compare it to the situation in the US, you would easily understand, if you would get in contact with German politics and German people.
This sounds like a solution, thoughts and perceptions of a natural leader, based on natural authority:
https://beruhmte-zitate.de/zitate/1932730-wilhelm-reich-your-life-will-be-good-and-secure-when-aliveness-w/
Thank you.
What do Germans “character-structurally” want compared with Americans? Lets look at the extreme plaguey German: the soldier of the Nazi Wehrmacht. I refer to Martin van Creveld book FIGHTING POWER (German and U.S. Army Performance. 1939-1945). “In this study, Van Creveld analyzes the ways in which the WWII German Army developed the fighting power that allowed them to achieve a number of military victories even when outnumbered and using outdated equipment. He compares and contrasts the Germans with the U.S. Army, which developed a different style of war based on superior economic and technological resources. Coverage includes organizational elements such as principles of command, assignment of manpower, and indoctrination of troops.” He also mentions Reich in his analysis, completely favorable.
Basically the Germans were so effective even with almost no resources and laughable equipment, and the Americans so astounding ineffective with all their material and manpower, because, contrary to all Hollywood makes us believe, the German army was organized almost “work democratically”. To quote a reviewer on amazon: “The main reason [for the German success] was the German inclination to decentralize decisions as far down as possible. Regiments were made up of soldiers from the same district in Germany, and regimental commanders decided who to train for officers, who to promote, who to decorate and who to punish. Assessments were made qualitatively, and the main qualities looked for in an officer, and a soldier, where creativity, initiative [!!!, PN], and decisiveness. The American system was centralized, many of the best men were at home, doing numerical analysis on developments at the front. As utterly sinister as the Nazi system was, the organization of its war machine was, strangely enough, more human than the American one, and it proves valuable lessons for anyone.”
This reflects the German character structure: “politically” a complete IRRESPONSIBLE idiot (see how the Communist/Fascist “Greens” are on the verge of Machtergreifung these days! – completely out of sync with the rest of Europe), on the other side the German is productive and EXTREMELEY RESPONSIBLE in the working sphere. This later mentality is represented by the AfD.
Completely agree we are responsible for our personal happiness, but…If I correctly understand your post, you’re suggesting that Trump is an Emotional Plague character? On what basis is he so if this be true? My perception is that he encourages self reliance by easing regulations & encouraging a business friendly environment. His policies have stimulated strong economic numbers (GDP) & huge job growth in his 2+ years in office. Isnt this an encouragement on self reliance, as opposed to relying on govt for a “fix” to unhappy lives ala Sanders, AOC & their ilk? Also he’s built a strong military to counter the pervasive Islamic radicalism that is exists in the world, as well as to keep the Russians in check. These policies strike me as rational & relatively healthy. Am I wrong?
Trump is not an emotional plague character. He is a high energy, contentious individual who sometimes doesn’t know to when to keep his mouth shut. He can be his own worst enemy and often, by talking too much, does what he has to offer America a disservice. He would be far more effective if he talked less and let his actions speak for themselves.
Haha, couldnt agree more with you. Less twittering & more action would indeed serve Trump well. As for populism being a manifestation of the emotional plague, not sure I understand since it encourages less globalism & more localized (for ex Brexit & Trump’s “America First’) governance. This strikes me as relatively healthy politics.
Trump in the US and the AfD in Germany are victims of a mass propaganda effort by the red fascist media which are controlled by big companies, especially Big Pharma (black fascism). Characteristically it is all projection: the very people who during the cold war supported and supplied the Russians ideologically and materially now speak about “Russian interference”. The same people who created the “Big Society” accuse Trump and the AfD to be “populist”. In reality the AfD was formed to counter the Euro and “Big European Government” in general, i.e., it was explicitly founded to reinstitute a politics which is no longer “political” but restricts itself to the rational management of state affairs. The AfD surged after 2015 when Frau Merkel broke the very Constitution of Germany and opened the borders to alleged “refugees” from other European countries. That they originally came from Africa, Arabia, etc. does not matter according to German law. The AfD wants the reign of law just as Trump when he points to illegal aliens as not belonging in the country. To call enforcing the law “populist” is – mindboggling.