FEAR

 

“Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.”    (Bertrand Russell, 1872 – 1970)

 

Sigmund Freud was wrong about a great many things.  But he was absolutely right to conclude that humans are primarily irrational beings, acting upon primitive emotions.  In contrast, rational thinking is often used not for understanding, but to justify our otherwise emotionally driven behaviors.  How else can I hope to understand this election cycle?  How can I begin to comprehend the seemingly entrenched irrational beliefs that persist despite all evidence to the contrary?

Fear is the deep-rooted emotion that is driving this election.  Candidates sow the seeds of doubt.  Mass media makes it far easier for those seeds to sprout.  And once those seeds grow, they blossom into fear.  Fear of conspiracies.  Fear of fake news.  Fear of corrupted elections. Fear of corrupted courts. Fear of collapsing financial markets.  Fear of collapsing societal morals. Fear of foreigners. It has gotten so crazy that some fear Haitians in Springfield are eating our pets.

What has happened over time?  I remember when Colorado Senator Gary Hart was dismissed as a potential presidential candidate, because he was caught having and extra-marital tryst.  We once feared that a morally flawed candidate would not be a suitable national leader.  Now a convicted felon, a sexual predator, and a fraud is a presidential candidate, with a real chance of winning the election.

This same candidate persists in spreading lies about the prior election, despite no credibility to his claims.  His claims were dismissed in more than 30 courts.  Nevertheless, the lie has spread.  This candidate now says the election was rigged AND the courts can’t be trusted.  The polls say that this election is neck and neck.  It is possible that we will elect as president a man who tried to incite a mob, obstruct constitutional proceedings, and overthrow a democratic election.  Why?  Because nearly half the population fears the other side even more.

In the aftermath of World War II, political philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) wrote The Origins of Totalitarianism, examining the rise of Hitler and Stalin.  Hitler and Stalin rose to power telling lies.  Note closely Arendt's observation: “This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.  A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong.  And such a people deprived of the power to think and judge is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want.”

Facts no longer seems to matter.  Truth, if there is such a thing, counts for nothing.  In this election, we will vote out of fear.  My fears will determine my vote. I fear the loss of reason and discourse in our politics.  I fear the rising tide of hate, anger, and intolerance in our society. I fear the betrayal of our constitutional principles and I fear the potential collapse of democracy.  I fear one candidate far more than I fear the other.