Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes

( die oesterreichische Rede). We young ones have been incapa-

ble of demonstrating it to you even if we wanted to simulate

it.”

In the European languages, “Austrian talk” has become the

common descriptive term for paralogistic30 discourse. Many

people using this term nowadays are unaware of its origin.

Within the context of maximum hysterical intensity in Europe

Montpellier in Paris where he received his M.D. He studied the work of the

French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot and used hypnosis in his own work

with the physical and psychological symptoms of his patients. He later be-

came physician to the Swedish Royal family. He became known as “the

modern St. Francis of Assissi” because he financed sanctuaries for birds. As a

writer Munthe recounted his own experiences as a physician and psychiatrist.

He is most famous for the autobiographical work The Story of San Michele

which was published in 1929. [Editor’s note.]

30 Paralogism: n. illogical or fallacious deduction. paralogical, paralogistic, a.

paralogize, v.i. be illogical; draw unwarranted conclusions. paralogist, n.

[Editor’s note.]

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

91

at the time, the authentic article represented a typical product of

conversive thinking: subconscious selection and substitution of

data leading to chronic avoidance of the crux of the matter. In

the same manner, the reflex assumption that every speaker is

lying is an indication of the hysterical anti-culture of mendac-

ity, within which telling the truth becomes “immoral”.

That era of hysterical regression gave birth to the great war

and the great revolution which extended into Fascism, Hitler-

ism, and the tragedy of the Second World War. It also pro-

duced the macrosocial phenomenon whose deviant character

became superimposed upon this cycle, screening and destroy-

ing its nature. Contemporary Europe is heading for the opposite

extreme of this historical sine curve. We could thus assume that

the beginning of the next century will produce an era of opti-

mal capability and correctness of reason, thus leading to many

new values in all realms of human discovery and creativity. We

can also foresee that realistic psychological understanding and

spiritual enrichment will be features of this era.

At the same time, America, especially the U.S.A., has

reached a nadir for the first time in its short history. Grey-

haired Europeans living in the U.S. today are struck by the

similarity between these phenomena and the ones dominating

Europe at the times of their youth. The emotionalism dominat-

ing individual, collective and political life, as well as the sub-

conscious selection and substitution of data in reasoning, are

impoverishing the development of a psychological world view

and leading to individual and national egotism. The mania for

taking offense at the drop of a hat provokes constant retaliation,

taking advantage of hyper-irritability and hypo-criticality on

the part of others.31 This can be considered analogous to the

European dueling mania of those times. People fortunate

enough to achieve a position higher than someone else are con-

temptuous of their supposed inferiors in a way highly reminis-

cent of czarist Russian customs. Turn-of-the-century Freudian

psychology finds fertile soil in this country because of the simi-

larity in social and psychological conditions.

America’s psychological recession drags in its wake an im-

paired socio-professional adaptation of this country’s people,

31 The litigious nature of Americans is known the world over. [Editor’s note.]

92

THE HYSTEROIDAL CYCLE

leading to a waste of human talent and an involution of societal

structure. If we were to calculate this country’s adaptation cor-

relation index, as suggested in the prior chapter, it would

probably be lower than the great majority of the free and civi-

lized nations of this world, and possibly lower than some coun-

tries which have lost their freedom.

A highly talented individual in the USA finds it ever more

difficult to fight his way through to self-realization and a so-

cially creative position. Universities, politics, and businesses

ever more frequently demonstrate a united front of relatively

untalented persons and even incompetent persons. The word

“overeducated” is heard more and more often. Such “overquali-

fied” individuals finally hide out in some foundation laboratory

where they are allowed to earn the Nobel prize as long as they

don’t do anything really useful. In the meantime, the country as

whole suffers due to a deficit in the inspirational role of highly

gifted individuals.

As a result, America is stifling progress in all areas of life,

from culture to technology and economics, not excluding po-

litical incompetence. When linked to other deficiencies, an

egotist’s incapability of understanding other people and nations