Episodios

  • S4, Part 8, Wilhelm Reich, Socialization, & The Little Fascist

    S4, Part 8, Wilhelm Reich, Socialization, & The Little Fascist
    Jul 30 2024
    The psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, MD understood that a specific form of human socialization has created the fascist character via “armoring.” In his book The Mass Psychology of Fascism, Reich writes that the “mechanistic-mystical character of modern man” has produced “fascist parties, and not vice versa.” The character structure of modern human beings is the universal cause of fascism: “… “fascism” is only the organized political expression of the structure of the average man’s character, a structure that is confined neither to certain races or nations nor to certain parties, but is general and international. Viewed with respect to man’s character, “fascism” is the basic emotional attitude of the suppressed man of our authoritarian machine civilization and its mechanistic-mystical conception of life.” (xiii) Therefore, when we see a fascist “puffing himself up and has his chops full of slogans, let him be asked quietly and simply in public”: “What are you doing in a practical way to feed the nation, without murdering other nations? What are you doing as a physician to combat chronic diseases, what as an educator to intensify the child’s joy of living, what as an economist to erase poverty, what as a social worker to alleviate the weariness of mothers having too many children, what as an architect to promote hygienic conditions in living quarters? Let’s have no more of your chatter. Give us a straightforward, concrete answer or shut up!” (xvi) Recorded on 6/29/2023. References Paxton, R. (2005). The anatomy of fascism. Vintage Books: New York. Reich, W. (1980). The mass psychology of fascism. Ed. Mary Higgins and Chester M. Raphael (3rd edition). New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. (orig. pub. in 1933) Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    49 m
  • S4, Part 7, No “Left” Left: Time for Revolution

    S4, Part 7, No “Left” Left: Time for Revolution
    Jul 26 2024
    In the book, The Anatomy of Fascism, Robert Paxton argues that “Fascists need a demonized enemy against which to mobilize followers, but of course the enemy does not have to be Jewish. Each culture specifies the national enemy.” (p. 37) The system is moving more and more to the Right with rage directed at liberalism and individualism. The Gender Identity game places transgender individuals as the new Other as the national enemy. However, this is a Media game and the Media games are meant to pacify us. The system is designed for in-fighting and pacification as opposed to the mobilizing passions of Fascism. The solution is Zen. Zen aims to convey the indescribable. Zen does not rely on words or scriptures or beliefs. In fact, this discriminating thinking (this/that) keeps us farther away from Zen. Intuitive knowledge (prajñā) and thought-less-ness (dhyāna) are not two not one. This description of “emptiness” implies everything at once (no obstruction) or direct experience. You have met this type of person: they are friendly and peaceful. Like a young child we must rely on intuitive knowledge to “be” the world rather than be a separate somebody: “me” and “the world.” In the social sphere, the “emptiness” of intuitive knowledge manifests as relational friendliness. With friendliness we add mercy to create relational peace. We are not two not one. The still point above opposites. This is in contrast with the symbiotic process of Fascism: the citizen is part of an enforced symbiosis with the state and they are void of a private self. Fascism was mass mobilization + violent provocations and manipulation for the cause of imperial war. Zen in practice is intimacy through peace-making. It requires “emptiness” (friendliness) + mercy. Recorded on 6/22/2023 References Hedges, C. (2010). Death of the liberal class. New York: Nation Books. Kaczynski, T. J. (2020). Anti-tech revolution: Why and how. Fitch & Madison: Arizona. Paxton, R. (2005). The anatomy of fascism. Vintage Books: New York. Ward, L. (2020). America’s racial karma: An invitation to heal. Parallax Press: Berkely, California. Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    1 h y 7 m
  • S4, Part 6, Gender Identity: Dialogic Process vs. Debate

    S4, Part 6, Gender Identity: Dialogic Process vs. Debate
    Jul 17 2024
    The Media game version of Gender Identity presents itself as a dialogic process. The interview--which is actually a debate--starts with the question, "What is a woman?" or "How many genders are there?" This game has similar dynamics as Climate Change because both are derivatives of the Ain't It Awful (AIA) game: "Ain't It Awful the oceans are acidifying?" or "Ain't It Awful puberty blockers for children?" However, the series of transactions is also a derivative of the Kick Me game. The gameplayer (e.g., interviewer) has an ulterior motive: to humiliate the other player (i.e., interviewee) by Kicking them and feeling morally self-righteous. If the interviewee is hooked into the game they feel Kicked, often negating their own provocational behavior. Additionally, the Gender Identity game is made possible based on the cultural instantiation of ego or self as "reality." This allows for other "real" identities such as gender to be embraced as constant or solid across time. Therefore, "gender" as a concept reinforces and maintains social hierarchies, e.g., patriarchy, which is why we should be talking more about sex than gender. The solution to these types of games is Adult ego state functioning (reality testing), which is what Buddhists refer to as "emptiness" or zen mind. Relationally speaking, the result of manifesting emptiness is friendliness. Instead of "me" and "you", we are not two not one. Pairing relational friendliness with mercy promotes peace and intimacy as opposed to "Kicking" people based on their political beliefs and self-presentations. Recorded on 6/15/2023 Audio clips from YouTube videos: “Christine Hamilton questions eco-protester Kai Bartlett over his group's methods” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89w8y5aSCqk "Your line of questioning is transphobic" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fed5RzXyU20 Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    1 h y 28 m
  • S4, Part 5, Psychiatry as Trojan Horse for Fascism

    S4, Part 5, Psychiatry as Trojan Horse for Fascism
    Jun 27 2024
    The Psychiatry game is introduced on the individual or psychotherapy level as well as how Psychiatry is promoted for the maintenance of the status quo. The Psychiatry game reinforces social hierarchies as reality (e.g., "mentally ill" versus not). Far ahead of his time, Eric Berne, MD understood the concept of “mental health” as a game or pastime. In his words, it is "based on the thesis that if only the right procedure can be found, everything will be alright." As the patient sits on the couch, inside their heads the question is, “What am I supposed to do here?” Patients, especially novices to psychotherapy, will inevitably comply with their therapist who uses the DSM to define them in order to elaborate their self-presentations and self-understanding. The patient will talk subjectively about what it is like to be them as a solid self. This can be played using Transactional Analysis ("My Critical Parent ego state...), psychoanalysis ("Gee my Id just has a hold of my Superego," or the clinical version, "Nice use of transference!"), cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT ("Those damn negative thought loops!"), etc. The emphasis is on subjectivity, but this comes at the expense of affect and relational intimacy with the therapist. Colloquially, the patient talks about what is going on inside their head. In the US, as individuals continue to view themselves as brands (Me, Inc) and are enclosed by Big Tech's ability to commodify them and sell them things at the same time, Psychiatry becomes the engine for negating "the world." Identity as reality is instantiated in the culture. Me me me. Self-optimization to become supreme and "win." This is in contrast with the Zen notion of no-self or no-mind (i.e., emptiness). Recorded on 6/08/2023 Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    1 h y 29 m
  • S4, Part 4, The Protest Game: Ain’t It Awful and Climate Change

    S4, Part 4, The Protest Game: Ain’t It Awful and Climate Change
    Jun 5 2024
    The supremacist aim of the Protest game is to moralistically denigrate the motives and tactics of the specific social movement, e.g., Just Stop Oil in the UK or Black Lives Matter in the U.S. Adult ego state functioning is rarely utilized if not avoided in the game, e.g., global temperatures in the 21st century, solutions such as nuclear energy and birth control for women, or discussions of over-population. The ulterior motive is the maintenance of the status quo. Specifically, the Climate Change game is a derivative of Kick Me with built-in illusions: a permanent ending of history, imperial domination of Nature, acquisition as reality, etc. Ain’t It Awful is the root game for Climate Change: “We’re all gonna die!” Capitalism games are introduced (e.g., Happy To Help!) while using the story of and teaching of the Buddha as well as the promotion of his methods. Finally, the conversation weaves into the socialization of children, a potential new economic system that transcends the dichotomy of capitalism and communism duality as well as the psychological root of Fascism (“I’m the center of the world.”) that is inherent to human nature. Recorded on 6/01/2023 Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    1 h y 18 m
  • S4, Part 3, If It Weren’t For Them: Fascism as Supremacy Game

    S4, Part 3, If It Weren’t For Them: Fascism as Supremacy Game
    May 26 2024
    Don and Andrew discuss the concept of symbiosis (not two not one), Eric Berne’s book Games People Play, including the concept of psychological “hunger.” This means we are hungry for stimulation, social recognition, and structured time. Games are played in an attempt to get those psychological hungers met despite the negative payoffs. The game If It Weren’t For You is introduced as a bridge to discussing Fascism as a game process. Examples are given in terms of the Ukraine war as well as other Drama Triangle roles and switches. Recorded on 5/25/2023 Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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  • S4, Part 2, Game Analysis

    S4, Part 2, Game Analysis
    May 23 2024
    Don and Andrew describe the Drama Triangle and game theory as it is applied in psychotherapy. The conversation weaves into specific games as well as topics such as Ego consciousness, zen mind, culture, The Little Fascist, Social Darwinism, hyper-individualism. Recorded on 5/18/2023 Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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  • S4, Part 1, Introduction to Games Fascists Play

    S4, Part 1, Introduction to Games Fascists Play
    May 1 2024
    This episode was recorded on April 27th, 2023 just following the conclusion to Series 3. Series 4 is the evolution of the concept “games fascists play.” Andrew and Don’s dialogues were recorded over the course of one year. Through this relational brainstorm, Andrew began to write a manuscript titled Games Fascists Play: The Psychology of Supremacy. The book is meant as a tribute and sequel to Eric Berne’s best seller Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships. The result is Series 4, Games Fascists Play, which illustrates the evolution of the concept, examination of game analysis and specific psychological games, as well as articulations of fascism and the solution to gameplay: zen. Recorded 4/27/2023. Visit MankatoTherapist.com for more information and to contact Andrew Archer.
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    1 h y 17 m