Whether in Turkey, Hungary, Poland or the USA, a new desire for authoritarianism has gripped the world. More and more crazy politicians are being appointed to important offices. Is the world coming apart at the seams? We have repeatedly pointed out here that we are all going downhill and that the world can no longer be saved anyway. But if you follow the news these days, a worrying question arises despite this general realization: Are there actually more and more crazy people?

In the USA, a hate preacher has a chance of becoming president, whose world view is intellectually underwhelming even for the Teletubbies. And the British are showing a particularly black kind of humor by making a clown with a creative relationship to the truth their chief diplomat. Admittedly: There has always been a certain amount of lunacy in society and politics. But in the past, we neither cheered the crazy ones nor put them in important offices.
Now we have to admit that not all political nonsense can be explained by normal insanity. Often enough, it is a case of deluded unscrupulousness, overconfidence or banal greed for power. What is obvious, however, is that the world is coming apart at the seams, and this is new - the audience applauds enthusiastically.

In Turkey, an autocratic narcissist is grinding away the last remnants of democracy while his fans sing Erdogan anthems. In Hungary, Orban is restricting the freedom of the press, in Poland Kaczynski is dismantling the rule of law and the majority think it's great.

A new desire for authoritarianism has gripped the world from Washington to Moscow: no more democratic one-sidedness, the simple solution must be found, and whoever presents the simplest recipe proves to be the greatest leader.
Being an autocrat is sexy, cuddling up to despots is the order of the day and in this country a community of Putin sympathizers is outraged by any criticism of the Russian president.

The value concept of freedom and equality is losing its appeal, the trend is now - MÄH! - the sheep model of society: the happy herd wants to be led.
And who takes on the role of the black sheep? That's right, it's the foreigner, at least that's how right-wing populists from half of Europe see it. They all rally behind the so-called Gaulandt Law: We have nothing against foreigners, but the "Negro" should not live in the neighborhood and if you just read the word "Negro", then that was certainly an optical illusion. Or taken out of context. Or a construct of the system press.

Speaking of the system press: As a right-wing populist, you can do without it. The little bit of reality that you need for your conspiracy theories can easily be made up yourself from the anti-social networks. Which brings us back to the initial question: the fact that there are more crazy people can now be taken for granted.

Nevertheless, we must remember the old therapist's wisdom, which the psychiatrist whispers to his patient with nervously twitching eyelids: it's always the others who are crazy. What is insanity and what is normal remains a question of perspective - and perhaps what was pathological madness today will be accepted normality tomorrow. As with this famous building in Pisa: the tower is clearly straight - only the world is crooked. Crazy world!


In the gloss of the day, a current topic is scrutinized in a humorous, feuilletonistic or thoughtful, subtle way.
What is required here is not necessarily a clear expression of opinion, but subtle writing.
"Auf ein Wort" is broadcast Mondays to Fridays at 6.25 pm on NDR Info and repeated in the program Standpunkte at 8.50 pm. A commentary by Marcel Güsken.