Axar.az presents an article “A Control Issue” by John Samuel Tieman.

This November, there is more at stake than simply a presidential race. We must answer this simple question. Do we want a democratic republic, or do we want an authoritarian rule? But why would anyone find authoritarian rule appealing? At heart, it's a control issue. And control issues are always about defeating feelings of helplessness.

If Trump has his way, the republic will be replaced by a political mechanism for garnering control over the government and, ultimately, over the people. Some would call that fascism. In practice, Trump wouldn't lead. He would oppress.

In a democratic republic, getting something done is time-consuming, messy, and complicated. Trump wants to replace this with a system wherein he controls everything. In a republic, no one controls anything because everyone controls a small part of everything. Consider this. I sit on my city council here, in University City, Missouri. Before anything I propose is even debated, my proposal needs a second. Politics is always a narcissistic wound. Sometimes you feel helpless. You have a legitimate concern, but, to the mayor and the council, your concern is #8709 on a list of 9000 things to do this week.

People often take their anger and fear and externalize it politically. This is not always a bad thing. Someone fears fire and lobbies for better fire protection. They want control over a fire that could burn their house down and kill folks. Their leadership in such a cause is good. What is bad is when someone mistakes leadership for oppression.

Think about the anxiety that leads to control issues. Such control issues are typically a reaction to the fear of losing control, the fear of being at the mercy of others. Such fear is often the result of traumatic abuse or neglect, to cite just two examples. It can make folks crave control in their lives. The problem is when such a craving is disproportionate, unhealthy, and harms other people.

Folks often externalize these cravings for control. And this is where politics come in. The need for control drives people to find things they can control. They may feel compelled to orchestrate the lives of others, On the personal level, such folks may well wreak havoc on private lives. But on the governmental level, such folks may wreak havoc on careers, the quality of life, and political relationships of varying sorts. People's anxieties are often expressed as anger. There's a lot to be angry about these days. Such anger can be useful. However, it often gets expressed in accusatory and demeaning terms.

I remember, just after my election, I was at my second meeting. Someone got up and said, “All you politicians are corrupt and incompetent.” I was upset and insulted. It was only my second meeting! But instead of dismissing this person, I asked myself a question. Is there anything in this that I can hear that is good? It's difficult. It's difficult to hear beyond the anger. But the reason the person is angry, at least the reason that they present publicly, sometimes there is something we can work with therein. Consider this. When I hear that someone is angry because millions of Mexicans have come to this country and voted illegally, that's just crazy. But when I sit with the anger, then hear someone who is afraid because they're not listened to while other people are – OK, let's talk about that. Why does this person feel marginalized? What does this person feel voiceless?

I don't have any answers. This isn't that kind of essay. I'm just not that wise. But I know this much. Sometimes people with control issues must be resisted. Sometimes they need to be restrained. Donald Trump and his followers are dangerous. Remember January the 6th? Sometimes, they need to be defeated. But this is different from being dismissed. How do we get through the anger so that we can hear the pain? I don't know. But I know that we need to listen.