Episode 1613 - Noah Wyle

Shantaram is a novel based on the life of the author, Gregory David Roberts. The story follows Lindsay 'Lin' Ford, an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from prison and flees to India. In Bombay, Lin immerses himself in the city's underworld, befriending a local guide named Prabaker and becoming involved in various activities including setting up a free health clinic in the slums, working with the mafia, and experiencing the diverse and vibrant culture of India. The novel is a rich tapestry of emotions, exploring themes of friendship, loyalty, and the human condition, and is known for its vivid portrayal of life in Bombay in the 1980s.

In this work, Wilhelm Reich provides a unique insight into the phenomenon of fascism, refuting the notion that it is the ideology or action of a single individual, nationality, or ethnic group. Instead, he understands fascism as the organized political expression of the average man's character, resulting from the suppression of primary biological needs and impulses over thousands of years. The book analyzes the social function of this suppression and the crucial roles played by the authoritarian family and the church. Reich also highlights how every form of organized mysticism, including fascism, relies on the unsatisfied orgastic longing of the masses. The importance of this work is underscored by its relevance to current social conflicts, emphasizing the need to understand the mass psychology of fascism to address contemporary societal issues.