[Grovenet] The Problem with Electing Authoritarian Conservatives

[Walt Wentz]

Interesting stuff-- but one wonders, where does the authoritarian 
streak ultimately come from? Yes, absolutist family upbringing does 
produce absolutist children, as Lakoff pointed out in "Don't Think of 
an Elephant," but what of those people who rebel against narrow 
family strictures and grow up open-minded, or those from open-minded 
and tolerant families who retreat into absolutism? Barring inborn 
impulses, shouldn't exposure to the wider, more varied world slowly 
erode the authoritarian percentage of the population, despite the 
most desperate efforts of intolerant parents, xenophobic churches and 
authoritarian leaders?
Some years ago, a few anthropological researchers were proposing that 
violent and amoral types were born as a fixed percentage of the 
population, generally becoming criminals unless their violent 
tendencies were harnessed or modified by the family or social 
environment, and that this fixed genetic fraction was a once useful 
but now destructive trait inherited from our monkey-band past, 
formerly serving the purpose of providing a pool of aggressive 
fighters to defend the band's territory.
Is it possible that the authoritarian personality is another outdated 
monkey-band trait, originally useful in producing a reservoir of 
subservient and unquestioning "beta" apes to enforce the authority of 
whatever "alpha" ape took command of the band?
(Of course, one does not see this exact social organization in 
chimpanzees or gorillas today, but then the great apes are highly 
evolved from the old ancestral primate stock).
All this is mere speculation on my part, of course, but could it be 
that we are going to be stuck with a fixed genetic percentage of 
authoritarian xenophobes for as long as the race lasts, despite our 
most determined efforts at enlightenment and tolerance?
Ook-ook, anyone?
Walt

>On authoritarian conservatives:  Canadian researcher Bob Altemeyer has done
>considerable research in recent years--used heavily by John Dean in his book
>Conservatives Without Conscience.  Some of Altemeyer's works include 
>Right-Wing
>Authoritarianism, Enemies of Freedom, The Authoritarian Specter, and
>articles on "Highly Dominating, Highly Authoritarian Personalities" and "Why
>Do Religious Fundamentalists Tend to be Prejudiced?" (Dean 47).  Most of
>these are easily available via Summit, online book sale sites, or JSTOR in
>the case of the articles.
>
>A good counterweight to Altemeyer's concern with authoritarian conservatives
>is found in The Altruistic Personality by Samuel and Pearl Oliner.  Their
>findings indicate that conservative, fundamentalist, authoritarian practices
>in upbringing in the decades prior to WWII tended to produce bystanders in
>the face of Nazi depredations, whereas the opposite upbringing tended to
>result in more rescuers coming to the help of the victims.  It's a powerful
>read.
>
>--Mike
>
>On 11/4/08, Geri <g-g-steele at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>  Yes, that John Dean who knew Republicanism from the inside. ;-)
>>
>>  BTW, he supported impeaching W.
>>
>>
>>
>>  Geri
>>
>>
>>
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>  From: "Katie Allnutt" <allnutt at verizon.net>
>>  To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
>>  Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 12:45 PM
>>  Subject: Re: [Grovenet] The Problem with Electing Authoritarian
>>  Conservatives
>>
>>
>>  > Interesting that the article is written by John Dean (yes that John
>>  > Dean).
>>  >
>>  > Katie
>>  >
>>  > On Nov 4, 2008, at 10:25 AM, Geri wrote:
>>  >
>>  >> "Ruling, of course, must be distinguished from governing, which is
>>  >> a more nuanced process that entails give-and-take and the kind of
>>  >> compromises that are often necessary to find a consensus and
>>  >> solutions that will best serve the interests of all Americans."
>>  >>
>>  >> http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20081031.html
>>  >>
>>  >> Just thought this was interesting and right-on. A shame really,
>>  >> that a party which used to think of itself as a "Gallant" or
>  > >> "Grand" Old Party has been hijacked by such personalities.
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >> Geri
>>  >> _______________________________________________
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