Because millions of Americans prefer a cult of leadership to a rule of law government.
For people who prefer rule of law, it's inconceivable that anyone would prefer a government where the word of one man (in a leadership cult, the leader always seems to be a man) is law.
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For people who prefer rule of law, it's inconceivable that anyone would prefer a government where the word of one man (in a leadership cult, the leader always seems to be a man) is law.
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In the words of the authors of How Democracies Die ⤵️, democracy is slow, grinding work. You have to compromise. You don't always get your own way.
All those checks and balances mean that things happen slowly.
With an autocrat, though, there is no need to compromise.
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All those checks and balances mean that things happen slowly.
With an autocrat, though, there is no need to compromise.
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"Purists" or people who don't want to compromise, and people who want results Right This Minute, reject democracy.
They prefer what Max Weber calls Charismatic Leader, or what today we'd call a demagogue.
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They prefer what Max Weber calls Charismatic Leader, or what today we'd call a demagogue.
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It's so much simpler! Whatever the Leaders says is true. Whatever the Leader says will happen, happens.
Because there are none of those annoying checks and balances to slow things down.
Political psychologists talk about the Authoritarian Personality, or disposition.
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Because there are none of those annoying checks and balances to slow things down.
Political psychologists talk about the Authoritarian Personality, or disposition.
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According to @karen_stenner author of 👇people with authoritarian dispositions have an aversion to complexity.
They like things simple.
It occurred to me recently that this is why they come up with conspiracy theories the Deep State or globalism conspiracies.
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They like things simple.
It occurred to me recently that this is why they come up with conspiracy theories the Deep State or globalism conspiracies.
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The complexity of International relations scares and overwhelms them. The complexity of our government scares them. So they come up with theories to explain what they can't understand and frights them.
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So they com up with globalist conspiracy theories and believe that a secretive and powerful elite cabal is conspiring to rule the entire world through an authoritarian world government.
Science is also too complex. All those numbers and formulas!
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Science is also too complex. All those numbers and formulas!
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It's much easier (and safer and more comforting) to believe whatever the Leader says, particularly when he says There Is Nothing To Worry About.
He's telling them that the Democrats want them to stay home because Democrats are control freaks and want to take their liberty.
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He's telling them that the Democrats want them to stay home because Democrats are control freaks and want to take their liberty.
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Trump knows exactly how to talk to them. He knows how to rile them. He knows how to stir their anger.
He also knows how to enrage the Democrats, which he does on purpose to keep everyone spinning. Why? because if you're spinning with outrage you're caught in the moment.
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He also knows how to enrage the Democrats, which he does on purpose to keep everyone spinning. Why? because if you're spinning with outrage you're caught in the moment.
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If you're caught in the moment, you can't think straight or plan ahead or look to the future, or plan for the future. You feel hopeless and overwhelmed and you give up.
Trump evokes strong emotions in everyone.
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Trump evokes strong emotions in everyone.
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In his supporters, he evokes euphoria: (Trump is the strongman doing battle with their enemies! He is fighting for them! He isn't afraid to bend rules to get what he wants!)
In his critics, he evokes rage and fury. (Trump is trampling norms and laws and rules!)
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In his critics, he evokes rage and fury. (Trump is trampling norms and laws and rules!)
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The believe him because they want to believe him.
I'm not sure we would have ever had 100% of the people lined up behind sanity and rationality. I think there would have always been holdouts.
FDR did a good job rallying people after Pearl Harbor.
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I'm not sure we would have ever had 100% of the people lined up behind sanity and rationality. I think there would have always been holdouts.
FDR did a good job rallying people after Pearl Harbor.
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Before Pearl Harbor, we had a sizable group who wanted to side with the Nazis.
This was taken in 1937 in New Jersey👇
After Pearl Harbor they lost some influence, but they were still around and still causing trouble. Down deep, they still preferred a demagogue.
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This was taken in 1937 in New Jersey👇
After Pearl Harbor they lost some influence, but they were still around and still causing trouble. Down deep, they still preferred a demagogue.
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With a pandemic the problem is that the holdouts endanger all of us.
The most frustrating part is that they endanger our medical professionals and first responders.
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The most frustrating part is that they endanger our medical professionals and first responders.
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We have to through this by taking care of ourselves and families, and reaching out to vulnerable members of the community who won't get through this without assistance, and vote in November like your life depends on it.
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(I guess this was a mini-rant. Sorry for the typos.)
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(I guess this was a mini-rant. Sorry for the typos.)
Very powerful.
See also👇
I included the 1937 New Jersey image simply because I had it handy. I included it in my biography of FDR, so I have in a file. (I got it from AP Images)
I included the 1937 New Jersey image simply because I had it handy. I included it in my biography of FDR, so I have in a file. (I got it from AP Images)
If there's any doubt that lots of Republicans prefer cult of leadership, this Pew Poll tells us that 52% of those polled who are Republican or lean believe elected officials should NOT criticize Trump's respond to COVID-19.
people-press.org/2020/04/16/mos…
GOP: "They must fall in line!"
people-press.org/2020/04/16/mos…
GOP: "They must fall in line!"
I combined this with today's thread and put it on my blog. It's here: terikanefield-blog.com/the-outrage-cy…
