In this amazing lecture Prof. Carol Anderson explains that what sets off white rage isn’t the presence of black people.
It’s the presence of black people with ambition who refuse to accept their subjugation.
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About a third of people across cultures have what political psychologists call an authoritarian disposition. You can read more about the right wing variety here: researchgate.net/publication/31…
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Karen made it available free, here: …e-4700-aaa9-743a55a9437a.filesusr.com/ugd/02ff25_370…
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Those with an authoritarian disposition, on the other hand, are averse to complexity (which includes diversity).
Those with authoritarian dispositions prefer sameness and uniformity.
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A normative threat is something that threatens “sameness and order.”
When face with a normative threat, they become violent and cruel.
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Authoritarian uprisings are an eternal part of liberal democracies (according to the authors) because democracy natural expands and becomes more diverse. As voting rights expand, for example, the electorate gets more diverse. . .
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This dovetails with Dr. Anderson's observation that it's not the presence of black people that triggers white rage . . .
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Another way of seeing the same thing is through the lens of the sociologist and differing views of the purpose of government.
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Obama was a fairness president. Fairness presidents try to figure out how to better the lives of the citizens.
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The other view of government is that the purpose is to maintain the hierarchy.
Republicans since the New Deal have been the party of hierarchy. That's why they hate things like health care for all.
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What they meant by "law and order" was "maintain the hierarchy." One way is to imprison (or lynch) black men.
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I also think that Trump goofed and lost control.
He's the Chaos President, but he selects the chaos he wants and needs to control the narrative.
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Given that we're give months before a presidential election, this is a big deal. Republicans are starting (tentatively and don't get your hopes up that this will continue) to turn on him.
This morning, I saw this: nytimes.com/2020/06/04/us/…
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So they're triggering a normative threat, where the threat is the protesters.
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Hierarchical people don't willingly give up their place at the top of the hierarchy.
19th century America was a patriarchy/hierarchy with black women at the bottom. White men were at or near the top.
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Hierarchical people don't believe fairness is possible, so they assume others are trying to displace them.