Anyone who has been paying attention over the past 40 years has noticed the regrettable and extremist reactionary trend in the political life of the United States.  Certainly no one could have missed the anti-democratic authoritarianism of the Republican Party once it gained control of the executive, legislative and, for the most part, the judicial branches of our federal government back in 2000.  The way they seized the Presidency that year fits the authoritarian mentality perfectly.  The extremism and proto-fascist character of the Republican Party is alarming to all who understand what they've been up to, but most observers, certainly in the corporate media and even in left blogistan have treated the authoritarianism spreading in the country as something that we can virtually dismiss now that it appears the more rational Democrats are in power perhaps for a long while.  Problem solved right?  Not by a long shot I'm afraid.  Our democracy cannot afford to "misunderestimate" them again.

The ugly and dangerous character of the authoritarian movement in America has recently become particularly ugly and shocking what with the emergence of the tea baggers this spring, the murder of Dr. Tiller early this summer and now the mobs purposefully disrupting meetings of members of Congress and their constituents in their districts.  Of course, the tea baggers and the mobs are in large part the same people whose "spontaneous movements" are the result of authoritarian consultants in Washington who specialize in astroturfing, but that is an important part of the character of the virulent authoritarianism abroad in the land today. It is a genuine threat to democracy and it must be defanged before it becomes even more dangerous. 

In addition to the corporate funding of astroturf consultants to organize the mobs, we have the bellicose cheerleaders for authoritarianism not just amongst elected leaders like Boehner who this week was delighted to refer to "roasting" Democratic members of Congress during the August recess with the mobs they have let loose, but also the extreme authoritarian manipulators on the radio and TV like Boss Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Herr Kristol of the Weekly Standard, the twisted Dr. Krauthammer, and the repulsive demagogue Glenn Beck.  Beck is someone I genuinely believe is mentally ill and particularly dangerous because of his sociopathic pursuit of power over others via his astoundingly irresponsible and completely vile broadcasting over radio and TV.  And let's not forget to include in this menagerie the prototypical example of authoritarian willingness to believe anything, even after being repeatedly debunked, that is the "Birther Movement" so near and dear to the worker bees of the right.  I would be remiss if I did not also mention here the heartbeat of authoritarian communications and propaganda in the USA: FOX Noise.  There are many other ringleaders and manipulators that are essential to and an integral part of Republican authoritarianism of course but none more prominent and essential than the many thousands of fundamentalist preachers nationwide who exhort their congregations and followers in a manner that only exacerbates and heightens the worst personality and character traits the authoritarians possess whether in a megachurch like Ted Haggard's or on TV like Pat Robertson.  "The Family" that operates the C Street home where Sanford, Ensign and other amoral authoritarians have resided is a perfect example of how amoral authoritarian leaders can and do accumulate authority, power and influence.

It is extremely important for those who love democracy, liberty, and our constitutional form of government to defend our political inheritance by keeping those who would utterly destroy it in check.  At this moment in time that is simply not happening.  If allowed to continue to run amok as they have been doing now for many years, the authoritarians will destroy our democracy and that is no exaggeration.  Would any rational person seriously question this possibility after having survived the Bush years?  I think not.  The authoritarian Republicans, while not currently in power, are regrouping and have no intention of going away regardless of how much or how often they are denounced and exposed as sadistic hypocrites, racists and so on.  That sort of thing doesn't matter to them.  Not one bit.  And unless one understands why that doesn't matter to them it will be impossible to neutralize them.

The first prerequisite to understanding the rise of the authoritarian political phenomenon in the US is to understand the authoritarian personalities involved.  Both the leaders and the followers have distinct, identifiable qualities and character traits that are critical in understanding how it all works.  I am urging whoever reads this post to learn about this phenomenon without delay.  The recent use of authoritarian followers around the country as a watered down version of the brown and black shirts of the late twenties and early thirties ought to be ringing alarm bells for every citizen interested in maintaining our form of government and the rights and liberty we have inherited from those who came before us.  It is not too early to be sounding the alarm that these people are not merely kooks, but very dangerous, extremists that need to be dealt with now before they continue down the road of more and more extreme and violent means which is inevitable if nothing is done.

If you haven't read John Dean's book "Conservatives Without Conscience" you really should.  In it, Dean describes the evolution of conservatism in America in the modern era.  I will not recap the book in full, but essentially Dean describes how, in the name of conservatism, authoritarian personalities have come to dominate, if not destroy, both the Republican Party in the US and our system of constitutional government right before our very eyes.  I highly recommend the book.  It is not a long book and Dean, as you probably know, is a brilliant observer and superb writer.  Much of the information about authoritarianism in Dean's book is based upon research done by a Professor at the University of Manitoba named Bob Altemeyer. 

Prof. Altemeyer has spent most of his career studying authoritarianism and has conducted extensive, scientific psychological research on the subject that sheds a bright light on who the authoritarians are, what makes them tick, how they think and why they think as they do.  He may well be the foremost expert on authoritarianism in the world. 

Prof. Altemeyer thinks that American democracy is in danger.  I agree. 

It may seem obvious to some that the authoritarian threat has been on the rise for decades, but it clearly is not obvious to many citizens nor is it obvious to many key people in our society such as opinion leaders nationally, those employed by the corporate media, many, if not most, of our political leaders and decision makers and others and that is distressing to say the least.  It isn't because people don't recognize the extremism and radical views espoused by the authoritarian Republicans because they do.  But most people a) do not understand what drives either the leaders or the followers and b) they continue to make the mistake of assuming that underneath it all these people are rational because they are not.  One simply cannot reason or work with someone whose psychology is fundamentally and unalterably unreasonable if not nonreasonable.

Even though there is plenty of information available about the authoritarian enemies of democracy, few have read much about it, fewer still know anything about it whether they are citizens in the hinterland or the nonauthoritarian elites of Washington DC.  This is especially clear regarding the elites when one takes into account some of the amazingly naïve, almost surreal talk emanating from Washington by well meaning Democrats about "bipartisanship" and how important it is to work with the Republicans.  This has been an ongoing lament on the part of Democrats throughout the entire era since the authoritarians first emerged and as they have become the dominant force in the Republican Party.  The Democrats' continued misunderstanding and more importantly mishandling of the authoritarians they are dealing with is central to what leads to the frustration of policymakers who continue to get hoodwinked, outmaneuvered and just plain snookered by the bad faith and underhandedness of the Republicans.  It also leads to the massive frustration on the part of citizens and activists who cannot believe that Democrats are unable to make any real progress on their agenda despite overwhelming Democratic majorities.  Without properly understanding and coming to grips with the authoritarian personalities they face, how such people think and operate, it will be impossible for Democrats to effectively counter their amoral, demagogic, and extremist methods.  What is clear is that it is high time to abandon the naïve and potentially dangerous notion that the authoritarian Republicans are either reasonable or honorable because they are neither of those things.

So, what is to be done then?  I repeat what I wrote above that the first prerequisite to understanding the rise of the authoritarian political phenomenon is to understand the authoritarian personalities involved.  So definitely get a hold of Dean's book but also take a look at what Prof. Altemeyer has written.  How can one do that you ask?  I just recently discovered there is a very easy and accessible way available to all that doesn't cost a thing.  Prof. Altemeyer, apparently at the request of John Dean, wrote a book for nonscientists explaining in straightforward language the findings of his research and in which he shares his insights and observations of over 40 years.  The book titled "The Authoritarians" is freely available on the web and easy to download.  I urge you to click on the link below and start reading Altemeyer's important work which, while written several years ago now, remains just as important and timely as it was then.

Following is a brief excerpt from Altemeyer's introduction to the book that will give you an idea about the work and, I hope, convince you to learn as much as you can about the authoritarian personalities we are threatened by so we can effectively counter and neutralize them.

But why should you even bother reading this book? I would offer three reasons. First, if you are concerned about what has happened in America since a radical right-wing segment of the population began taking control of the government about a dozen years ago, I think you'll find a lot in this book that says your fears are well founded. As many have pointed out, the Republic is once again passing through perilous times. The concept of a constitutional democracy has been under attack--and by the American government no less! The mid-term elections of 2006 give hope that the best values and traditions of the country will ultimately prevail. But it could prove a huge mistake to think that the enemies of freedom and equality have lost the war just because they were recently rebuffed at the polls. I'll be very much surprised if their leaders don't frame the setback as a test of the followers' faith, causing them to redouble their efforts. They came so close to getting what they want, they're not likely to pack up and go away without an all-out drive. But even if their leaders cannot find an acceptable presidential candidate for 2008, even if authoritarians play a much diminished role in the next election, even if they temporarily fade from view, they will still be there, aching for a dictatorship that will force their views on everyone. And they will surely be energized again, as they were in 1994, if a new administration infuriates them while carrying out its mandate. The country is not out of danger yet.

 

The second reason I can offer for reading what follows is that it is not chock full of opinions, but experimental evidence. Liberals have stereotypes about conservatives, and conservatives have stereotypes about liberals.  Moderates have stereotypes about both.  Anyone who has watched, or been a liberal arguing with a conservative (or vice versa) knows that personal opinion and rhetoric can be had a penny a pound.  But all that arguing never seems to get anywhere. Whereas if you set up a fair and square experiment in which people can act nobly, fairly, and with integrity, and you find that most of one group does, and most of another group does not, that's a fact, not an opinion. And if you keep finding the same thing experiment after experiment, and other people do too, then that's a body of facts that demands attention.  Some people, we have seen to our dismay, don't give a hoot what scientific investigation reveals.  But most people do. If the data were fairly gathered and we let them do the talking, we should be on a higher plane than the current, "Sez you!"

 

The last reason why you might be interested in the hereafter is that you might want more than just facts about authoritarians, but understanding and insight into why they act the way they do.  Which is often mind-boggling. How can they revere those who gave their lives defending freedom and then support moves to take that freedom away? How can they go on believing things that have been disconfirmed over and over again, and disbelieve things that are well established? How can they think they are the best people in the world, when so much of what they do ought to show them they are not? Why do their leaders so often turn out to be crooks and hypocrites? Why do the followers accept the flimsy excuses and even obvious lies that their leaders proclaim, and cling to them so dogmatically? Why are both the followers and the leaders so aggressive that hostility is practically their trademark? Why are both so unaffected by the evil they do?  By the time you have finished this book, I think you will understand the reasons.  All of this, and much more, fit into place once you see what research has uncovered going on in authoritarian minds.

 

Ready to go exploring?

Here is the link to Prof. Altemeyer's book, "The Authoritarians": http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/