Professional analyses of RW rage and lunacy - isn't it time?

[IDemo]

No one here is at all surprised anymore at the daily dose of Rightwing anger, fear, vindictiveness, and prideful ignorance on display on your local media outlet. But doesn't merely joking about it or resorting to insult just help to ignore that a large segment of society is on a dangerous path and seemingly determined to drag the rest of the populace along?

The rhetoric has become ghastly, beyond absurd, and this from their supposed 'leaders', even those who may at one time have been deemed 'sensible' -- Huckabee now says Obama will require giving up guns and memorizing Koran verses? And such pablum no longer even causes an eyebrow rise by the reader; it's just more of the SSDD.

I have to believe that there are some deeper issues at hand than home-schooling or the need to feel part of the anti-liberal tribe. We can point to Fox, Breitbart and others, but the idiocy seems to have taken on a life of its own lately.

Here is a link from 2009 that delves a bit into the problem, with the predictable commentary by the subjects of the column:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-is-he-thinking/200908/what-makes-right-wing-mobs-tick

[bbgrunt]

1. interesting take. thanks.

from the article:

"Here's what I think is going on: People in our culture have an inherent resistance to feeling helpless, victimized, and in need of protection, care, and help. This resistance takes many forms, some of which promote hostility toward government in general and toward liberal and humanistic political agendas like health care reform in particular."

k and r

[longship]

2. Robert Altemeyer's authority prone personality.

Robert Altemeyer.

He was extensively cited by John W. Dean (yup! That John Dean, Nixon's counsel who blew the whistle on Watergate) in his wonderfully intelligent book, Conservatives Without Conscience. I met Dean on his book tour and listened to him speak about Altemeyer's research. The book is a revelation of what we are against.

Maybe that is why Keith Olbermann had Dean on Countdown so many times.

A highly recommended read.

I cannot believe that I have posted an almost exact post twice in the same evening. But it fits in both threads so well, I could not help myself.

I hope it adds to your thread discussion.


on edit: Altemeyer has published a summary of his research online, in plain language, as well as a link to a PDF of his book on the topic.
Here: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

[IDemo]

3. Thanks for that, I've downloaded the PDF n/t

[longship]

4. John Dean's book is wonderful and he gets deep into Altemeyer's research.

And Dean is a really great writer. Plenty of citations, too.

So I cannot recommend that book enough.

My best to you.

[IDemo]

5. It was actually The Authoritarians by Altmeyer that I downloaded

It looks accessible and informative, so I'll give it a go. I do remain interested in reading Dean as well.