Gangsterism

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

One feature of pathological authoritarian movements is gangsterism.

This takes two main forms:

1) Street Violence - political argument via direct intimidation. (attacking opposing persons at rallies, for instance. Or creating the reasonable fear a lot of folks have that bumper stickers expressing our true views are a shortcut to a vandalized car.)

2) Protection Racket - the political movement offers itself as protection from its own activities or protection from circumstances the movement brings about.

The first is obvious. The second is subtler, but deeper politically.

Sometimes it is just straight up Sopranos -- Does posting a "vote Adolph" poster in your shop window decrease the odds that window will be broken at some point? If so, does it make you safer? Safer from what? Note that this is a step up from the bumper sticker vandalism issue mentioned above. Rather than merely punishing dissent, the protection racket illegally incentivizes active support.

More often it is systemic. Is it in the interest of a "law and order" party that inner city conditions be ripe for race riots? The riots are the message. (As Mayor Daley said in 1968, accidentally telling the truth, "The police are not on the streets to create disorder, they are there to preserve disorder.")

Same with the war on terror... a pro-war party can act so as to ensure never-ending war... and as the war party, who else can you trust since we are always at war? Only we can protect you from the world we make.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. self kick for extensive edits

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. ...