, has a message for all. In his book that he wrote at Dean's encouragement and that he has placed online for free, he pleads with us to act for change. For those of you who may have missed my first post about this insightful book, I'm telling you that the results of this man's studies of Right-wing Authoritarians (RWAs) are absolutely chilling, to say the least. It is incredible that we have found ourselves in this position as a nation and as a people.
Having worked in counseling for many years, dealing with extremely difficult personality types, I have to say that understanding the basics of these personality types is essential to learning how to confront and or even begin to deal with the problem. I also know from experience that these types as described in Altemeyer's and Dean's books are of the most difficult persons to converse with; they are challenging beyond belief. As Altemeyer himself writes, "...authoritarians can stupify you with the inconsistency of their ideas." In fact, Altemeyer holds little hope of their ability to change, or of our ability to change their thinking, through direct confrontation.
My concern that I feel Altemeyer* and even Dean fails to mention -- yet -- is that now that we have these Double-High RWAs controlling all aspects of our government -- they are not likely to relinquish their attained power easily, nor through traditional "politics as usual" methods. With devious methods, they have maneuvered themselves into power. Through devious measures, they will likely try to stay. How overt they continue to become with this is unknown -- they've been pretty blatant so far, with increasing blatancy more recently, and that is of grave concern to me. I fear the traditional methods of "get out the vote" will matter little, given the overwhelming evidence of election fraud, which, if one learns about RWAs, none of that should surprise anyone by now.
* (I do wonder how Altemeyer perceives the election fraud issue. Based on this online book, it would appear that he would not be surprised that these RWAs would go to such extremes. Perhaps he has never been exposed to the election fraud information. I think I'll join his discussion over there and ask about that in relation to these RWAs who continue on with nary a concern about the rule of law nor what their base really seems to think.)
Chapter 7
What’s To Be Done?
The Short Run Imperative: Speak Out Now or Forever, Perhaps, Be Silenced
If they work, most of these suggestions will only produce changes in high
RWAs in the long run. But we may not have a long run. We have to contain
authoritarianism now lest it destroy us. We’ve got to act immediately.
... Here’s how I put it in 1996 at the end of what I intended to be my last
book on the subject:
“I am now writing the last page in my last book about authoritarianism. So, for
the last time, I do not think a fascist dictatorship lies just over our horizon. But I do
not think we are well protected against one. And I think our recent history shows the
threat is growing...We cannot secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves, and our
posterity, if we sit with our oars out of the water. If we drift mindlessly, circumstances
can sweep us to disaster. Our societies presently produce millions of highly
authoritarian personalities as a matter of course, enough to stage the Nuremberg
Rallies over and over and over again. Turning a blind eye to this could someday point
guns at all our heads, and the fingers on the triggers will belong to right-wing
authoritarians. We ignore this at our peril.”
Eleven years later, as I am now definitely writing the last pages in my last book
on the subject, I believe circumstances such as “9/11" have nearly swept us to disaster,
the authoritarian threat has grown unabated, and almost all the protections I saw in
1996, such as a “free and vigilant press,” are being eroded or have already been
destroyed. The biggest problem we have now, in my view, is authoritarianism. ...
So what’s to be done right now? The social dominators and high RWAs
presently marshaling their forces for the next election in your county, state and
country, are perfectly entitled to do what they’re doing. They have the right to
organize, they have the right to proselytize, they have the right to select and work for
candidates they like, they have the right to vote, they have the right to make sure folks
who agree with them also vote. ...
If the people who are not social dominators and right-wing authoritarians want
to have those same rights in the future, they, you, had better do those same things too,
now. You do have the right to remain silent, but you’ll do so at everyone’s peril. You
can’t sit these elections out and say “Politics is dirty; I’ll not be part of it,” or
“Nothing can change the way things are done now.”The social dominators want you
to be disgusted with politics, they want you to feel hopeless, they want you out of their
way. They want democracy to fail, they want your freedoms stricken, they want
equality destroyed as a value, they want to control everything and everybody, they
want it all. And they have an army of authoritarian followers marching with the
militancy of “that old-time religion” on a crusade that will make it happen, if you let
them.
... Americans have, for the most part, been standing on the sidewalk quietly
staring at this authoritarian parade as it marches on, becoming more and more dismayed.
Polls confirm that the great majority of Americans feel the country has been going
in the wrong direction. ... You can watch the authoritarians tear democracy apart,
bit by bit, bite by bite. Or you can exercise your rights too, while you still have
them, and get just as concerned, active, and giving to protect yourself and your country.
If you, and other liberals, other moderates, other conservatives with conscience do,
then everything can turn out all right. But we have to get going. If you are the
only person you know who grasps what’s happening, then you’ve got to take leadership,
help inform, and organize others. One person can do so much; you’ve no idea! And two
can do so much more. But time is running out, fast, and nearly everything is at stake.