Tfgray’s Weblog

How is it that the neoconservatives, with their authoritarian tendencies, crackpot economic theories, and foreign policy tirebiting have come to so dominate the GOP? Interesting insights emerge if you look into their financing. Yes, there are domestic millionaires contributing to their think tanks, whose definition of Freedom is the repeal of the entire 20th Century (except for the nukes) creating a glorious return to the days of the Robber Barons when you could legally shovel dead rats into the sausage grinder, child labor was an acceptable alternative to education, and everybody peed in the streams. However, a sizeable amount of their support comes from a surprising source.

Sun Moon financed the founding of the premier neo-con daily, The Washington Times, and writes Bill Kristol’s paycheck over at the Weekly Standard. Why exactly is the Right so eager to ally themselves with a man who has announced that his goal is to destroy American democracy and replace it with a theocracy that worships himself? Why is he financing the Neocon agenda, rather than the Democrats, who, according to the Neocons, are the “real” traitors?

Sun Moon, a North Korean, built his relationship to the Right back in the Fifties, with massive contributions to the World Anti-Communist League. For detailed information on Moon’s revenue stream, go to www.consortiumnews.com, where Bob Parry has kept the investigative flame burning since he broke the Iran-Contra story decades ago. Links to his series of articles on Moon are on the left-hand rail.

Two personality traits that enable this counterintuitive alliance are known as Authoritarianism and Social Dominance. According to forty years worth of studies conducted by Dr. Bob Altemeyer, recently retired from the University of Manitoba, Authoritarians comprise about 25% of the population, which may explain why there seems to be a point below which which Republican support levels will not fall. Authoritarians function most comfortably in a rigid hierarchy that values obedience over thought, tend to be parochial, intolerant, easily led, and gravitate toward religious fundamentalism. Altemeyer’s studies show this to be true regardless of religion, so the same personality dynamic driving the jihadists can be seen driving elements of the Christian Right. One defining characteristic of authoritarian thought process is the ability to “compartmentalize;” to fail to see contradictions within one’s belief system or between one’s beliefs and one’s behavior.

Altemeyer identified Social Dominants by positive responses to such questions as “The most valuable skill you can learn is to look someone in the eye and lie to them.” He found that this group comprises 5 to 10% of the population. These individuals are generally amoral, value personal status and success over all other factors, and will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals.

The Authoritarian Social Dominant is most dangerous. These individuals combine the compartmentalization and lack of critical thinking skills of the authoritarian with the power drive and amorality of the social dominant. Altemeyer cites Hitler, Stalin, and Mao as extreme examples. John Dean drew heavily on Altemeyer’s research for his study of the neo-cons, Conservatives Without Conscience. You can study up on the subject at http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/ where Altemeyer’s book, The Authoritarians, is posted.

In an email exchange, I asked Dr. Bob if he thought Governor Palin would be considered a “Double High,” and he responded:

I can’t say that Sarah Palin is a Double High. I couldn’t say she was if she scored highly on the RWA [Right Wing Authoritarian] and SDO [Social Dominant] scales. That’s an individual diagnosis, and ought to be based on patterns of behavior (as I did in the book with Tom DeLay, GWB, and Pat Robertson). Sarah Palin is too new on the scene, and there’s too much false information floating around about her.

That said, many established facts support the Double High hypothesis. I don’t think there’s much doubt about the RWA part, given her various stands. Has she shown signs of high social dominance? Well, her firings when she became mayor, her intimidation of the town librarian, her firing of the Public Safety Commissioner, her drumbeat lying about The Bridge to Nowhere and earmarks all fit the pattern. More telling to me is her seeming attitude that she can tell her followers anything and they’ll believe her. That looks like a social dominator leading high RWAs.

TF: In your research, or do you know of anyone else’s research, that speaks to successful techniques for countering authoritarian social dominants?

How do you counter social dominators? Vigorously, I’d say (although I’ve no studies on this and it’s just my opinion). It’s very much the same as how do you control playground bullies when the adults don’t. If you just “take” the bullying, it will never end. People have to unite against social dominators and fight back. I think a good example of that now is how the Obama campaign has changed its tone recently.

Responses posted with Dr. Altemeyer’s permission.