Reflections, Observations, and Analyses Pertaining to the Canadian Political Scene
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Reaching Across The Divide
In an effort at ecumenical outreach, Mrs. Betty Bowers reaches out to the Real Housewives of ISIS to show that their religious sensibilities have much in common with those of the Religious Right in America.
Jeff Sessions' Religious Freedom order to undercut #LGBT rights allowed me to remind The Real Housewives of ISIS how much we have in common! pic.twitter.com/GRxZox1hxT
You might find Bob Altemeyer's book, "The Authoritarians" helpful, Lorne. Missouri-born Altemeyer wrote the book while a psych prof at University of Manitoba. It's available free in pdf. at the link that follows.
His theory is that there is always a significant segment of the public in any democracy that has authoritarian/fascist instincts that are ordinarily suppressed by fear of public ridicule. These people keep their views to themselves until conditions become amenable to tolerating their extremism.
Racism in the U.S. was kept somewhat in check but the burning embers were rekindled when America got its first black president. We're sort of inured to it today but it was as alarming as it was disgusting. Now Obama's successor is blatantly racist.
As for the simpletons well they're the authoritarians foot soldiers. The Republicans brought them into the party tent as a source of free votes and now they're about to run the place.
Here's an article that pretty much reflects how I've changed from being someone who dully kept up with the published news, to someone who now knows our western society is a con from beginning to end. Plus, it's actually well-written by a Brit.
Hedges, "American Fascists."
ReplyDeleteI wonder why there are so many simpletons and fascists in the U.S., Mound.
DeleteYou might find Bob Altemeyer's book, "The Authoritarians" helpful, Lorne. Missouri-born Altemeyer wrote the book while a psych prof at University of Manitoba. It's available free in pdf. at the link that follows.
ReplyDeleteHis theory is that there is always a significant segment of the public in any democracy that has authoritarian/fascist instincts that are ordinarily suppressed by fear of public ridicule. These people keep their views to themselves until conditions become amenable to tolerating their extremism.
Racism in the U.S. was kept somewhat in check but the burning embers were rekindled when America got its first black president. We're sort of inured to it today but it was as alarming as it was disgusting. Now Obama's successor is blatantly racist.
As for the simpletons well they're the authoritarians foot soldiers. The Republicans brought them into the party tent as a source of free votes and now they're about to run the place.
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/
Thanks for the book recommendation, Mound. It sounds like something very worthwhile to read. I shall check into it.
DeleteHere's an article that pretty much reflects how I've changed from being someone who dully kept up with the published news, to someone who now knows our western society is a con from beginning to end. Plus, it's actually well-written by a Brit.
ReplyDeletehttps://dissidentvoice.org/2017/10/the-merchant-of-menace/
BM
Thanks, BM. I shall check it out.
Delete