Political psychology got its start with Theodore Adorno’s attempt to identify conservatives as a psychological type, as measured on his F-scale (F stands for fascist). Today, as his ideas have trickled down and pop psychology has caught on, we see the common conflation of “anti-illegal-immigration” and “anti-immigrant,” the belief that welfare reform was essentially anti-black, and the reduction of concerns about Islamism to a kind of phobia. Conservatives’ ostensible reasons and supporting facts are dismissed without consideration, because it is presumed that those reasons and facts aren’t what really motivate them. And when one lacks, in postmodern fashion, a belief that reasoning can lead to truth, questions of political motivation become preeminent. Conservative ideas are investigated as psychological phenomena — evaluated for the mental health or pathology they suggest — rather than as philosophical propositions — evaluated for the truth or falsehood they contain. The Left seems every day less concerned with substantive reasons for policies, and focuses more intellectual energy on trying to discover the invisible psychopathologies of its opponents.
When you combine the conceit that political ideas are merely manifestations of subconscious impulses with a habit of viewing people through racial and other group taxonomies, it’s easy to buy into Blow’s belief that Tea Partiers are so anti-government because of our president’s racial background. Indeed, given all that, it’s easy to understand how Blow’s columns have at times become streams of assertions about the revolting bigotry of Republicans and conservatives.
They’re not elite, they’re just credentialed.
I think this is in fact just one more of many examples of psychological projection by the Left. There’s a whole book to be written about that. It would drive them (even more) nuts. In fact, I want to start gathering up chapter titles, with a little help from my commenters.
Racists
Liars
Haters
Bigots
Intolerants
Insane
Censors
Fascists
Imposers of Morality
I’m sure there are more.
[Late afternoon update]
The hate of the left. Yes, of course. If you’re in favor of limited government, you’re just like a Nazi. Oooooohhhh, those scary libertarians. They’re going to take over the government and [discordant organ sound, thundercrack, horses neighing] leave us alone.
When I was young and stupid, I thought that Rob Reiner was smart.
[Tuesday morning update]
More leftist projection, from Robert Reich:
…isn’t there something funny about Reich claiming that the GOP is full of authoritarian personalities, even as the Democrats have just enacted a law that orders Americans to buy health care? Which party is asking that government do a whole lot less and which is asking it do a whole lot more? Which party wants the government to boss people around more? Which party is more likely to attract people who find this sort of thing compelling? Which party wants to get rid of the union secret ballot? Which party wants to restore the “fairness” doctrine? Which party wants the government to be able to ban smoking, regulate salt, and ban political speech? Which party attracts people who like campus speech codes? Which party attracts movie stars who vow to be servants of Obama? Or educators who expect likewise of their students?
As I said, classic projection.
[Bumped]
Political psychology got its start with Theodore Adorno’s attempt to identify conservatives as a psychological type. .
Ah, the missing piece of the puzzle concerning why the left’s arguments are essentially all racism all the time.
Now if we can just get the intellectual class to attack this bit of pseudo science with the same vigor they do creationism.
Probably no one has described the psychology of the Left better than Dr. Sanity.
That’s just the general link to her site, not to any specific post. Feel free to browse her archives.
If any reader here is unfamiliar with her, you need to read her post about the Challenger disaster. I regard it as one of the greatest blog posts ever.
This is disturbingly like the old late Soviet era trick of packing dissidents off to mental institutions claiming that they were “ill” because they couldn’t see the “perfect” nature of Communism. Nov 2 may be coming just in the nick of time.
I wonder is Jim will dive into the intellectual dumpster of the left and come up with a rascism accusation for this board in this thread?
This is known as “medicalizing a difference of opinion.”
We all knew it was just a matter of time before the environmental marxist targeted private space efforts. Don’t they know that Richard Branson is one of their own?
I would never have guessed that Frau Blucher was a Libertarian!
First, everybody, there is an online version of the Adorno F Scale. For what it is worth, my score is 1.71. The man who put the F Scale up doesn’t seem to like my views all that much. 🙂
My first encounter with the left was in California. The group was the War Resisters League. They were open, friendly and democratic. I met them in 1968. In 1968 the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to put a halt to the very slight thaw known as the Prague spring. Two WRL leaders flew to Moscow and staged a quick protest. They were summarily kicked out of the country. They expected that to happen. Some one in the press asked the executive director McReynolds at the time if he thought the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were the same. He countered that they were not. The U.S. did have its problems, he noted, but the U.S. was an open society. That’s a democratic left way of saying free and democratic. Later on I did meet a few Stalinists. They were easy to hate.
Describing my politics today is difficult. I think I have some clear libertarian ideas. That’s one reason I read and sometimes comment on Rand’s blog. I can be conservative with that libertarian bent. My biggest disagreement with some libertarians is that I think the private sector does need some reforms to move that part of our society in a more open, free, democratic direction. Abusive bosses might not be as bad as bullies in government, but they do affect our lives in multiple ways.
Incidentally, the comments by Doctor Sanity regarding Challenger and Columbia are criticizing authoritarian management. Rand also criticizes authoritarian managers at NASA with some frequency in this blog.
I wondered when someone was going to make a Young Frankenstein reference. Those whinnying horses are just too much of a temptation.
Ha ha, Chuck, I got “you are a liberal airhead” at 2.9.
What is fascinating about this test is that it seems mostly designed to catch German people who hadn’t learned to lie about their past after the war. As such, it strikes me as delightfully Orwellian. It’s a test for rightthink.
3.1 So Carl, I am vastly superior to you. I expect the proper respect from now on.
Damn, only got a 2.6. The term “liberal airhead” would vastly amuse my (former) high school friend who hasn’t spoken to me after I savaged Michael Moore about seven years ago. She probably recalls me as a Nazi nowadays. Alas.
Liberal airhead at 2 2/3.
3.4
“You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.”
The questions are pretty silly and transparent. I could probably outscore an SS officer if I tried.
Salaam, ken. To hear is to obey.
Conservatives’ ostensible reasons and supporting facts are dismissed without consideration, because it is presumed that those reasons and facts aren’t what really motivate them. And when one lacks, in postmodern fashion, a belief that reasoning can lead to truth, questions of political motivation become preeminent.
I’m no expert in such matters, but I do recall learning one of the core tenets of fascism is the belief that truth is found not from rational thought, but from immutable qualities of the parties involved (race, religion, sex,…). If the left wants to ignore reasons and facts, looking for alternative “truth”, I know what camp I’d place them.
Can you say “projection”?
Liberals base their politics on feelings (usually some form of hatred or envy) and their own warped psychology. Unbiased fact, sound economics, morality, etc. do not enter their minds, thus they assume all people of other political persuasions also base everything on feelings and personal psychological problems.
Whereas conservaitves that I know usually merely think liberals are uninformed, naive, childish, and will start to see the light once they get a real job and have to start paying taxes.
One Nationalized Health Care System for All
+
Leftist civil servants trying to define Conservatism as a mental illness
=
Conservatives being confined for “psychological treatment” in a re-education camp.
Some of those Adorno questions take on a significantly different meaning in 2010 than they might in 1946. For example, “[19] Some people are born with an urge to jump from high places.” — did anyone else think of BASE jumping?
Carl,
Amusing.
Casey,
Very amusing.
level3,
You are showing your own biases.
Seriously, I knew more than a little about personality differences when I took that test. One of the things I studied in grad school was social psychology. Given that, I tried to answer the questions as honestly as possible.
It is interesting that I have more conflicts with highly authoritarian people (e.g., control freaks) than I do with people who disagree with me on some sort of political issue. I also pay more attention to culture than most libertarians. That does shape human behavior in ways that many libertarians ignore.
Ha! I actually got 2.5!
I can believe anything of Robert Reich. If I read in the National Enquirer that Robert Reich had killed and eaten his own love child with Elvis, I would believe it. Robert Reich is an evil twisted distortion of a man, in which all organs of humanity, self-respect and integrity have been surgically replaced with extra concupiscence and the bold dishonesty of the con man.He sees the entire human race as marks, fellow criminals, or obstacles to be obliterated. He is the poster child antisocial, a consciensceless bastard, an orc.
He is the poster child antisocial, a consciensceless bastard, an orc.
Please, tell us how you really feel, Carl!
If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think from Carl’s comment that he has a low opinion of Robert Reich.
If I were a crypto-fascist Nancy Pelosi Democrat, out to save humanity from itself by any means necessary, I would propose a Constitutional Amendment that allows Congress to pass a bill of attainder specifically for the purpose of entombing Robert Reich in Yucca Mountain with signs posted all around, in all conceivable languages as well as simple pictographs, that say Danger Danger Danger Do Not Open For 10,000 Years. I would support the resurrection of Constellation and the tripling of its budget if the first payload to outer space were Robert Reich and a 90 minute supply of O2. Although, hand-crafted as he must have been in some fiery pit of flaming battery acid and plutonium dust by the Supreme Lord of Hell, Great Deceiver, Fornicator of Fortune, Prince of Despair, he might easily survive re-entry clad only in his signature natty three piece yellow suit.
In other words, Carl, you feel the same about Robert Reich as I do about the person responsible for changing the user interface in Microsoft Office 2007. There should be an especially unpleasant corner of Hell reserved for both of them.
in which all organs of humanity, self-respect and integrity have been surgically replaced
Naw, they just shrunk until they weren’t there anymore.
I have to admit I’ve mostly ignored Reich. Carl, you’ve made me take another look. I’ve blogged a short post with a number of links. Rip it apart if you will. I’ll look here for your comments.
I hate him just in empathy with you!