Is it true Trump supporters just want a father figure?

[ecco]

Trump supporters feel no "safety" with Trump. We want freedom, and less government in our lives. We want someone unafraid to break the chains that weaken our independence. We want a president who places American citizens above foreigners.

NAFTA made us dependent on foreign countries... We want independence.

In the 21st Century Independence = Isolationism
i·so·la·tion·ism
/ˌīsəˈlāSHəˌnizəm/

noun

1. a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.
   "the country chose a policy of isolationism that made it a secondary player in world political events"

 

[metis]

A new book by a psychology professor and a former lawyer in the Nixon White House argues that Trump has tapped into a current of authoritarianism in the American electorate, one that’s bubbled just below the surface for years.

And this was confirmed in large part by a poll of those who consider themselves to be Republicans, whereas 40% said that Trump was more important to them than the Constitution. I cannot remember who did that polling, so I'll try and look it up.

In “Authoritarian Nightmare,” Bob Altemeyer and John W. Dean marshal data from a previously unpublished nationwide survey showing a striking desire for strong authoritarian leadership among Republican voters.

And we see this with Trump himself who has praised what he calls "strong leaders", like Putin, Kim, Erdogan (Turkey), Duterte (Philippines), and even Saddam Hussein.

They also find shockingly high levels of anti-democratic beliefs and prejudicial attitudes among Trump backers, especially those who support the president strongly

Most Trump supporters that my wife and I know at the personal level have strong racist tendencies, especially anti-black.

Trump’s personal authoritarian bona fides are well-established, with experts across numerous academic fields warning that his attacks on basic democratic principles present a clear danger to the American political system.

Which is exemplified when he repeatedly has stated that the only way he could lose is if the election is fraudulent, thus that he might not step down. Michael Cohen ("Trump's Fixer") even warned this through congressional testimony that Trump wouldn't step down.

And take a look at all the voter suppression being done by Republicans, even including putting in fake drop-boxes in California, limiting legal drop-boxes in Texas ordered by the governor, reducing the number of polling places in areas with large minority populations in "red states", not allowing students to vote on campus or even nearby towns, etc. etc.

 

[Valjean]

....
“Trump’s supporters are much more inclined to stomp out the people they dislike than Trump’s opponents are,” Altemeyer said in an email. “This reflects the authoritarian aggression that is a central part of the RWA personality

The authoritarian triad:

1. Authoritarian submission — a high degree of submissiveness to the authorities who are perceived to be established and legitimate in the society in which one lives.
2. Authoritarian aggression — a general aggressiveness directed against deviants, outgroups and other people that are perceived to be targets according to established authorities.
3. Conventionalism — a high degree of adherence to the traditions and social norms that are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established authorities and a belief that others in one's society should also be required to adhere to these norms.
   -- The Authoritarians, Bob Altemeyer
   
   It's interesting how authoritarians consistently characterize 'liberals' and the political left as the aggressive or violent ones.

 

[Valjean]

Many just hear the word "socialism" and immediately get angry, paranoid and frightened.
The power of radical-right emotional trickery

The right has been equating socialism with Stalinism for decades. When people hear "socialist" automatically think Soviet Totalitrianism, not co-operation.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

The authoritarian triad:

1. Authoritarian submission — a high degree of submissiveness to the authorities who are perceived to be established and legitimate in the society in which one lives.
2. Authoritarian aggression — a general aggressiveness directed against deviants, outgroups and other people that are perceived to be targets according to established authorities.
3. Conventionalism — a high degree of adherence to the traditions and social norms that are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established authorities and a belief that others in one's society should also be required to adhere to these norms.
   -- The Authoritarians, Bob Altemeyer
   
   It's interesting how authoritarians consistently characterize 'liberals' and the political left as the aggressive or violent ones.

To be fair - and I’m going on memory because I read his work many years ago - Altemeyer says left wing authoritarians exist, too. They just aren’t the focus on his study and perhaps, haven’t played as much of an outsized role in American politics. It would be interesting to read about them, though, to put the RW authoritarianism in more context.

When I read about things like RW authoritarians, I often ask myself “If I was like that, how would I know? Am I just a mirror image of the thing I oppose?”

Even asking questions like that, I think, helps to keep ourselves honest and helps avoid becoming a different version of the thing we oppose.

 

[Cooky]

In the 21st Century Independence = Isolationism
i·so·la·tion·ism
/ˌīsəˈlāSHəˌnizəm/

noun

1. a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.
   "the country chose a policy of isolationism that made it a secondary player in world political events"

If I meant isolationism, I would have said isolationism.

 

[Valjean]

To be fair - and I’m going on memory because I read his work many years ago - Altemeyer says left wing authoritarians exist, too. They just aren’t the focus on his study and perhaps, haven’t played as much of an outsized role in American politics. It would be interesting to read about them, though, to put the RW authoritarianism in more context.

When I read about things like RW authoritarians, I often ask myself “If I was like that, how would I know? Am I just a mirror image of the thing I oppose?”

Even asking questions like that, I think, helps to keep ourselves honest and helps avoid becoming a different version of the thing we oppose.

The existance of LWA is highly conrroversial. Google and you'll find both supporters and detractors. Rational Wiki has a pretty good synopsis of authoritarianism in general, but its take on LWA seems to be using a political model of left wing:

Authoritarianism can also exist in a nominally left-wing situation—cults of personality such as Stalin's or the Kim family's are examples. Other such examples might include the French Reign of Terror, in which egalitarianism was twisted into a chaotic witch hunt that consumed its own leaders (including Maximilien Robespierre himself), left-wing purity trolls (including the centrist PUMA movement in American politics) and the Judean People's Front.

Stalin and Kim I see as Right wing authoritarians. Robespierre, though, might be a good example.

Authoritarianism - RationalWiki

 

[Cooky]

Being a little tribal, chauvinistic and anti-social, aren't you?
Love it or leave it? Most don't have that option.
Do human rights and justice concern you only when they're in your own back yard?

Yes. human rights and justice only concern me when they're in my own back yard... This is how everyone should be.

 

[Valjean]

Yes. human rights and justice only concern me when they're in my own back yard... This is how everyone should be.

And this accounts for mankind's history of endless war, strife, nationalism, slavery, racism, and so on. This is exactly what most religions preach against -- including Roman Catholics.

I hope all libertarians aren't so anti-social, selfish and tribal.

 

[Cooky]

And this accounts for mankind's history of endless war, strife, nationalism, slavery, racism, and so on. This is exactly what most religions preach against -- including Roman Catholics.

I hope all libertarians aren't so anti-social, selfish and tribal.

I don't see how you can say that. How minding one's own business equates to war, strife, nationalism, slavery, racism, I have no idea... In fact, I would argue that it's the opposite, unless someone could prove otherwise.

 

[Tambourine]

The existance of LWA is highly conrroversial. Google and you'll find both supporters and detractors. Rational Wiki has a pretty good synopsis of authoritarianism in general, but its take on LWA seems to be using a political model of left wing:

Authoritarianism can also exist in a nominally left-wing situation—cults of personality such as Stalin's or the Kim family's are examples. Other such examples might include the French Reign of Terror, in which egalitarianism was twisted into a chaotic witch hunt that consumed its own leaders (including Maximilien Robespierre himself), left-wing purity trolls (including the centrist PUMA movement in American politics) and the Judean People's Front.

Stalin and Kim I see as Right wing authoritarians. Robespierre, though, might be a good example.

Authoritarianism - RationalWiki

Robespierre's faction were actually the centrists of the Jacobin regime. They opposed radical reform, and the Hébertists - the left-wing radicals of the Revolution - were in fact one of the first victims of the Terror.

 

[Kenny]

The things you mention "happening today" are happening on Trump's watch and many are a direct result of his inflammatory speech and callous disregard for the feelings of others.

I agree that many speeches were inflammatory. I don't think it is one sided but certainly he is the head.

The growing tax burden is because he wiped out a really BIGLY portion of tax revenue with his corporate and wealthy people's tax breaks. The full results of that, coupled with the burgeoning deficit, have yet to be experienced.

Here, I would say it is a lot more complicated than that and somewhat wrong and opinions run over the full gammet. When you just say corporate and wealthy people's tax breaks, it fails to mention that it went all the way down. Everyone received a tax break.

Let's take the bottom brackets:

amounts went nighter for each tax break and then the amount for the second level went from 15% down to 12%

So to say "only" the wealthy and corporate would be wrong. It is a political selling point that has been overused.

Another example: If you gave a 5% tax break at the lower level and a 1% tax break at the higher level... all you hear is how that translates into "the wealthy are the ones that get to keep more money". Well... obviously. But percentage wise it was still the lower 5% that got the larger tax break.. another political selling point that is being utilize.d

The encroaching government control is happening NOW: federal troops to quell peaceful protesters;

I'm not sure that is "encroaching government". If it is federal property, it is their right. If it isn't, They can't do it without city/state permission. And, judging by the pictures, we aren't talking about the peaceful protests. We are talking about violent ones.

a concerted effort being made for the government once again to have the "right" to determine decisions which rightfully belong between a woman and her God, a person and their partner... etc., etc.

Don't understand... where?

So many of the things were done by executive fiat, without representation of the people's will. This is authoritarian behavior and not at all healthy for a republic.

Yes! I agree that executive orders are out of control.

The greatest offenders was Franklin Roosevelt at 3721 and then Woodrow Wilson at 1803

Obama 277 -

The surprising number of executive orders by each U.S. president


Trump 190
Executive Orders

 

[fantome profane]

Obama 277 -

The surprising number of executive orders by each U.S. president


Trump 190

Captain obvious here to remind us that 8 year is longer than 4 years.

Almost twice as long.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Yes. human rights and justice only concern me when they're in my own back yard... This is how everyone should be.

I couldn't disagree more.
I find such a view to be selfish and depressing.

 

[Cooky]

I couldn't disagree more.
I find such a view to be selfish and depressing.

You know what I find depressing? 7.5 million Californians living in poverty, with 150,000 homeless living on the streets.

...and that's just my State of California.

...And you want us to help non-Americans, when we can't even help our own. That's worse than selfish, that's being a bas***d...literally... A government who doesn't care about it's own citizens, and instead takes care of someone else's.

California Has One Of The Nation's Highest Poverty Rates, Again

California's homelessness crisis — and possible solutions — explained | CalMatters

 

[Cooky]

In fact, we shouldn't take in any immigrants until we fix these numbers. Lest we all be rotten bast**rds.

 

[Sw. Vandana Jyothi]

Yes. human rights and justice only concern me when they're in my own back yard... This is how everyone should be.

But Cookyji, if (probably when) a USA-hating fanatic half way 'round the world gets her hands on a long range weapon like ones we're selling to her neighbor, or this power-crazed potentate or that power-hungry desperado unleashes weapons already in their possession, you will probably have to rethink your deluded idea that the imaginary lines we call borders (your backyard fence) provide any security at all.

 

[fantome profane]

In fact, we shouldn't take in any immigrants until we fix these numbers. Lest we all be rotten bast**rds.

What if the immigrants could help you solve this problem?

 

[Cooky]

But Cookyji, if (probably when) a USA-hating fanatic half way 'round the world gets her hands on a long range weapon like ones we're selling to her neighbor, or this power-crazed potentate or that power-hungry desperado unleashes weapons already in their possession, you will probably have to rethink your deluded idea that the imaginary lines we call borders (your backyard fence) provide any security at all.

I'm still talking about immigration. But yeah, it was globalist Bush who was giving weapons to his enemy's enemy. That's what globalism got us.

 

[Cooky]

What if the immigrants could help you solve this problem?

How, by taking more jobs away from natural born citizens? Half of our jobs were already given to China by Bush Sr., and the other neo-con cohorts.

...This is why we have Trump. Because the neo-cons failed. They got fired.