The Republican Approach to Government: Authoritarian Rule

[Skull Pilot]

"We can't drive our SUVs and,

you know, eat as much as we want and

keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times, whether we're living in the desert or we're living in the tundra,

and then just expect every other country is going to say OK, you know, you guys go ahead keep on using 25 percent of the world's energy, even though you only account for 3 percent of the population, and we'll be fine. Don't worry about us. That's not leadership." ~~ Barack Obama, Democrat, not authoritarian, no, not at all

You got a source.

[youtube]XXIvmJ8xenc[/youtube]

 

[Bfgrn]

Hey Crusader Truman and probably JFK as well would not recognize their party today. Truman and JFK were a bit center left. Today's Dem officeholders, and certainly the leadership, are far left marxists. I have been following their drift to the far left for over forty years so don't pull that stuff about Truman on me.

I took particular notice that you did not try to refute my statement about people want to be free and Dems don't offer that. Score one, case closed. I will no longer post to this thread.

WOW... declare faux victory, then cut & run... what's that trail of yellow liquid you left on the floor?

You're definition of freedom is the fox guarding the hen house...

"Harry Truman once said, 'There are 14 or 15 million Americans who have the resources to have representatives in Washington to protect their interests, and that the interests of the great mass of the other people - the 150 or 160 million - is the responsibility of the president of the United States, and I propose to fulfill it.'"
President John F. Kennedy

 

[Newby]

The Evidence Establishes, without Question, that Republican Rule Is Dangerous: Why It Is High Time to Fix This Situation, For the Good of the Nation

By JOHN W. DEAN

Friday, Oct. 31, 2008


The Republican Approach to Government: Authoritarian Rule

Republicans rule, rather than govern, when they are in power by imposing their authoritarian conservative philosophy on everyone, as their answer for everything. This works for them because their interest is in power, and in what it can do for those who think as they do. Ruling, of course, must be distinguished from governing, which is a more nuanced process that entails give-and-take and the kind of compromises that are often necessary to find a consensus and solutions that will best serve the interests of all Americans.

Republicans' authoritarian rule can also be characterized by its striking incivility and intolerance toward those who do not view the world as Republicans do. Their insufferable attitude is not dangerous in itself, but it is employed to accomplish what they want, which is to take care of themselves and those who work to keep them in power.

Authoritarian conservatives are primarily anti-government, except where they believe the government can be useful to impose moral or social order (for example, with respect to matters like abortion, prayer in schools, or prohibiting sexually-explicit information from public view). Similarly, Republicans' limited-government attitude does not apply regarding national security, where they feel there can never be too much government activity - nor are the rights and liberties of individuals respected when national security is involved. Authoritarian Republicans do oppose the government interfering with markets and the economy, however - and generally oppose the government's doing anything to help anyone they feel should be able to help themselves.

In my book Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches, I set forth the facts regarding the consequences of the Republicans' controlling government for too many years. No Republican - nor anyone else, for that matter - has refuted these facts, and for good reason: They are irrefutable.

The 'Tea baggers'

The leading authority on right-wing authoritarianism, a man who devoted his career to developing hard empirical data about these people and their beliefs, is Robert Altemeyer. Altemeyer, a social scientist based in Canada, flushed out these typical character traits in decades of testing.

Altemeyer believes about 25 percent of the adult population in the United States is solidly authoritarian (with that group mostly composed of followers, and a small percentage of potential leaders). It is in these ranks of some 70 million that we find the core of the McCain/Palin supporters. They are people who are, in Altemeyer's words, are "so self-righteous, so ill-informed, and so dogmatic that nothing you can say or do will change their minds."

The Problem with Electing Authoritarian Conservatives

What is wrong with being an authoritarian conservative? Well, if you want to take the country where they do, nothing. "They would march America into a dictatorship and probably feel that things had improved as a result," Altemeyer told me. "The problem is that these authoritarian followers are much more active than the rest of the country. They have the mentality of 'old-time religion' on a crusade, and they generously give money, time and effort to the cause. They proselytize; they lick stamps; they put pressure on loved ones; and they revel in being loyal to a cohesive group of like thinkers. And they are so submissive to their leaders that they will believe and do virtually anything they are told. They are not going to let up and they are not going to go away."

While not all conservatives are authoritarians; all highly authoritarian personalities are political conservatives.
Robert Altmeyer

What a complete joke! What do you call a democratic controlled congress and a democratic administration FORCING their brand of health care down the throat of the masses when the masses have CLEARLY stated they do NOT want it? What the hell do you call that? Is that what you idiots call 'governing'? Give me a break.

 

[IdahoHobo]

My father was an authoritarian. He made me responsible and accountable for my actions. Who is holding the Bureaucrats (insert favorite agency here) responsible right now? Neither republican nor democrat. For example, HUD's interference with the free-market housing industry by demanding loans be made to folks who could not afford to buy a home via government guaranteed loans through GSEs like Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae. Guess it is easier to blame the self-serving capitalist bankers who readily took the bait. I want an authoritarian to manage government agencies. This in turn would free the people from authoritarian actions by said agencies.

A fool is born every minute. A true visionary comes around once in a lifetime.

 

[Darkwind]

Name 'em

Social Security, the new so called health care reform bill, alcohol and tobacco taxes

Social security...tell me what you want to eliminate:
* Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
* Unemployment benefits
* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
* Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled (Medicare)
* Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid)
* State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The health care bill...

Tell me how you will offset the cost of doing nothing?

Affordability
As health care costs continue to grow faster than wages, health insurance will become more and more unaffordable for more and more American families every day. The financial burdens associated with health care and health insurance will only get worse over time without action.The cost of the average employer-sponsored health insurance plan (ESI) for a family will reach $24,000 in 2016. This represents an 84 percent increase over 2008 premium levels. Under this scenario, we estimate that at least half of American households will need to spend more than 45 percent of their income to buy health insurance.

Alcohol and tobacco taxes are bipartisan.

You don't listen to well, do you?

Everything you list is done so out of some notion of, 'we know what is best for you." A more authoritarian position cannot exist.

 

[Bfgrn]

Social Security, the new so called health care reform bill, alcohol and tobacco taxes

Social security...tell me what you want to eliminate:
* Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
* Unemployment benefits
* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
* Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled (Medicare)
* Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid)
* State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The health care bill...

Tell me how you will offset the cost of doing nothing?

Affordability
As health care costs continue to grow faster than wages, health insurance will become more and more unaffordable for more and more American families every day. The financial burdens associated with health care and health insurance will only get worse over time without action.The cost of the average employer-sponsored health insurance plan (ESI) for a family will reach $24,000 in 2016. This represents an 84 percent increase over 2008 premium levels. Under this scenario, we estimate that at least half of American households will need to spend more than 45 percent of their income to buy health insurance.

Alcohol and tobacco taxes are bipartisan.

You don't listen to well, do you?

Everything you list is done so out of some notion of, 'we know what is best for you." A more authoritarian position cannot exist.

I listen very well...you just don't think very well. Weakening of civil society is a symptom of authoritarianism. You authoritarians see it as a mission...like making homelessness a crime.

 

[Darkwind]

Social security...tell me what you want to eliminate:
* Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
* Unemployment benefits
* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
* Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled (Medicare)
* Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid)
* State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The health care bill...

Tell me how you will offset the cost of doing nothing?

Affordability
As health care costs continue to grow faster than wages, health insurance will become more and more unaffordable for more and more American families every day. The financial burdens associated with health care and health insurance will only get worse over time without action.The cost of the average employer-sponsored health insurance plan (ESI) for a family will reach $24,000 in 2016. This represents an 84 percent increase over 2008 premium levels. Under this scenario, we estimate that at least half of American households will need to spend more than 45 percent of their income to buy health insurance.

Alcohol and tobacco taxes are bipartisan.

You don't listen to well, do you?

Everything you list is done so out of some notion of, 'we know what is best for you." A more authoritarian position cannot exist.

I listen very well...you just don't think very well. Weakening of civil society is a symptom of authoritarianism. You authoritarians see it as a mission...like making homelessness a crime.

I don't think very well? Now that is funneh....

To want less government is to take a stand against Authoritarianism. Conservatives who want less government means they expect more freedom. Freedom from programs that tell us what is best for us...."Health Care". Programs that are based upon lies yet tell us that our actions are the cause of harm to our world and that for our own good, we need to stop doing what we are doing. Programs that for our own good, take the sweat from our brow and give it to others. Programs that for our own good tell us not how compassionate we should be, but how we should apply that compassion.

I think you need to go learn what Authoritarian means before making false accusations against Republicans.

 

[Bfgrn]

You don't listen to well, do you?

Everything you list is done so out of some notion of, 'we know what is best for you." A more authoritarian position cannot exist.

I listen very well...you just don't think very well. Weakening of civil society is a symptom of authoritarianism. You authoritarians see it as a mission...like making homelessness a crime.

I don't think very well? Now that is funneh....

To want less government is to take a stand against Authoritarianism. Conservatives who want less government means they expect more freedom. Freedom from programs that tell us what is best for us...."Health Care". Programs that are based upon lies yet tell us that our actions are the cause of harm to our world and that for our own good, we need to stop doing what we are doing. Programs that for our own good, take the sweat from our brow and give it to others. Programs that for our own good tell us not how compassionate we should be, but how we should apply that compassion.

I think you need to go learn what Authoritarian means before making false accusations against Republicans.

I need to go learn what Authoritarian means...I'm taking to one. Human compassion and empathy are devoid authoritarians. Simple minded people like you expect simple solutions to create utopia, if you support destroying what our founders created, move to Haiti, they have NO government...

We live and die with death panels and rationing every day...but those decisions are made by unelected officials behind closed doors; another characteristic of authoritarian rule, no representation...but stupid people like you somehow believe that for profit cartels will treat you fairly, not deny you coverage, not poison your air, protect your drinking water and have human compassion...THAT is beyond not thinking well...that is how a moron thinks.

Right wing authoritarian solutions are less compassionate than Auschwitz..at least that form of death was swift

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Fact remains that the demopublicraticans are playing the game between the 40-yard lines and there is no difference in substance between the two.

Huh, something I can agree on here.

Republicans and Democrats both want to legislate their own morality, and as such both are pretty authoritarian. Both are hypocrites.

For example: How can you be pro-Life and be against entitlement programs that literally prevent children from living in poverty. How can you be pro-Entitlement and yet not view the unborn as worthy of protection?

Ideally a two party system would give us a "More Government" and a "Less Government" party so that we as educated voters could decide what we need as time and conditions dictate. Instead, we just have "More Government" and "More Government" as the Repulbican era of 2000-2006 and the Democrat era of recent times show.

 

[CMike]

I listen very well...you just don't think very well. Weakening of civil society is a symptom of authoritarianism. You authoritarians see it as a mission...like making homelessness a crime.

I don't think very well? Now that is funneh....

To want less government is to take a stand against Authoritarianism. Conservatives who want less government means they expect more freedom. Freedom from programs that tell us what is best for us...."Health Care". Programs that are based upon lies yet tell us that our actions are the cause of harm to our world and that for our own good, we need to stop doing what we are doing. Programs that for our own good, take the sweat from our brow and give it to others. Programs that for our own good tell us not how compassionate we should be, but how we should apply that compassion.

I think you need to go learn what Authoritarian means before making false accusations against Republicans.

I need to go learn what Authoritarian means...I'm taking to one. Human compassion and empathy are devoid authoritarians. Simple minded people like you expect simple solutions to create utopia, if you support destroying what our founders created, move to Haiti, they have NO government...

We live and die with death panels and rationing every day...but those decisions are made by unelected officials behind closed doors; another characteristic of authoritarian rule, no representation...but stupid people like you somehow believe that for profit cartels will treat you fairly, not deny you coverage, not poison your air, protect your drinking water and have human compassion...THAT is beyond not thinking well...that is how a moron thinks.

Right wing authoritarian solutions are less compassionate than Auschwitz..at least that form of death was swift

If you see Bfgrn in the street please return him home.

Do it for the children.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_piJQuK2WE]YouTube - Danvers State Insane Asylum[/ame]

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Pretty funny stuff. This current Socialist/Communist regime is as authoritarian as it gets. What Socialist/Communist regime isn't authoritarian? I would say fining and possibly imprisoning American Citizens for not having health insurance is about as authoritarian as it gets no? Socialists/Communists complaining about "Authoritarian Rule?" Yikes!

 

[LibocalypseNow]

If you truly believe in Freedom & Liberty,you could never support Socialists/Democrats. The same can be said about supporting NeoCon Republicans. Both parties currently believe in authoritarian rule. This could be changing in the Republican Party though. To single out one party on this stuff really is petty & partisan. Get rid of the Socialists & NeoCons and you wont ever have to fear authoritarian rule. Think about it.

 

[Father Time]

"We can't drive our SUVs and,

you know, eat as much as we want and

keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times, whether we're living in the desert or we're living in the tundra,

and then just expect every other country is going to say OK, you know, you guys go ahead keep on using 25 percent of the world's energy, even though you only account for 3 percent of the population, and we'll be fine. Don't worry about us. That's not leadership." ~~ Barack Obama, Democrat, not authoritarian, no, not at all

You got a source.

[youtube]XXIvmJ8xenc[/youtube]

Thank you.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Vote all Socialists and NeoCons out of office and we will never have to fear authoritarian rule ever again. Just a thought anyway.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

I find it pretty bizarre that Socialists can complain about "Authoritarian Rule" while at the same time proposing Laws like fining and possibly imprisoning American Citizens for not having health insurance. Seems about as authoritarian as it gets no? Hmm?