"Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst"

[bucolic_frolic]

https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/mass-propaganda-discovered-that-its.html

The autocratic leader lies and then falsely charges his opponents with lying. He politicizes institutions that are supposed to be free of politics by falsely accusing his foes of politicizing them. He victimizes others by falsely claiming they are victimizing him.

The autocrat also counts on spineless politicians to cave in to his demands. And as they destroy governmental institutions at his bidding, they insist they are defending them.

In her classic 1951 book, “The Origins of Totalitarianism,” the philosopher Hannah Arendt offered two observations that help us understand the assumptions and purposes behind the memo created by the staff of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee turned propagandist for President Trump.

The totalitarian method of the 1920s and 1930s, she noted, was to “dissolve every statement of fact into a declaration of purpose.”

She also said this: “Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow.”

More at the above link.

We have big problems.

[WhiteTara]

1. They will believe "it", knowing "it" is a lie.

How do they get dressed in the morning? Like Alice, they believe 6 impossible things before breakfast.

That statement actually made my head swim. Not that what she wrote isn't true, but that it is.

[Egnever]

2. it's a human condition

Not limited to any party IMHO.

The pukes are good at taking advantage of it though.

[WhiteTara]

3. It's a human condition to believe two things

at the same time?

[Egnever]

4. to be susceptible to stories that fit your narative

true or not.

[Hortensis]

5. Liberals are susceptible but LESS so. Conservatives

definitely more so, and some types of conservatives are naturally extremely susceptible. Roughly 25% of all people, but 100% conservative, are natural born fanatically loyal "I was just following orders" people who yearn for a strong leader to obey.

That's why the rise of authoritarianism and precursor fascism has occurred on the right, not the left.

For great reads, articles and free download book on this by a scholar whose work has only been built on since and never refuted:

Donald Trump and Authoritarian Followers
https://theauthoritarians.org/

[Egnever]

6. The difference is fairly small, and among strong partisans almost non existent.

https://reason.com/archives/2017/12/16/authoritarians-to-the-left-and

Luttig reports that in the 2012 American National Election Studies survey, 13 percent of white Democrats chose the "authoritarian" response to each of the four standard questions, while 19 percent of white Republicans did the same. On both sides, the more authoritarian picks a person made, the higher the probability that he or she would also identify as strongly partisan. (Among Democrats, strong partisanship rose from 34 to 48 percent. Among Republicans, it went from 30 to 49 percent.)

[Hortensis]

7. Everyone should note that extremism is rising on

both sides and resist it in themselves.

I read this and was appalled by what it seems to say, but it only shows part of the picture. The difference is actually tremendous overall. Strong left-wing authoritarians do exist, but they are found on the far left and are in much smaller numbers than on the right.

That's why of all the terrorist acts committed by Americans, 94% were committed by non-Muslim right-wing extremist and 2% by non-Muslim left-wing extremists. (The remaining 4% were Muslim, but of course most of those were right-wing.)

Again, all this is why Trumpist populism, Bannonism, neo-nazi, business-oriented fascism, angry Tea-Party populism are all happening on the right and why that's where support for the next Hitler would arise.

Sanders attempted to build a left-wing populism, drawing from the right as he could, but it's very weak compared to trumpism and very tepid in goals compared to the right. He couldn't sell a true revolution to the left if he wanted to, whereas trumpsters are ready to burn the entire nation down if instructed.

[Egnever]

8. Agreed

I just think we need to recognize our own susceptibility to it and not try to pretend it is limited to the right.

[Hortensis]

9. Oh, agree 100% with that. Posts right here are

frequent warnings of that.

But those drawn down the rabbit hole of extremism and authoritarianism end up on other forums, because this one, which is committed to supporting Democrats and Democratic Party ideals, becomes a very bad fit for them.

Left wingers looking for a strong-man authoritarian to follow always end up, by definition, disappointed in the principled "weaklings" the Democratic Party always produces.

Because for all its great diversity, it's dominated by the nation's liberals, and we don't do authoritarianism. We're the anti-authoritarians, the anti-fascism people.