Origins of Con-servatism

I’ve often discussed the human characteristic described as the authoritarian personality. And I have also described modern American conservatism as a very authoritarian Cult of Right-wing Authoritarian Personalities. Today’s con-servative C.R.A.P. has descended, in more ways than one, from a long history of authoritarian, reactionary elements of society.

Conservatism cannot hold power without a total lock on the authoritarian minority of a population in service to the ideology. Because the established political powers are guaranteed support from only the authoritarian quarter of a population, the forces of conservatism will always be directed at dominating discourse, suppressing democracy, and overruling consent by the majority of the governed. Only that special minority are deemed worthy of rule by authoritarian leaders and their true believer authoritarian followers.

The overlap of “conservative” and “authoritarian” is almost total. Not all conservatives are Right-wing Authoritarian Personalities, but all authoritarians are conservatives. And they are true believers in their leaders.

In 2017 psychology professor John Ehrenreich wrote an article for Slate titled, “Why Are Conservatives More Susceptible to Believing Lies?”

He found, “Conservatives’ greater acceptance of hierarchy and trust in authority may lead to greater faith that what the president says must be true, even when the “facts” would seem to indicate otherwise.”

This willful blindness is not good for humanity’s prospects for survival and prosperity.

So who are these conservatives and where did they come from?

Along with an understanding of the nature and history of the Right-wing Authoritarian Personality, knowledge of the history of conservatism itself is important. As we know, authoritarian personalities have been among us since our cave dwelling ancestors needed a rapid fight-or-flight response for survival. As monarchies rose, authoritarians would almost universally side with the leaders and their military/police guardians. This pattern of behavior would develop into modern conservatism.

Freelance writer and video essayist Ian Danskin brought us the illuminating youtube series exploring such topics as “The Alt-Right Playbook: Always A Bigger Fish” and “White Fascism” 

I can’t recommend these video essays on conservatism enough. (He just needs to apply the term "con-servatism" for our new nexus of white nationalism and corporatism.)

Danskin presents an excellent overview of the history of conservatism, going back to Thomas Hobbes, Edmund Burke, Joseph DeMaistre. They reached common agreement in finding democracy “repulsive” in their defense of monarchy.  He traces the lineage from these men through modern pillars of conservatism like Hayek and the Austrians to the Goddess of Greed, Ayn Rand.

Let’s have a look at some thoughts and quotes from “The Origin of Conservatism” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4CI2vk3ugk

According to conservatives, conservatism is all about “fiscal responsibility”, “limited government”, and “Rights of the individual”. It doesn’t take a journalist or historian to know how flexible these principles become when applied by conservatives and authoritarians.

Danskin observes the reality of their policies and finds conservatism is much more about, “maintaining social hierarchies”, asserting the idea that “people are fundamentally unequal”, and  “capitalism good, democracy bad”.

These are the tightly held “principles” of con-servatism.

He frames Royalist Edmund Burke’s message as, “Your labor is only as valuable as the degree to which it satisfies the desires of the moneyed classes.” This stands against Adam Smith’s “Labor Theory of Value” that places value on the labor done by workers. We see where this is going, don’t we? Labor becomes the dirty word here, as in value of, as well as in organization and representation of labor rights. Conservatism never tires of telling us labor rights should be unequal to owners’ rights and privileges. Never mind labor produces the value by which the owners profit.

He illustrates how conservatism promotes the idea that, “Humans are innately unequal and society flourishes when power is doled out to the deserving”, and “Conservatism upholds the status quo and defends the powerful.” It’s always been this way with American conservatism, since the colonial monarchists.

And throughout American history, from defending slavery, to opposing the civil rights movement, and to suppressing minority voting, the pattern has been consistent. Danskin makes it clear,  “The alt-Right ARE of the conservative tradition, only more.”

I wish I could say there is light at the end of the tunnel. Today authoritarianism speaks louder than democracy. Ignorant, frightened, racist and brainwashed Americans have chosen the path of darkness and authoritarianism, and they have shown they don’t need a majority to take us there.

American democracy died in 2000. The American soul died in 2004 when it reelected the men who lied us into a war of aggression. Trump has only zombie-fied the rotting corpse into a white nationalist corporate state.

The late, great George Carlin told us back in 2007:

You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations, and they’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the State Houses, and the City Halls. They’ve got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear. They’ve got you by the balls.

And that is how it will always be...As long as enough of the majority are apathetic or ill-informed, the authoritarians will preserve the power of their elite rulers. 

Democracy is the direct threat to their rule. By having the louder voices and financial support from the ruling class, they easily dominate political discourse. They have been wildly successful in demonizing journalism and education. This has always been the way of darkness and evil.

Only a volitional evolution of conscience and consciousness, along with the willingness and ability of the majority to vote and become active, can illuminate the darkness wrought by ignorance, hate, and a cult-like faith in authoritarian con-servatism.

Until then, democracy loses and con-servatism wins.