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October 19, 2004
Authoritarians are irrational. So is Bush.
A funny thing happened while I was doing my homeworkčI actually learned something. I was reading my Persuasion book when I came across a section on authoritarianism and dogmatism. Authoritarians believe in strong leadership and are likely to act aggressively when backed by authority. Dogmatic people lack objectivity and feel that their beliefs are the only correct beliefs.
The negative consequences of authoritarianism include an increase in physical aggression, a tendency
to accept strict control and the inability to self-analyze. The book highlighted a study that found that when people are informed about authoritarianism and told the government wants to stop it, authoritarians are more likely to volunteer to help out.
Wow, authoritarians are a stupid and irrational bunch, aren’t they?
George W. Bush is an authoritarian; therefore, he is stupid and irrational. I’m glad my Persuasion class also taught me about deductive reasoning so I can make such an important and valid conclusion about the worst president in U.S. history (and, yes, I am aware of Presidents Nixon and Reagan, who round out the top three). Bush is not the only authoritarian in this country; his supporters are equally irrational. Their dogmatic belief system is so strict that they don’t see the similarities between their blind following of leadership and that of the terrorists they spend every waking moment being afraid of.
This lack of objective and rational thinking has serious consequences for all Americans. In between reading books about pet goats and watching Fox News, we somehow wasted billions of dollars and a thousand soldiers’ lives hunting down imaginary weapons of mass destruction. While not part of the president’s belief system, I see incredible loss in alienating ourselves from the world and killing thousands of innocent people in Iraq.
This relentless campaign to hunt down and kill terrorists doesn’t make me feel safer. Bush’s “leadership” has actually made my life less safe. See, his authoritarianism doesn’t stop at terrorism, it continues into social and religious beliefs as well. Bush characterizes individuals who aren’t straight as immoral and less deserving of certain rights than other people. Thus, his supporters develop less tolerant attitudes.
This results in an increase in hate crimes against the GLBTI population.
Call me egocentric, but I prefer that my president work toward increasing tolerance and equality for people with different sexual orientations. I prefer that my president understand that freedom doesn’t mean that America has a right to make unilateral decisions about war with other countries over false pretenses; I prefer that my president believe freedom instead means being able to publicly express your affection for another without fear. I prefer that my president speak proper English. But mostly, I prefer that my president be named John Kerry.
Go, Johnny, go!
Posted by msveum at October 19, 2004 11:36 AM
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