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Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 02:45 PM Feb 2013

“It’s not that conservative people are more fearful, it’s that fearful people are more conservative.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/02/fear_and_conservatism.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Talking-Points-Memo+%28Talking+Points+Memo%3A+by+Joshua+Micah+Marshall%29


Using a large sample of related individuals, including twins, siblings, and parents and children, the researchers first assessed individuals for their propensity for fear using standardized clinically administered interviews. Looking at subjects who were related to one another, the researchers were able to identify influences such as environment and personal experience and found that some individuals also possessed a genetic propensity for a higher level of baseline fear. Such individuals are more prepared to experience fear in general at lower levels of threat or provocation.


Next, the researchers surveyed the sample for their attitudes toward out-groups — immigrants in this case — as well as toward segregation. Participants were also ranked on a liberal-conservative partisanship scale depending on how they self-reported their political attitudes.

The research indicates a strong correlation between social fear and anti-immigration, pro-segregation attitudes. While those individuals with higher levels of social fear exhibited the strongest negative out-group attitudes, even the lowest amount of social phobia was related to substantially less positive out-group attitudes.

“It’s not that conservative people are more fearful, it’s that fearful people are more conservative. People who are scared of novelty, uncertainty, people they don’t know, and things they don’t understand, are more supportive of policies that provide them with a sense of surety and security,” McDermott said.
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“It’s not that conservative people are more fearful, it’s that fearful people are more conservative. (Original Post) Fumesucker Feb 2013 OP
That sounds a lot like the chicken or the egg argument. Arkansas Granny Feb 2013 #1
Which is why the right wing wants to keep everyone scared. Being scared of anything applegrove Feb 2013 #2
Naturally hateful and angry seems to be a large part of it too. libtodeath Feb 2013 #3
I Think the Last Sentence is the Key. They Like Black & White - No Shades of Grey dballance Feb 2013 #4
Hmmm... HooptieWagon Feb 2013 #5
K&R smirkymonkey Feb 2013 #6
Brings to mind the oft-cited John Stuart Mill quote about conservatives & stupidity: scarletwoman Feb 2013 #7

Arkansas Granny

(31,476 posts)
1. That sounds a lot like the chicken or the egg argument.
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 02:51 PM
Feb 2013

It seems to me that fear and conservatism go hand in hand.

applegrove

(117,885 posts)
2. Which is why the right wing wants to keep everyone scared. Being scared of anything
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 02:53 PM
Feb 2013

Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2013, 09:21 PM - Edit history (1)

will make one hold onto loved ones tighter and care less about others. A win for the GOP who need people who don't care about others to be their base.

 

dballance

(5,756 posts)
4. I Think the Last Sentence is the Key. They Like Black & White - No Shades of Grey
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 03:02 PM
Feb 2013

Broadly brushing here I know. You may take me to task if you wish. I believe the key sentence is: “It’s not that conservative people are more fearful, it’s that fearful people are more conservative. People who are scared of novelty, uncertainty, people they don’t know, and things they don’t understand, are more supportive of policies that provide them with a sense of surety and security”

The GOP tries to frame everything in a very black and white way. You're either a patriot if you blindly support everything our military does or you're a traitor and terrorist supporter if you don't and you criticize. There is no middle ground to discuss rationally. It's this kind of thinking the GOP encourages and plants among their base and supporters. It makes them feel comfortable to be able to put all the round pegs in the round holes and all the square block in the square holes. They have no ability or comfort to deal with ovals or rectangles to further the analogy.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
5. Hmmm...
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 03:05 PM
Feb 2013

I think it somewhat goes hand in hand. Its not that conservatives are more fearful, but more that they are more fearful of the unknown, thus respond to fear-mongering. I doubt that all the RW fear and rage at Obama would exist if not for Fox, Rush, et al ramping up the fear.
When Obama was looking like he would win the '08 primaries, I had occassion to engage in conversation with an elderly woman who was terrified at the propect of Obama being POTUS. After listening to her, and finding out she was getting her "information" from RW chain emails and Fox news, I gently explained and assured her that Obama was not a Muslim, he was an American citizen, he wasn't going to surrender sovereignity to the UN, on and on. I admitted to her that she wasn't going to like most of his policies, but she would survive them just as Democrats survived Bush. I also pointed out the fear-mongering techniques being used, and explained it was just a political ploy to fire up the base. She understood, and while I'm sure she voted for McCain, at least she then viewed Obama as the political opposition not the Anti-Christ.

scarletwoman

(31,893 posts)
7. Brings to mind the oft-cited John Stuart Mill quote about conservatives & stupidity:
Thu Feb 7, 2013, 09:48 PM
Feb 2013
I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it.

John Stuart Mill, in a Parliamentary debate with the Conservative MP, John Pakington (May 31, 1866)

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