The existential philosopher had it right, and the Conservatives use an ancient truism as the basis of their sales pitches to those who easily panic when exposed to fear: Fear breeds hate.
"Conservatives Big on Fear, Brain Study Finds."
"Peering inside the brain with MRI scans, researchers at University College London found that self-described conservative students had a larger amygdala than liberals. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure deep in the brain that is active during states of fear and anxiety. Liberals had more gray matter at least in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that helps people cope with complexity.
"The results are not that surprising as they fit in with conclusions from other studies. Just a year ago, researchers from Harvard and UCLA San Diego reported finding a "liberal" gene. This gene had a tiny effect, however, and worked only for adolescents having many friends. The results also mesh with psychological studies on conflict monitoring.
"What It Means
"There is a big unknown underlying these findings. Supposing that the size of one's amygdala really does increase the likelihood of being a conservative. Is the size of the amygdala determined at birth, or does it perhaps increase with frightening childhood experiences, such as authoritarian parenting and corporal punishment?..."
Here's just one way out of hundreds to scare the pants off of the Conservative Sheepets -- by their own leaders.
"Iowa Republican: Immigrant Children May Be “Highly Trained” Muslim Terrorists."
"Even as the right wing is taking great pains to remind the black community why no black person should ever vote for Republicans, Tamara Scott, a committeewoman of the Iowa RNC also wants to remind the Latino community that Republicans hate them just as much as they hate blacks.
"During her weekly radio show, Scott took a few minutes to plop this gem on her no doubt aging, white and very angry audience:
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| Look at him! You can just tell his dreams are of Allah and the death of America! |
But those who serve and protect us will keep fear away...
Yup, serve and protect...
So our kids can grow up and do anything they want to do in life...
And safe and sound in our neighborhoods...
...because now we're safe and secure thanks to our brave policemen and policewomen...
Because our fearless Conservative leadership will keep us safe, secure, and well-fed!
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Over sixty years ago America's Conservatives discovered the tricks and techniques of their pals on Madison Avenue, and the most effective came from the social psychologists under contract to the Mad Ave guys: Sow fear...and hate will follow.
Liberals and progressives, being more honest and candid folks, fell behind in using marketing techniques and started losing at the polls after a long period of success when voters still remembered who was responsible for the worst economic depression in world history.
And what about the issues that really count like racism and poverty?
Forget about issues and polite political discourse with American fear mongers. Conservatism is all about the money, and social issues are merely used to proselytize those among us with the trappings of an authoritarian personality combined with the greatest amount of inborn fear.
So Conservatives win at the polls by default, combining their incessant lies with fear and hate on their way to turning class warfare into a New American Age of Feudalism.
There oughta be a law.
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"Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust
of the people tempered by fear."
William E. Gladstone.
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