Facts, Authoritarians, Belief

from a deep operative.

Periodically journalists and talking heads attempt to piece together the distinction between what we call on this blog the authoritarians and the democratically minded. Why is there such a severe divide between Conservatives and Democrats? Why do facts seems to have such little effect in changing people's attitudes? How on earth can people deny climate change? Why do conservatives insist on the link between Saddam and WMD even to this day, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.

I very much recommend that you read the entire linked 4 page article from Mother Jones. I wanted to copy and paste the entire thing but that is impractical. The terminology is different but the intent is the same. Here you will read about 'a hierarchal individualist' which is our authoritarian, and 'an egalitarian communitarian' which is our democratically minded person.

At this point in my observation and reflection on our present political landscape, a landscape filled with severe contentions and divisions as you very well know, I believe that this information is the only hope towards understanding how to work with it. This is not a complete article on this extensive topic, but its a good primer.

Please read it.

Mother Jones: The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science

Our "reasoning" is a means to a predetermined end—winning our "case"—and is shot through with biases. They include "confirmation bias," in which we give greater heed to evidence and arguments that bolster our beliefs, and "disconfirmation bias," in which we expend disproportionate energy trying to debunk or refute views and arguments that we find uncongenial.


...people's deep-seated views about morality, and about the way society should be ordered, strongly predict whom they consider to be a legitimate scientific expert in the first place—and thus where they consider "scientific consensus" to lie on contested issues.


(...Bush-commissioned Iraq Survey Group report, which found no evidence of active WMD programs in pre-invasion Iraq), they found that conservatives were more likely than before to believe the claim. (that Saddam did in fact have WMD)


Interviewer: [T]he September 11 Commission found no link between Saddam and 9/11, and this is what President Bush said. Do you have any comments on either of those?


Respondent: Well, I bet they say that the Commission didn't have any proof of it but I guess we still can have our opinions and feel that way even though they say that.