OpEdNews » Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy Authoritarian Narcissism

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Tag(s): Authoritarianism; Conservative Republican; Conservative Right; Failure; Narcissism; Progressive Values; Progressive Values Stories
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June 25, 2008 at 12:33:13

Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy Authoritarian Narcissism

by Edwin Rutsch Page 1 of 2 page(s)

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Narcissism and self-deception are survival mechanisms without which many of us might just jump off a bridge. Todd Solondz

I asked Louise Specht about the the failure of conservative values. She addressed the hierarchal and authoritarian nature of conservativism and how this can lead to narcissism for the people at the top. Steven Colbert does a great job of imitating a conservative on the Colbert Report. I just saw him begin his show lately by saying, "Did I tell you I love me lately?" He hit's the nail on the head, as does Louise.
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Louise Specht

Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

Conservatives seem to be very invested in hierarchy, so that what I want, is irrelevant to a conservative, and what you want, is also irrelevant. What is relevant is where each of us fits in the overall scheme of things, and how well we fulfill our roles.

When I get around conservatives, I feel like I’m going to suffocate. I think it’s very undermining to moral values to have that kind of a system. Because in a hierarchy, you have people who have too much authority over other people, and not enough questioning. So that the person who has the authority does not have the opportunity to examine what they think the people under them should be doing.

It becomes very confused with their own ego. I think the idea is that the people who are on top in the hierarchy are the better people who are more moral, just intrinsically or from their personal achievement.

But the reality is that that’s not true. That we are all morally fallible. And it’s very dangerous for a person to be in charge of others with limited or no questioning – calling the person to critical thinking about what they are directing others to do. And I’ve also seen that it leads to narcissism.

Narcissism is a sort of a personality disorder where there is a disturbance in an individuals sense of the self. A narcissistic person seeks and needs admiration of other people, while lacking empathy with their feelings or needs. David Elkind

Narcissism at Wikipedia
Narcissism describes the trait of excessive self-love, based on self-image or ego. The term is derived from the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. As punishment, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, Narcissus pined away and changed into the flower that bears his name, the narcissus.

Hierarchy at Wikipedia
Many human organizations, such as governments, educational institutions, businesses, churches, armies and political movements are hierarchical organizations, at least officially; commonly seniors, called "bosses", have more power than their subordinates. Thus the relationship defining this hierarchy is "commands" or "has power over".

Questions to Ponder:

Can you point to any conservative leaders that have become Narcissistic?
Are George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, etc Narcissistic?

Failed Conservative Values
Assist us in systematically building the arguments and telling the stories that reveal how Conservative Values have Failed. Join in our effort to create a documentary and book on the subject by contributing articles, posts, chapters for the book and video clips. Check our website for more information and a growing outline of tasks that need to be done on this project.

More Progressive Values Stories:

Edwin Rutsch
What Are Progressive Values? Documentary Project
ProgressiveSpirit.com
and Study Group

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5 comments

Hater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired
John HanksHater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired

Radical Republican values are not conservative.

Radical Republicans are like Communists, Nazis, Al Queda, and Zionists. Their only real values are force and fraud. They are crooks.

by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1196 comments) on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 6:30:29 PM

my Bio here
http://humanityquest.com/Projects/Bios/EdwinRutsch/
Edwin Rutschmy Bio here
http://humanityquest.com/Projects/Bios/EdwinRutsch/

I disagree

One problem with conservativism is the failed value of scapegoating and not taking responsibility for their failures themselves. The problems are always out there.... immigrants, the terrorists, 'Radical Republicans'.
Conservatives need to look inside at their own failed values of;

authoritarianism
fear
secrecy
dogmatism
greed
selfishness
indifference
self-righteousness
intolerance
division
hierarchy
arrogance
fundamentalism
hypocrisy

Take responsibility for once, acknowledge the failed conservative values and then they can move on. But what they will probably do is say, "We weren't authoritarianism, fear mongering, secret, dogmatic. greedy. selfish. indifferent. self-righteous. intolerant, divisive, arrogant, and hypocritical ENOUGH."

So to recap, they will
1. try to blame others, or
2. they will become more extreme in their failed values.
3. or both.
4. one could hope they would learn and grow from their failed values and embrace; caring, empathy, community, equality, responsibility, and justice.. All the values they denigrated over the years.

by Edwin Rutsch (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 151 comments) on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 6:47:52 PM

my Bio here
http://humanityquest.com/Projects/Bios/EdwinRutsch/
Edwin Rutschmy Bio here
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take the poll

How will conservatives deal with their failed values?

Dealing with Failed and Failing Conservative Values

by Edwin Rutsch (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 151 comments) on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 7:41:24 PM

I'm a 59 year old male who's decendency could best be described as "Heinz 57" with a heavy dose of German, Russian (mongolian?), French, and Cherokee (grandmother). I've spent the better part of my life stuggling to avoid the "hamster wheel of normalcy" and revel in showing people the funnier side of life while I share the secrets of their true potential.
GalenI'm a 59 year old male who's decendency could best be described as "Heinz 57" with a heavy dose of German, Russian (mongolian?), French, and Cherokee (grandmother). I've spent the better part of my life stuggling to avoid the "hamster wheel of normalcy" and revel in showing people the funnier side of life while I share the secrets of their true potential.

Last Laugh

Once again, the "ruling elite" are having their (every 4 year) chuckle as they watch the citizenry arguing over the most mundane, idiotic, comparative pseudo-principles, while they continue their systematic "rape and pillage" of the planet. This increasingly bazarre exercise-in-futility will continue as long as we continue to "Pavlov Dog" to their beckoning. Our current system is a "designed to fail" joke and the only way we're going to survive is to scrap the MFer and start over. Our constitution was (originally) designed to deal with this growing "gaggle of bureaucratic snakeoilists" and it's past time that we ought to start utilizing it....otherwise...WE ARE SCREWED!!! Instead of an election, we should conduct a massive firing and imprisonment.....make these assholes live by the laws they (alledgedly) swore to follow....time to "pay the piper".

by Galen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 33 comments) on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 8:21:04 PM

CPA, University Lecturer Risk Finance, Major Royal Australian Infantry (Inactive) RFD, Former Mayor City of Greater Dandenong, Wife from Arabic speaking coutry, Former Lecturer Arabic & Islamic culture - Army Reserve Command & Staff College.
kwalshCPA, University Lecturer Risk Finance, Major Royal Australian Infantry (Inactive) RFD, Former Mayor City of Greater Dandenong, Wife from Arabic speaking coutry, Former Lecturer Arabic & Islamic culture - Army Reserve Command & Staff College.

We need to understand how people learn

People learn when they achieve some form of reward from their behaviour. In other words we all seek a winning strategy. To expect conservatives to change is to expect that they will repudiate their winning strategy which has formed the basis of any past success. This is possible but likely to be difficult.

by kwalsh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 206 comments) on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 9:19:09 PM