The Word of the Week is Obedience
Let’s start with wikipedia:
Obedience, in human behavior, is the quality of being obedient, which describes the act of carrying out commands, or being actuated.[1] Obedience differs from compliance, which is behavior influenced by peers, and from conformity, which is behavior intended to match that of the majority.
Humans have been shown to be surprisingly obedient in the presence of perceived legitimateauthority figures, as demonstrated by the Milgram experiment in the 1960s, which was carried out by Stanley Milgram to discover how the Nazis managed to get ordinary people to take part in the mass murders of the Holocaust. The experiment showed that obedience to authority was the norm, not the exception. A similar conclusion was reached in the Stanford prison experiment.
I was struck this week by how meekly obedient the Republicans who comment here are. While their most cherished economic philosophies literally collapse around them, they still fall into line and parrot the party line. There is no “hey the Emperor has no clothes!” moment. The empty-headed chants of “Democrats fault” and “the economy is good” actually get stronger and more the truth is revealed and the more ”Chicago School” economic theories are demonstrated to be pure snake oil.
I did not read a single admission of reality from the right all week. Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. Does anyone doubt that liberals would not clamor to agree in unison “we fucked up?” Does anyone doubt that liberals would pillory their party leaders if they had been so wrong for so long? Of course we would, and indeed we have pilloried our leaders for being much less wrong over issues of much less importance. (see Bill Clinton/blow job/Impeachment).
Not Republicans though. They are hanging tough. Lockstep obedience is now, as it always has been, the Republican party’s bedrock strength and it is a wonder to behold.
Duffy reminds us that Democrats “controlled” Congress for 18 months so they must be responsible for the meltdown. Rick Jensen chimed in that the economy is actually great and Mike W contends that socialism is good, provided Bush says so. I’m sure our DL wingnuts are not exceptional. Rather, this country is infested with people who would adopt (have adopted) the most horrendously anti-American beliefs in a flash if someone in authority tells them to do so.
The veneer of the rugged individual American Republican is less than a micron thin around here, but how could that be? I mean think about it; over the past eight years, a handful of bankers and lawyers went into a Casio with our credit card and blew billions of dollars at the craps table. Now our Republicans commenters are falling all over themselves to give them another shot at striking it rich while steadfastly refusing to deal out even the most feeble half-hearted rebuke. Why?
Certainly they don’t get anything tangible out of being so obsequious. Hube, Mike W, even Dave Burris make no where near enough money to be an actual beneficiary of the Republican system. These middle class Republicans are unreconstructed dupes and suckers.
It is perhaps too facile to say that they view politics through an absurdly reductive lens that reduces everything to teams. While they do seem to derive their identity from their GOP team affiliation, I have to think that there is something deep and darker going on. As I read comments on this blog, I feel the chill of a shriveled and shrunken morality on the right which is as old as humanity itself.
It is a sick and twisted morality that makes it okay to raise billions of dollars overnight in order to help the richest of the rich avoid some discomfort, but complains bitterly when exposed to the lowly and truly needy.
It is a morality that we were tricked into let out of its cage because Ronald Reagan had a winning smile, and it is a morality that we will be very lucky to get it back in its cage in our lifetime.
Bravo!
I wear no label other than “irritant.”
I love ruining your day, Jason. You disgust me.
Your aggravation is my heaven on this earth.
You obviously haven’t been listening to your Delaware Talk Radio this week.
Oh, and thanks for the flowers. Very nice.
I’m sorry but you talking about “morality” as if somehow you folks are morally superior to anyone is laughable.
Morality is not a partisan attribute Jason. That applies to Republicans and Democrats alike.
“I did not read a single admission of reality from the right all week.”
If that’s the case Jason then what we have is a classic case of you seeing only that which you want to believe and nothing else. Hell, I’ve said that there is bipartisan fault here and expressed my displeasure with these bailouts (which btw also have bipartisan support…..sadly)
“It is perhaps too facile to say that they view politics through an absurdly reductive lens that reduces everything to teams. ”
And I’ll bet you’re going to say that you folks here at DE liberal don’t do that. This place is all about rallying around the liberal creed, even when facts fly in the face of it.
“These middle class Republicans are unreconstructed dupes and suckers. ”
Says the guy who believes Obama’s “Hope & Change” lies as if they were gospel.
I base my moralitymeter on the simple question of WWJD
most likely J wouldn’t have bombed IRAQ before he really knew death was coming in the form of a mushroom cloud.
and even then, I’m pretty sure the big JC wouldn’t have launched a war.
drunk yet?
I’D RATHER be a DUPE and SUCKER like Mike W and Redproud than a LIBRUL EGGHEAD LIKE YOU!!!!
Ahhh…the infamous crazy/contrary sockpuppet.
DV, you’re an embarrassment to evolution.
Welcome back from the forever-self-ban, Jason.
You don’t consider me Republican anymore, do you? I know we had the phone conversation, but I promise you…still “R” (and still hated by and in the crosshairs of delawaredem).
Don’t worry, liberals can’t aim “right”.
this country is infested with people who would adopt (have adopted) the most horrendously anti-American beliefs in a flash if someone in authority tells them to do so.
Jason… please go away again, if you are going to keep bringing back insights like that.
You obviously haven’t been listening to your Delaware Talk Radio this week.
FSP…. link please, to WTF you are talking about. No link? It’s as if it never happened…
Jason, looks like you open a very large wound or large womb over there in your wingnut section, what would it be like if you just called them DUMB FRIGGIN REPUKS ??
anon,
Care to elaborate? I get the feeling that you don;t agree with my observation.
The truth hurts sometime Don.
Redproud makes my case more eloquently than I ever could. Mike W should just type, “I’m a retard. I don’t understand your point.” everytime he feels moved to comment and Smitty…I guess he had a “hey the Emperor has no clothes!” moment this week and I missed it.
j, you read my comment inside out due to my poor writing… I liked your insight
Oh…I had a Mike W moment. Thanks.
Jason,
The reason you didn’t see the reaction you wanted is that there’s nothing for us other than this was a bipartisan problem created by Bill Clinton, encouraged by Dems and Republicans, and solutions were prevented by Dems who complained that tightening the regulations would prevent low income people from buying houses.
To be blunt, this is a problem caused by policies of the Clinton administration and continued in this one. You simply are unwilling to take any blame for the situation, so why should anyone help you out. And the idea that you would “pillory” your own party is the most bodacious lie I’ve seen here. You would never, EVER do that. I’ve spent weeks pointing out your hyperbole, the hypocrisy of the Left, Obama’s lies and weaknesses, yet you all just go on ignoring it or calling people names.
Sharon, get some sleep and return when you get some facts.
Sharon’s Breaking News… Crash of 1929 was Woodrow Wilson’s fault……..
Wow, Sharon just made Jason’s point better than Jason.
Great post, Jason.
March of the Sockpuppets!
Hube, Mike W, even Dave Burris make no where near enough money to be an actual beneficiary of the Republican system.
Check back with Burris in 10 years… his defense of the Republican system will be rewarded at some point.
“Check back with Burris in 10 years… his defense of the Republican system will be rewarded at some point.”
Of course, you mean “his long hours, sacrifice, hard-work and willingness to take a huge entrepreneurial risk on a new technology with no guarantees, hoping it will pay off somewhere down the road.”
“Mike W should just type, “I’m a retard. I don’t understand your point.” everytime he feels moved to comment ”
And as usual we see Jason has nothing.
BURN!!!! I bet JASON330 is CRYING over THAT FUCKING HAVARD LAW SLAP DOWN!!!
How many ways CAN MIKE W FUCKING OWN Jason? HIS comment skilz are SUPERSIZED!!!!! BIOTCHES!!!!!
MIKE W RULZ !!!!!
USA#1 !!!!!!
Look now that Bush and his gang have taken over the banks and investment houses why stop there how about BIG OIL and HEALTH CARE next. We would receive two benefits from that move lower gas prices and we would live longer, instead we are now stuck with a bunch of bad mortgages
I have to think that there is something deep and darker going on. As I read comments on this blog, I feel the chill of a shriveled and shrunken morality on the right.