Altemeyer described this pretty well in Right-Wing Authoritarianism. He argues that right-wing authoritarians value strength above all other traits, and the ability to disregard rules is a signifier of strength. Thus, leaders who cheat are idolized by RWAs.
Which makes any system other than ‘might makes right’ impossible to maintain. Rule breaking is destabilizing but to value rule breaking as an ideal is corruptive and destructive. Systems can’t work if the rules that govern them are not followed well enough. The only system left is one where rules of the mighty can only be enforced through might because everyone is trying to break the rules all the time and won’t exercise any self-control.
But realistically, these leaders don’t want a lawless world, they want a system that upholds rules that ensure their own success and safety. Breaking the rules is a temporary totem for them that only lasts as long as it takes to defy the current system and implement their own. But they require a mob of rule breaking fanatics to do it and that selfish mob still exists after the leaders take charge, so they created the very group that will make it impossible for them to have a their system at all, selfish people who think breaking the rules is a cultural ideal. And that, is why Russia is corrupt as fuck, and GOP America will be as well. Rules enforcement through might gets turned on the same mob they used to gain power. Draconian and brutal because might is the only thing that effectively contains this mob of selfishness. Reason, self control, communication, education, non of that will work.
Without rules we choose to follow, we cannot have a civilization that is anything but brutal and violent, corrupt and inherently fragile.
Been saying it for years now:
Perfect hypocrites.
Anyone left at this point is a full-on cultist, fully subsumed into the hivemind.
Hypocrisy is only a failing if you believe in fairness or justice.
That is a disgustingly true observation
These people are the people who say ‘without God, what would stop people from doing bad things?’
They’re fucking sociopaths is what they are, anyone who says that.
What that means is that they literally cannot concieve of the idea of making up their own, independent, at least somewhat consistent moral framework.
The only way they know how to think is backwards, is to justify already reached conclusions.
Altemeyer described this pretty well in Right-Wing Authoritarianism. He argues that right-wing authoritarians value strength above all other traits, and the ability to disregard rules is a signifier of strength. Thus, leaders who cheat are idolized by RWAs.
Which makes any system other than ‘might makes right’ impossible to maintain. Rule breaking is destabilizing but to value rule breaking as an ideal is corruptive and destructive. Systems can’t work if the rules that govern them are not followed well enough. The only system left is one where rules of the mighty can only be enforced through might because everyone is trying to break the rules all the time and won’t exercise any self-control.
But realistically, these leaders don’t want a lawless world, they want a system that upholds rules that ensure their own success and safety. Breaking the rules is a temporary totem for them that only lasts as long as it takes to defy the current system and implement their own. But they require a mob of rule breaking fanatics to do it and that selfish mob still exists after the leaders take charge, so they created the very group that will make it impossible for them to have a their system at all, selfish people who think breaking the rules is a cultural ideal. And that, is why Russia is corrupt as fuck, and GOP America will be as well. Rules enforcement through might gets turned on the same mob they used to gain power. Draconian and brutal because might is the only thing that effectively contains this mob of selfishness. Reason, self control, communication, education, non of that will work.
Without rules we choose to follow, we cannot have a civilization that is anything but brutal and violent, corrupt and inherently fragile.