We must reject totalitarianism from both Right and Left
Clear writing from Matt Goodwin and Luke Conway. If we are to avoid totalitarianism – an eternal vigilance – we must notice it emerging in both Left and Right. For me, the only way to tackle real racism, sexism etc, and to maintain individual freedoms is to avoid totalitarianism. Matt and Luke talk here about the Authoritarian Left’s ‘blind spots’. In psychodynamics this ‘Blind spot plus blaming others for doing what we ourselves are doing’ – is called ‘Projection’. It’s a denial of one’s own Shadow side and placing it onto others – what Matt calls ‘desperately wanting to believe they are the good guys’. When the logic and argument doesn’t stack up, the Projection takes over and protects the ego. Bad enough in an individual (we probably all do it a bit). But for a powerful institutional group to do it is very dangerous and threat to democracy and to the principle of individual freedom for all, subject to others’ equal freedoms.
Rise of the Liberal Authoritarians – What a FASCINATING new study reveals about the psychology of the “liberal” elite class