(Thread) The Spirit of Liberty

Walker asks⤵️

Spoiler: A surprising number of people prefer a “strongman” to rule-of-law democracy.

Let's start with a definition of democracy.

I like Lincoln's: “A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and balances. . ." https://twitter.com/SunLoveGuy/status/1259595370386067456
1/ For a more complete definition of “liberal democracy,” how about ⤵️

The drafters of the Constitution liked the idea of liberal democracy—but they limited “we the people” to white (mostly landowning) men.
2/ We’ve basically been fighting over who should be included in “we the people” ever since.

Most people on Twitter are familiar with what political psychologists call the authoritarian disposition—the theory that some people are inclined toward authoritarianism.
3/ For more on authoritarianism, see: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1185222549174513667

But the answer: “People who prefer authoritarianism have an authoritarian disposition,” is sort of circular, right?

Maybe we should come at the question from a different angle.
4/ How about, some people reject democracy because they:

🔹Reject diversity,
🔹Don’t like boring politics,
🔹Demand rapid change,
🔹Reject compromise, and
🔹Are completely sure they’re right.

(There is overlap, and I’m probably forgetting something.)
5/ “Reject diversity” is included in the classic definition of right wing authoritarianism.

See http://www.academia.edu/34651963/The_Right-Wing_Authoritarianism_Scale

Right wing authoritarians “defer to established authorities,” and “show aggression toward out-groups when authorities sanction that aggression.”
8/ Next:🔹Some people don’t like boring politics.

Some Trump supporters like Trump because he’s entertaining.

When democracy works well, it’s boring.

A lot of people dozed off in school when the teacher talked about “civics” and “three branches of government.” 😴
9/ Following all those procedures will not keep you on the edge of your seat. News programs will find it harder to be entertaining and captivate audiences.

MPBA (Make Politics Boring Again).
News shouldn't be entertainment.

This brings us to
🔹People who demand rapid change.
10/ In the words of Ziblatt and Levitsky, democracy is slow, grinding work.

If you don’t believe it, run for local office and try to get something done.

Checks and balances, and separation of powers naturally slows things down.
11/ The only way to make rapid change is to eliminate checks and balances and consolidate power. This creates a situation that allows a strongman to step in.

One appeal of the strongman is he can blast through the slow-moving process and get things done fast.
13/ Many scholars (including Ziblatt and Levitsky) point to that as a time the Republican Party took a sharp turn toward authoritarianism.

“My way or the high way” is not democracy. It’s autocracy.

“This is the way it has to be” are the kinds of words spoken by a strongman.
14/ During the primaries, a frustrated Sanders supporter told me that the Democratic Party should bypass the vote and nominate Sanders because (1) he is the better candidate, and (2) not doing so sends a message to young people that they and their votes don't matter.
15/ I tried to explain why this would be undemocratic.

This brings me to Learned Hand’s quotation: "The Spirit of Liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right"👇

(That really was his name)
For the full context, see: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1199
16/ “I am right. I am the authority. Listen to me, and only me,” isn't democratic.

It took me a long time to understand why the spirit of liberty is the spirit that is not too sure it is right.

(I first saw the quotation when researching my biography of RGB, who quoted it.)
17/ When we're not too sure we're right, we listen, and compromise, and are more inclined to bring people together.

To be clear: I’m not advocating compromising with the KKK.

I’m advocating coalition building, creating as big a tent as possible, and respecting procedures.
18/ When we're not too sure we're right (and we don’t insist on purity) we are better able to pull together a large enough majority to bring about positive changes and resist autocracy.

Big tents get messy.
I did mean Ruth Bader Ginsburg !! https://twitter.com/thoreau_devotee/status/1265014731754156033
Love it. https://twitter.com/Mcdonald5Meg/status/1265036392167440387
Then sometimes people who want a strongman just come right about and say we don't want a nice guy, we want a strong man.

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1265312478440890370

h/t @QuitTheCrazy
You can follow @Teri_Kanefield.
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