The Power Of Guns And Ammunition

The role of police and military in society may be idolized by authoritarians, but the real focus of the authoritarian's devotion is the locus of power that the military represents. Authoritarians worship the power of guns and ammunition, and, in line with their paranoia, they strongly support the right of citizens to arm themselves. As a result, they typically oppose the control of handguns or any kinds of firearms. They support the use of any and all weapons in war. They are first to advocate the use of nuclear weapons ("Singe the treetops" in Vietnam, "Nuke the Ayatollah"), and the first to cry for the increase of military budgets at the expense of domestic or humanistic priorities. They often revel in war stories, whether from books or films or from their own lives, when they may have participated in war as combat troops or in any other way. To the authoritarian, the glorification of war as evidence of a nation's power is more important than denouncing war as evidence of humanity's having reached its lowest possible level in its efforts toward resolving its disputes. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Sky's The Limit, p. 92-3) 9 March 2013

Authoritarian Personality

Rigidity of thought may lead the authoritarian as far as resorting to:

• personal insults
• ridicule and even
• physical violence

With authoritarians of any type:

• Rational and constructive discussion is virtually impossible
• Dialogue is never a pleasant or stimulating chance to learn something new or experience a different way of seeing things
• It is never a cooperative effort to reach agreement, beginning with mutual respect on each side
• It is usually perfunctory and abrupt
• [Any thinking person will say no thank you and retreat]

(after Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Sky's The Limit, p. 67)

27 January 2013