The Republican Character

By Anton G. Hardy

An unsettling feature of our nations politics in the last fourteen years has been the behavior of Congressional Republicans. Mired in ideology and often disconnected from reality, they have repeatedly distorted facts, disdained scientific evidence, and refused to participate in governing. The author describes his reactions to the events of this period as they unfolded in time and shows how the various traits and behaviors that these Republicans exhibit stem from a certain kind of character syndrome.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493194940

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Copyright © 2014 by Anton G. Hardy.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014905934

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-4931-9495-7

   Softcover     978-1-4931-9496-4

   eBook           978-1-4931-9494-0

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Rev. date: 03/31/2014

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Letters

The Party Of I’m Ok, You’re Not

Also by Anton G. Hardy

Psychology and the Critical Revolution

Symbol Philosophy and the Opening

into Consciousness and Creativity

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

This book consists of comments I have written over the last fourteen years regarding our country’s political events. They take the form of letters to the editor sent during this time to my local newspaper, the Times Union of Albany, New York, which has kindly printed many of them. They are presented here in sequence as these events unfolded in time, and they represent my reactions to these events. I have made a few minor changes when their content has seemed in need of greater clarity.

The political period being covered here has been an unusual one. Beginning early in the Bush administration with the unprovoked military invasion of another country, it has been marked after this by prolonged political gridlock and the refusal of one of the political parties to engage in governing. Experiencing these events has often been unsettling; it has upended assumptions I and others have held as to expected political behavior and seemed at times to put our democracy itself in jeopardy. It has been a period of extreme feelings with vitriolic hatred on the part of some and protest marches and occupations on the part of others.

I felt a need during this time to do more than try simply to put my feelings into words and to attempt, in addition, to arrive at some understanding of what was happening. The outcome of this effort has been a concept for a syndrome that I believe certain political figures of these years have in common, a concept that brings together a number of the traits, attitudes, and actions they have been exhibiting. As with all concepts, this brings under a single umbrella what is otherwise scattered and diverse; and the elements being connected here include, for instance, a continual misrepresentation of the facts, immersion in an ideology without attempt to calibrate its ideas against reality, disdain for evidence that has been carefully established by science, and insensitivity to the plight of those among us who are less fortunate. This syndrome, I think, can explain some of what has been disturbing on the political scene, and I spell it out in some detail at the end of the book.

This is a concept that is not much in current use. The syndrome it designates will not be found in the diagnostic manual that serves as a guide to those who work in the field of mental health. It nevertheless has general significance, I believe, and can explain behaviors we not infrequently see in those who are around us. It contributes to our overall understanding of the human being and helps give insight into that endlessly fascinating subject, human nature.

In view of its prevalence, one may wonder why I am attributing it to this particular political group. Why am I calling it the Republican character when it can be found as well among Democrats or outside the political arena entirely? My answer is that Republicans give the sharpest illustration of it today, and provide a place where its different features can be clearly seen. One may also wonder why I am attributing it to Republicans en bloc when this party holds in it different factions and has among its members different directions of interest. I would point here, however, to the monolithic appearance this party is giving at this time, its representation of itself as completely unified in its purposes and intentions. We see in it a forced loyalty that represses such diversity and enlists its members behind a single ideology; the different voices it would normally have are being muted and the creative expression of its individual members suppressed.

The reader will likely classify me as liberal as he reads along, and this will be to some extent accurate. I do indeed hold to such classical liberal values as the fundamental equality of us all as human beings. I would argue, however, that my commentary does not stem from any particular ideology; it is not being dictated by a preformed set of ideas, but reflects, rather, a simple exercise