Republican Death Spiral tragically pursues extremist precedents and a need to fail

The death spiral of the Republican party, as its right wing fanatics happily shed the moderates who gave them access to power, follows the lessons about extremists in Eric Hoffer’s classic book “The True Believer”. I find his observations useful in evaluating current events and heartily recommend this book to all moderates.

1. Fanatics, the true believers, are convinced that the present is trash, and strive for a glorious future modeled on a mythical, idealized past.

2. Extremist movements are united by hatred of a common devil, not by love or a constructive cause. The Republican devil, developed when the party absorbed former Dixiecrats and fundamentalist Christians (including conservative Catholics and their bishops), is manifested by: abortion, gun controls, other races, Federal Government intervention, taxes— with abortion having the lead role.

Hoffer’s puts it succinctly: “Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil. Usually the strength of a mass movement is proportionate to the vividness and tangibility of its devil.” (p 91)

3. Extremists believe that all their adversaries are representatives of their devil, compromise is unthinkable, and any action to defeat them is justified by the righteousness of the movement. “Axis of evil,” “You’re either with us or against us,” and a willingness to murder or torture enemies are typical extremist positions.

4. You cannot hate your adversaries unless you feel inferior to them in some way; you can be angry, disagree, etc. but you cannot hate.

5. The opposite of an extremist (of any kind) is a moderate. Extremists can easily change causes and devils (Hoffer cites the numerous converts between Nazis and Communists in the 1930’s), but find it impossible to become moderates. Thus, extremist Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists, nationalists, capitalists etc., are blood brothers (and sisters); ponder that idea for a while when considering events in the Middle East, or ponder its implications about left wing and right wing extremists in our own country.

6. Extremists reserve their greatest hatred for those who leave the movement.

In a later essay, Hoffer addressed the question of what to do if you are the “devil” of a mass movement; remembering that the movement needs a devil to survive. He said that there are three possible responses, two of which never work and the other which only works some of the time. The two which have never worked are to threaten and bully or to turn the other cheek; threats and bullying confirm you as the devil, turning the other cheek inflames the sense of inferiority upon which their hatred is based. The occasionally successful response is to take a clear, firm, non-threatening stand that defends what you hold dear, and act accordingly.

Hoffer describes how successful extremist movements are eventually transformed to mainstream ones by practical men of action (moderates in wolf’s clothing). At this point, there are no such people visible in the Republican’s leadership pool. In China, Mao was the true believer, Deng Xiaoping the practical man of action who used Mao’s slogans but initiated competitive capitalism. Iran was making a similar transition under practical men of action until our invasion of Iraq gave their religious fanatics a new lease on life as we, once again, became a threatening devil in its backyard.