Reply #18: Conservatives like black and white resolutions of issues [View All]

[HereSince1628]

since it reduces ambiguity and faciliates making choices (even if they aren't well informed). Demeocratic process is messy and unpredictable.

Because authoritarian leaders typically provide issues as stark dichotomy with obvious choices there is an appeal.

Bush uses such dichotomies all the time
with us or against us
support the administration or be unpatriotic
evil vs good

So I agree that authoritarianism is associated with conservatism.

I also point out that this is also one of the problems with discriminating between radical conservatism and fascism. I would argue that authoritarianism is a tendency in most conservative systems, while extreme authoriarianism, in the form of oligarchic or dictatorial rule, is the characteristic that pushes extreme conservatism into the totalitarianisms of the right (well at least anti-liberal) a.k.a. falangism and fascism.