Canadian researcher Robert Altemeyer has spent three decades studying the psychology of authoritarianism, surveying thousands of students, parents, politicians and others. Continuing earlier work that began with *The Authoritarian Personality* (Theodore Adorno, et. al., 1950), but abandoning the superstructure of Freudian theory and building upward carefully from the empirical data he collected, Alremeyer developed the model of right-wing authoritarianism composed of three co-factors:

1. Authoritarian submission-a high degree of submission to the authorities who are perceived to be established and legitimate in the society in which one lives.

2. Authoritarian aggression-a general aggressiveness, directed against various persons, that is perceived to be sanctioned by established authorities.

3. Conventionalism-a high degree of adherence to the social conventions that are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established authorities.

Look, I strongly dissent from the "right" wing. I also strongly dissent from the "left" wing. Why? Because the perpetuation of dichotomies (us vs. them) is the most foolish (and strange) idea one could have when they claim to wish to promote serious changes in our world.

It's one thing to dissent from ideas because one sees the ultimate or immediate problems of those ideas, and completely something else to dissent out of *ideological* orientation--namely, a desire to hold onto a rigid/dogmatic mindset due, in the heart of it, to fear.

Fear to explore the grey area. Fear to try, like Barbara Dority in "Is the Extremist Right Entirely Wrong?" (The Humanist), to find *SIMILARITIES* between us all, instead of constant differences.

Here's my anecdote for your "scientist's" study, whom seems to only have HALF the picture figured out (or did you take him out of context?):

We are ALL born into different communities of belief. Some people are born into kkk communities, others born into sds communities. Most are born into communities which have subordinated themselves to the "mainstream" norms of such notions as "patriotism" and trust of "experts".

Those born into so-called "right wing" communities, generally tend to trust the faith of the christian religion as well as the "patriotic" "duty". Those born into so-called "left wing" communities generally tend to trust the faith of the therapeutic state (re: inform yourself via Thomas Szasz or www.stopshrinks.org).

If people were allowed (by their social and cultural managers) to gain this type of perspective, instead of continually being flooded with *emotionally potent over-simplifications* about each other, then we ALL might finally be ABLE to get TOGETHER and make some SERIOUS changes in this brave new world.

But you vanguardists and implementers of policy on the conscious Left ( Right and "Center") ain't gonna let us do this, if you can help it, right? Your mind is SET, you KNOW The Truth, and Therefore We Must subordinated or Else.

Dogma! Dogma! Dogma!

Methodologies of critical thought are one thing, rigid trenches of *ideology* are something very different. Stop letting your LACK OF NERVE block the rest of us from getting together, finally, and REALLY solving our problems!!!!!!!!!