Interesting, I was reading a Richard Hofstadter article called
"The Paranoid Style in American Politics", a must-read for Poli. Sci. junkies.
Anyway, a professor from Rhode Island (looking outside his actual field, which is chemistry) had the essay posted on his personal webpage. He also had a chart examining the mindset of the "rational thinker" and the "paranoid style".
Take a look at the liberal vs. right-wing blogosphere and then politics and punditry on a larger level, and tell me if this reminds you of anyone you may know:
Rational: Checks the evidence carefully and doesn't rely on uncertain evidence
Paranoid: Grabs onto a few pieces of evidence and defends them inflexibly.
Rational: Doesn't care which evidence he must let go.
Paranoid: Seemingly irrationally seizes onto something and won't let go.
Rational: Seeks a realistic answer in simple and familiar processes.
Paranoid: Invokes complex, unrealistic scenarios controlled by powerful forces behind the scenes.
Rational: Accepts only what he can critically assess (falsifiable ideas).
Paranoid: Deals in explanations that can never be critically assessed (unfalsifiable theories).
Rational: Is willing to live with unresolved explanations for long periods.
Paranoid: Demands quick, even immediate explanations.
Rational: Accepts the roles of chance and human foibles.
Paranoid: Invents scenarios when nothing ever goes wrong.
Rational: Uses same rational approach in the rest of his life.
Paranoid: Approaches many other "events" in the same irrational, paranoid way. (i.e., both people are consistent across their lives.)
Rational: Finds empowering explanations.
Paranoid: Feels powerless before these huge forces (victims).
Rational: Accepts all demonstrated evidence.
Paranoid: Will not face evidence that destroys his theory.
Rational: Is willing to live with some fraction of unexplained or contradictory evidence.
Paranoid: Insists on fitting everything into his explanation, often by explaining difficult items as further evidence of conspiracy.
Rational: Tries to keep everything in proportion.
Paranoid: Often seizes single pieces of evidence and blows them out of proportion.
Rational: Will change ideas a new evidence emerges.
Paranoid: Sticks to preconceived notion regardless of new evidence.
Rational: Open, flexible, empowered, strong.
Paranoid: Preconceived, rigid, victimlike, cowardly.
No grand point here, just an interesting sidenote to keep in mind as some of the Right-wing bloggers and commentators evolve (devolve?) with their frustration, anger and resentment even when supposedly, they control all three branches of government now.