Psychodynamics and their associated myths and fantasies in the contemporary American right wing

Abstract

The contemporary American right wing is predominantly composed of White working‐class and wealthier White Americans who, according to recent research, report profound fears of cultural displacement and the loss of American exceptionalism. This group's dynamics and processes, the psychologies of its leader, Donald Trump, and component members, and its associated versions of certain foundational American myths and fantasies contain significant elements of both narcissism and paranoia. These myths include that of America being a divine “City Upon a Hill,” the story of the idyllic, pre‐Civil War “Old South,” and the Horatio Alger myth of “bootstrapping” up the economic ladder. These idealized, fantasied narratives are manipulated and exploited by those in positions of power, thus exacerbating members' fear, shame, and rage. Increased understanding of these psychological phenomena can aid psychoanalysts in consulting about and, when possible, engaging directly with these individuals, especially when facing significant psychological, sociocultural, and political obstacles.

Petro‐masculinity and climate change denial among white, politically conservative American males

“…In addition to being impacted by the "traumatic residue" that Brenner (2019) discusses, this large group has also experienced modern-day, traumatic economic hardship that has resulted in many living in poverty (Case & Deaton, 2015;Case & Deaton, 2017) as well as perceived changes in racial status that have left its members feeling significant losses of socioeconomic power and associated threats to their large-group identity (Cox et al, 2017;Mutz, 2018). Many of these people mourn a mythologized, idealized United States that included national exceptionalism, unfettered economic opportunity, and white racial supremacy (Nelson, 2019;Rudden & Brandt, 2018). They fear losing the societal superiority that results from their being white and, among the men, from their being male.…”

“…These threats are defensively denied and converted into narcissistic grandiosity, entitlement, and rage (Kohut, 2011) that can then manifest in various different forms, including as racism, misogyny, and climate harm. This racism is, perhaps, linked to underlying, dissociated shame and guilt concerning the implementation of American slavery and the subsequent maintenance of a system of profound racial injustice and cruelty (Nelson, 2019;Rudden & Brandt, 2018), as well as fears of current associated social justice movements, including the Black Lives Matter movement. The misogyny includes viewing potentially powerful women as intolerably threatening to the traditional patriarchal power structure.…”

“…It is based in the long-standing notion of the United States being a divine, exceptional "city upon a hill" (Winthrop, 1838) for all others to admire and wish to emulate. Trump and, by extension, the rest of the movement fundamentally deny loss and change, including that of the climate, instead attempting to recreate this nostalgic illusion of past American glory and exceptionalism (Covington, 2018;Nelson, 2019). The fossil fuel industry, a source of considerable national wealth and power, was a key component of this mythologized past greatness.…”

“…Brenner (2019) applies Volkan's ideas to modern climate change denial, arguing that the intergenerational transmission of climate‐related traumas, dating back to the last Ice Age and passed on through written stories in religious texts (e.g., The Biblical account of the Great Flood that lead to Noah's Arc), has created a “residue of traumatic memory” (p. 142) that is quelled through denial and dissociative defenses. I have argued elsewhere (Nelson, 2019) that Volkan's ideas can be applied to those in the current American Right Wing—including those in the white working class—who voted for Donald Trump and continue to support his conservative policies. In addition to being impacted by the “traumatic residue” that Brenner (2019) discusses, this large group has also experienced modern‐day, traumatic economic hardship that has resulted in many living in poverty (Case & Deaton, 2015; Case & Deaton, 2017) as well as perceived changes in racial status that have left its members feeling significant losses of socioeconomic power and associated threats to their large‐group identity (Cox et al, 2017; Mutz, 2018).…”