21 January

“Pater familias” was the Roman term for the father as ‘head of the family’. The father as authority figure in the family is still the foundation of our societies, the ‘State’ was modelled on the pater familias. Ultra conservatives never actually surrendered the father as the supreme authority in society, which is why they undermine governments (libertarianism), or have leaders who are ‘fathers of the nation’ (like China and other autocracies). It’s not exactly true that libertarians promote individualism instead of the State - they do that, but it’s an individualism based on the authority of the father. Most shock jocks are modelled on the pater familias, if you listen to them, they’re indistinguishable from a stern, lecturing father, attacking - you guessed it - government.