306
GEORGE LICHTHEIM
established community consists of small, homogeneous units, rapid
urbanization and industrialization are highly favorable to extre–
mist mass movements" (p. 125). And--one might add-where
there is
no
significant urbanization and industrialization (for ex–
ample in the Middle East), "extremist mass movements" have
been a prominent feature of social life, not only in recent times,
but at
all
times. But never mind. Let us not worry either about
Professor Kornhauser's queer definition of "extremism," which
could easily be stretched to include every shade of patriotic
activity, notably that of national resistance movements. Let us
rather turn to his political conclusions (p. 141):
In summary, where the introduction of democratic rule is based
on a pluralist society, especially a balance of classes and religious
groups, it will tend to
qe
strong and viable; but where its intro–
duction is not accompanied by multiple independent groups
capable of fighting for the sustenance of individual rights, and
at the same time ready to support a basic framework of authority,
democracy may readily lose out to new forms of autocracy.
This is probably meant to suggest a reason why democracy works
fairly well in the United States and in England, but it leaves un–
explained why it failed to work in the Weimar Republic, than
which no more pluralist balance of classes, churches, and even
territorial units ever existed. Of course the answer is that the
"balance" was not a harmonious one, but how were the framers
of the Weimar Constitution to know? On paper they had created
the perfect pluralist balance.
If
it came unstuck, the explanation
once more has to do with history-a closed book to Messrs. Lipset
and Kornhauser.
Now for a sample of the new sociology when applied with
minute care and extreme statistical precision to a single problem:
Data showing that extreme personal deviance and extreme political
behavior do not vary together . .. indicate that different social
conditions may give rise to each. Thus, if the proportion of the
electorate which supports the Communist party may be taken as
an indicator of the extent of extremist political behavior
in
a
society, and if the proportion of the population recorded as
suicides, manslayers, and alcoholics may be used as indicators
of the extent of personal deviance in society, then it may be
