NPR : A Political Warning Shot: ‘American Theocracy’ One hot book, one fascinating interview.
listen to the radio interview here.
Kevin Phillips rose to prominence on the heels of Richard Nixon’s political triumphs. His 1969 book The Emerging Republican Majority was hailed as a visionary work of political analysis. But his new book, American Theocracy, argues that the Republican Party — and the country — is headed for disaster.
Subtitled “The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century,” American Theocracy puts the trials of modern America into the context of other great historical powers.
Andrew Sullivan is good reading today on religion in America, if you scroll down a bit. A few posts on discrimination against athiests, such as in child custody cases that occurred in the last decade (he’s Catholic, by the way.) Also a post with UCC ads that made me happy. That’s how religion is supposed to be, not this Dobson/Falwell B.S.
And just because we’re not doing religious executions here doesn’t mean we don’t have a problem with the more extreme yet unfortunately influential parts of the religious right. That’s a pretty low hurdle to clear and shouldn’t excuse anything.
I’m sorry Paul,
You don’t see danger in the consistant copulation between the far far fanatic religious right and the republican party?
Perhaps they don’t execute anyone here is because thay don’t have the control.
Yet.
“rather than suggesting positive change”
Exactly what was the positive change the Bush administration gave us? A record debt? A war we cannot win? FEMA being run by a moron? The erosion of our freedoms? I’m curious.
Since when is Kevin Phillips a liberal?
I listened to this interview last week. It was excellent analysis of the state of politics and the what the republican party has become. I’ve ordered the book.
Paul T. — I’m quite positive that Dubya has positively overspent (perhaps more than Reagan–and they consider themselves conservative Republicans?). Furthermore, I’m positive he got us into a war with Iraq that was unnecessary (Afghanistan war was/is necessary–there’s a difference). And, I’m positive that FEMA is run by a bunch of morons, not just one.
Furthermore, are you positive that you feel freer now than before Bush was President? Don’t think any of us can feel positive about that…
I’m positive about one thing–unlike the rest of the elections I’ve voted in, I’ll probably vote Democratic this time (I almost always split my ticket in the past). I’m poitically moderate (not a liberal), but I don’t trust the Republican Party right now, because of their co-option by religious evangelicals and fundamentalists.
Personally, i feel like SHIT since Dumbya has taken reign. I can’t believe a moron like that is representing us abroad. GAAAAK!!
Any opposing viewpoints??
Paul: I agree that the petty name calling can get tiresome quickly: fascist, dumbya, etc. which is why you don’t typically see me engaging in it. And yet, post #5 were all legitimate issues. We can agree on using over the top hyperbole, but I have no qualms on pointing out the very serious failings of this administration. There are so many things that they do where each on its own would cause me to vehemently oppose them, so the sum of them all is pretty damn bad.
Part of the vehemence is because we’re not in power. Nothing the party proposes has any guarantee of seeing the light of day let alone coming to a vote, so of course most of it is going to come during the campaigns. The Republicans were just as bad when they were out in the wilderness, and still can be now that they’re in power. Look at how they thought the sky was falling when Massachusettes allowed gay marriage. Hyperbole? How about how anyone opposing the president is guilty of treason, siding with the enemy, not supporting our troops, etc. People with military credibility who challenge them have their service attacked, from Kerry to Murtha to Max Cleland.
Another part of it is because it’s actually not reflected much in the party leaders, just us in the electorate. Of course we’re upset, our party isn’t fighting for us. Dean skyrocketed when he did because he understood this. Russ Feingold’s star is beginning to rise for the same reason. And so you’re left with a grumpy bunch of Democrats who vent in this sometimes puerile way.
Does that excuse the hyperbole? Not really, I wish both parties would knock it off. But there’s good reason for people like me to despair over the state of our country, and get angry at each new horror that comes along.
Paul,
To address your post #4.
Point one – sure theocracy is over the top. So is a book title called “Treason” by my favorite hot neocon psychopath, Ann Coulter.
Point about bitching – Other than voting or running for office, there is little one can to day to day basis, other than attempt to live and believe as you would like others to live and believe.
I guess you can try to organize a pac, but the neocon pay to play on K street project basically says that only those with money are worthy of representation.
Ten years ago, I happened to be in DC at an event that my then represenitive was also at. When I went over and introduced myself to his aids, with a not unreasonable wait, I was at least given a hand shake and a little personal BS directly by the Rep himself.
Two weeks ago I was again at a function featuring my local rep (different). When I tried to meet him this time, his aid actually said that unless I was a contributor, or had money to give him, I couldn’t see him. The aid actually told me that didn’t have the time for voters.
This is the real legacy of pay to play.
Now what does this have to do with the endless complaints on this and other forums? When a person feels as if he/she have no legit (at least perceived, if not real) outlet for issues, nor possibility to have such issues addressed, then they complain. I have written many many letters to congressmen and senators and even presidents over the last 25 years. Usually I got a letter back or some small acknowledgement that I existed and was a constituent. Over the last 5 years, of all the calls and letters and email, maybe 35 in all, I’ve gotten 2 acknowledgements
I certainly feel today, like no other time in my life, as if the public is ignored and exploited for the advance of a few privileged insiders and greedy corporations. Look at all the fraud with Katrina, and in Iraq for examples.
I remember a Times 2004 story about an internal army audit finding that Halliburton charged billions for meals and housing they never setup for the guys in Afghanistan and Iraq. What did the present leadership do with the report? They eliminated the audit office saying that it could be “outsourced”? Has the outsourced firm found anything? Why no. What a surprise. And this is just one example. I’m sure others have more.
Mustard, make the comments worth reading.
Hey Sounds why do you think that Jack Abramoff had so much influnce with BOTH parties? Try calling any member of Congress on any topic and unless you have given money they don’t care.
J.S.
Please note while I accurately pointed out the authors of K street, The rest of my comments were party agnostic.
“the evil republicans are destroying the country” Hey Paul, the Republicans ARE destroying the country. Or haven’t you noticed?
I did mention puerile, right? Okay, good.
Keary lost the 2004 election, in Ohio, by a percentage point or two. The election analysts believed Bush won because he came out ahead with the state’s swing voters on “moral issues.”
The Democrats, reflecting upon this loss, applied their infinite wisdom and insight and decided that the only way they can return to power is to declare war on religion.
————–
It seems so obvious to me (I can only conclude that I must be a genius to think it is obvious, since it is statistically improbable for the Democrats to be a party of morons) that you can’t win a national election by insulting and attacking the values held by the majority of voters.
… Sorry, this is the link I meant to post…
http://www.iamm.com/mouseland.htm
Roman sybarites reclining while slaves fed them grapes had no idea they would soon be flushed down the water pipes, the Aztecs probably figured the Spaniards for harmless, funny looking and bad smelling freak jobs and the typical American creeping through morning traffic in his/her SUV spares not a thought that all this will ever end.
The question is not if our western, industrialized civilization will end, but when, and whether we will pass gracefully or blow the planet on the way out.
And, pray tell, where is this attack on religion? That sounds as manufactured as the war on Christmas.
If Dobson can spin the filibuster fight into an attack on all people of faith, methinks he can turn anything into an attack on religion. If you’re talking about the book, it’s author is a noted conservative. If you’re talking about the “theocracy” alarm in general, preventing people from imposing their religion on others is not an attack, it’s a defense of everyone else. You’re still free to practice whatever you want as long as you don’t bother anyone else. In fact, I defended the people who wanted to set up their own little fundamentalist enclave in Florida. If you’re talking about specific actions of the Democratic party, come up with examples that don’t fall into that category.
Paul
Again you make a good point. But we are talking about the U.S., not Iran or Nazi Germany.
Yet in standing your ground you overlook that the Republicans are the ones that have engaged in the art of negative campaigning. Under Karl Rove, they have made this an art. And all the while that they were doing this, their “great uniter” stood up telling us he would bring us together. Only to shut out those who might not agree with his agenda.
The far right that did vote in the 2004 election were driven by fear mongering by the Republicans. These were the single issue voters, the ones who sold their souls to the devil to keep Bush in power one more term. They were told by their pastors, priests, and ministers that a vote for Kerry would bring in homosexual marriage. Forget that what their redeemer preached, they were indoctrinated by fear. It doesn’t matter what their savior said, their pastor’s interpretation of some obscure Old Testament passage was more relevant.
The facts expressed by SN in #5 can not be denied. To claim them as hyperbole or “the sky is falling” is not only disingenuous, it belies blind faith in the Bush Administration. It denies that we are in the hole we got into over the past five years. The question was, “Exactly what was the positive change the Bush administration gave us?” Is there a positive answer?
You first claimed that you were upset about the semantics attached to certain words. I agree. The words like holocaust and genocide have been used so liberally to have lost much of their true meaning. Yet can fascist be used to describe Bush and his administration. I think so. Maybe not to the degree seen by Mussolini or Hitler, but on the same path and general direction.
Fascism
1. Often Fascism
a.A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
b.A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.
2.Oppressive, dictatorial control.
The problem with America is the number of Religious Right which, according to the last presidential election is approxiametly 50%. And most of those religious people are Christians. Their core belief is: Jesus Saves. That is their CORE belief which MUST conclude in someone being saved if that belief is going to hold true. To be a Christian you must hold to yourself that YOU need saving. When someone (read my lips: BUSH) comes in to save you (your Christian beliefs and “values”) you give them POWER. Power is given. No one has power. It is given. 50% of Americans have given power to Bush because he appeals to them. Democrats do not appeal to them. Democrats have shunned them. There are two ways to work around this problem:
(1) Convert Christians to higher relgions (Buddhism, Taoism), or
(2) Convert Democrats to a higher party that transcends and INCLUDES the relgious right AND the liberal left.
Option (1) is never going to happen in great numbers and in short time, though it is happening (I squashed my Catholicism, and killed the long-bearded God–it took over 30 years!)
Option (2) is, thus, not an option. It is America’s only recourse. The liberals are almost as bad as conservatives. The liberals want to hand power to those with low consciousness. They want to give equal rights to criminals that they give to law-abiding citizens. That all men are created equal is true. That all men GROW equally is not. Democrats have to take that into consideration. That said, they must also act with judgement, but not with malfeance. Tough love, but gentle compassion.