It is so far from reality, from accuracy, from reasonableness, that the fisking of it would triple its length.
But here's just the intro:
"After two years reporting on the movement for his new book “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America”, [Chris Hedges] writes that its engine is profound personal and economic despair caused by mounting social and economic inequities that fuel the creation of an American oligarchy. This despair, he said, has led tens of millions of Americans into the arms of demogogues (sic) who offer a world of miracles and magic, who sanctify and fuel the rage of America’s dispossessed and who plot the destruction the democratic state."
What "personal despair"? What "economic despair"? What economic inequities (beyond the covetousness-mongering of the Left)?
What "world of miracles and magic"?
What "dispossessed" (among the Religious Right, at least)?
Sounds like a combination of "projection" and, ahem, demagoguery, if you ask me.
4 comments:
Actually, the christianists may build a stronghold in an isolated, lesser educated area, perhaps a largely rural and relatively poor area of the US, like somewhere is rural MS, AL, TX or TN ... but will not likely threaten the US as a whole. Such isolated christian groups have created leaders like Warren Jeffs, David Koresh, Jim Jones, but with the advent of mass media, personalities like Pat Robertson have become more pervasive and threatening. Imagine a highly intelligent, charismatic version of Pat Robertson with the view that he is 'the messiah' or could convince enough people he had been 'sent by god' to become a new christian political leader. It could happen. (I know, this scenario must sound great to Ned, not unlike Bush - except for the 'highly intelligent' part).
Fascism demands loyalty to a single leader, leading to a cult of personality and unquestioned obedience to orders. Exactly why Bush has done so well with evangelicals.
We can hope that the political system continues to work in America. As the checks and balances of government go, so does freedom. I have a little more confidence in our governement's system of checks and balances, especially after the '06 election.
Bwahahahaha--we're coming to get you William.
William, time for adult swim. I'm going to moderate the H-E-double hockey sticks out of any more claptrap like this.
Actually, the article is pretty good, you should read it.
Here's a quote - seems to go with the right wing attacks on science, public arts funding, gays, etc...
--
"The radical Christian right, calling for a “Christian state”—where whole segments of American society, from gays and lesbians to liberals to immigrants to artists to intellectuals, will have no legitimacy and be reduced, at best, to second-class citizens—awaits a crisis, an economic meltdown, another catastrophic terrorist strike or a series of environmental disasters. A period of instability will permit them to push through their radical agenda, one that will be sold to a frightened American public as a return to security and law and order, as well as moral purity and prosperity. This movement—the most dangerous mass movement in American history—will not be blunted until the growing social and economic inequities that blight this nation are addressed, until tens of millions of Americans, now locked in hermetic systems of indoctrination through Christian television and radio, as well as Christian schools, are reincorporated into American society and given a future, one with hope, adequate wages, job security and generous federal and state assistance. "
Actually, I did read it.
Spare me the "Christianist" diatribes.
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