Chris Hedges is a reporter for The New York Times and an author. The following article has been refused publication across mainstream America. It's title: "The Christian Right and the rise of American Fascism:"
"...And yet the powerbrokers in the Christian Right have moved from the fringes of society to the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Christian fundamentalists now hold a majority of seats in 36 percent of all Republican Party state committees, or 18 of 50 states, along with large minorities in 81 percent of the rest of the states. Forty-five Senators and 186 members of the House of Representatives earned between an 80 to100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups - The Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum, and Family Resource Council.
"Tom Coburn, the new senator from Oklahoma, has included in his campaign to end abortion a call to impose the death penalty on doctors that carry out abortions once the ban goes into place. Another new senator, John Thune, believes in Creationism. Jim DeMint, the new senator elected from South Carolina, wants to ban single mothers from teaching in schools. The Election Day exit polls found that 22 percent of voters identified themselves as evangelical Christians and Bush won 77 percent of their vote. The polls found that a plurality of voters said that the most important issue in the campaign had been 'moral values.'"
As I've written before, the "values" debate is likely to be the defining challenge in the coming years. Western politicians are increasingly kow-towing to extremists in the community who fail to separate church and state. The very definition of a liberal democracy is at stake.
"...And yet the powerbrokers in the Christian Right have moved from the fringes of society to the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Christian fundamentalists now hold a majority of seats in 36 percent of all Republican Party state committees, or 18 of 50 states, along with large minorities in 81 percent of the rest of the states. Forty-five Senators and 186 members of the House of Representatives earned between an 80 to100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups - The Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum, and Family Resource Council.
"Tom Coburn, the new senator from Oklahoma, has included in his campaign to end abortion a call to impose the death penalty on doctors that carry out abortions once the ban goes into place. Another new senator, John Thune, believes in Creationism. Jim DeMint, the new senator elected from South Carolina, wants to ban single mothers from teaching in schools. The Election Day exit polls found that 22 percent of voters identified themselves as evangelical Christians and Bush won 77 percent of their vote. The polls found that a plurality of voters said that the most important issue in the campaign had been 'moral values.'"
As I've written before, the "values" debate is likely to be the defining challenge in the coming years. Western politicians are increasingly kow-towing to extremists in the community who fail to separate church and state. The very definition of a liberal democracy is at stake.
6 Comments:
The man with the most sinister background in the US Congress is Democrat senator, Robert Byrd.
Elements of his past are indeed unsavoury, but that was many, many years ago, and the last years have seen him become a true voice of moral reason in the Congress.
Well looks like the rightwingers have replaced anti-communism (their being insufficient baddie communists left) with (wear it on your sleeve) "Christianity".
Perhaps one reason for this popular new stance is that it is "proof" that you oppose "America's No.1 enemy." Islam of coourse. Also its patriotic to suppport the President's outlook and beliefs during (manufactured) "Wartime".
All very cynical, but effective.
"The book denounces income tax as "idolatry," property tax as "theft" and calls for an abolish of inheritance taxes in the chapter entitled Christian Economics. The loss of such tax revenues will bring about the withering away of the federal government and the empowerment of the authoritarian church, although this is not explict in the text."
"The abandonment of the working class has been crucial to the success of the movement. Only by reintegrating the working class into society through job creation, access to good education and health care can the Christian Right be effectively blunted. Revolutionary movements are built on the backs of an angry, disenfranchised laboring class. This one is no exception." Quotes from article.
"My goal is to cut government in half in twentyfive years, to get it down to the size where it can drown in the bathtub." Grover Norquist Republican strategist.
So when Bush and others say the federal deficit is not a problem, one may now understand their view. Indeed to them it is not a problem. It is part of the "solution".
your fellow Human
Human
Your economic determinist analysis is a useful tool but your concern with possible future "Revolutionary movements" in the US is off the brain scan.
The last viable movement was in the American Revolution - not exactly the masses rising.
Peace Gigolo pete. It is not my analysis it is the authors.The fact that "we" here in Pennsylvania are even contemplating teaching "intelligent design" in the public schools shows to me the sick far rights revolutiopnary movement is viable. Americans throw around the word "revolutionary" pretty easily. There is much talk of revolution here. More than ever. Many people like me, do not believe in violence to achieve ends. Whether the ends come to fruition is a whole differant matter. Fighting the good fight is in it self and end.An Example of my effort to topple the government is my continued campaign to ask that military members mutiny. If in a combat zone, refuse to leave barracks, if at "home" to demonstrate by sitins at their respective Congressional reps. offices. Yes it maybe pie in the sky. Many people probably say the same things in referance to the 1662 refuseniks.
your fellow Human
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