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They both feed on emotional appeals and they both employ propaganda that distorts history, and plays up to the native fears and prejudice of the uneducated. They both distort reality with deliberate lies. Christian nationalism in the USA (and possibly in Australia and Canada) has morphed into Christian fascism in recent decades. Christian fascists are implementing a bold plan using childhood indoctrination to raise a fifth column in the USA that will seize power during a crisis. In light of the recent near collapse of the financial markets and the huge losses families have suffered, the willingness to blame fascists is hard to resist. Especially since the unceasing drum beat from the extremists on the right has been all about destroying the government. America seethes with anger and hatred in all quarters.
By Jeff Sharlet
“We keep trying to explain away American fundamentalism. Those of us not engaged personally or emotionally in the biggest political and cultural movement of our times—those on the sidelines of history—keep trying to come up with theories with which to discredit the evident allure of this punishing yet oddly comforting idea of a deity, this strange god. His invisible hand is everywhere, say His citizen-theologians, caressing and fixing every outcome: Little League games, job searches, test scores, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, the success or failure of terrorist attacks (also known as “signs”), victory or defeat in battle, at the ballot box, in bed. Those unable to feel His soothing touch at moments such as these snort at the notion of a god with the patience or the prurience to monitor every tick and twitch of desire, a supreme being able to make a lion and a lamb cuddle but unable to abide two men kissing. A divine love that speaks through hurricanes. Who would worship such a god? His followers must be dupes, or saps, or fools, their faith illiterate, insane, or misinformed, their strength fleeting, hollow, an aberration. A burp in American history. An unpleasant odor that will pass.
Harpers, Through a Glass Darkly How the Christian Right is Reimagining American History
Other books:
American Fascists The Christian Right and The War on America, by Chris Hedges
Kingdom Coming by Michelle Goldberg
American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury by Kevin Philips
Roads to Dominion, Right-Wing Movements and Political Power in the United States, by Sara Diamond
The Fundamentals of Extremism, The Christian Right in America, Ed. Kimberly Blaker
My Amazon Wish List:
Reports on the web include:
www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm#_edn14
www.publiceye.org/magazine/v19n3/clarkson_dominionism.html
www.theocracywatch.org/chris_hedges_nov24_04.htm
www.talk2action.org/story/2008/1/5/155457/0298
www.harpers.org/archive/2006/12/0081322
http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v19n3/clarkson_dominionism.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7422542 Is America Too Damn Religious, NPR
- Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion
- Dispatches from the Culture Wars
- Good As You
- Hatewatch
- Max Blumenthal
- PublicEye
- Religious Right Watch
- State of Belief
- Talk To Action
- YAF Watch
Progressive Blogs
- ACS Blog
- AmericaBlog
- Box Turtle Bulletin
- BuzzFlash
- County Fair
- Crooks and Liars
- Daily Kos
- DownWithTyranny!
- Feministing
- Firedoglake
- Glenn Greenwald
- Hullabaloo
- Huffington Post
- Open Left
- MoJoBlog
- Page One Q
- Pam’s House Blend
- Pandagon
- Raw Story
- RH Reality Check
- Street Prophets
- TalkLeft
- Talking Points Memo
- TAPPED
- Think Progress
- Washington Monthly
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