[Peace-discuss] Fwd: The Evangelical Rebellion by Chris Hedges

[Morton K. Brussel]

Some value intelligence and knowledge among other qualities, even for  
leaders in government, and abjure stupidity and ignorance. Necessary,  
if not sufficient, reasons to govern wisely. In their disgust and  
abhorrence at current (and past) politics and policies, some are  
ready to turn to anything and anybody different, or perhaps nothing-- 
nihilism. An example is,sadly, the truly disturbed Cockburn.

--mkb



On Dec 30, 2007, at 7:16 AM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:

> Seems pretty sober to me.  The Left that Cockburn has in mind is  
> the sad American version, synonymous with liberals, and represented  
> by, say, the Nation magazine (and, indeed, Chris Hedges).
>
> The American version is of course only a simulacrum of a Left as  
> the term has been used for two centuries, because it's abandoned  
> the Left's defining characteristic, attention to class struggle.
>
> The Left in the US has been reduced to a matter of thinking the  
> right thoughts and using the right language (what used to be called  
> "identity politics," until it became the norm).  It's all a matter  
> of symbolic analysis, in Robert Reich's term: you can't diss Darwin  
> or believe in resurrection, altho' it's a bit hard to see what  
> those terms have to do with politics.  (In fact, I think the latter  
> does, but probably not in Evangelicalism, which seems to me a  
> relatively simple material heresy.)
>
> American politics have to be bumped over into the symbolic arena  
> because there's no real contestation over policy.  The presidential  
> campaign means very little because all the "serious" candidates  
> (Republican and Democrat) support the same policy -- on the war,  
> health care, the economy, etc.  It doesn't matter which of the  
> actual candidates is elected because policy is doubly insulated  
> from politics -- the policy is not under debate and political  
> discussion is about irrelevancies (cf. Darwin).
>
> Americans (outside of the ideological institutions -- universities  
> and the media) recognize this and conclude correctly that the  
> presidential campaign has little or nothing to do with them.  It's  
> a game played by those designated -- show-business for ugly  
> people.   As a result, the actual policies of both parties --  
> essentially two business parties -- are substantially to the right  
> of the views of most Americans.  (E.g., 80% of Americans say big  
> business has too much influence in the USG.)
>
> Alex I think would buy most of this, and it's in that context that  
> he discusses Huckabee (and Paul).  Remember he started as a  
> political reporter and is here simply assessing the chances of  
> candidates, without the moralistic fury against a Baptist minister  
> who dares to run. (A fury incidentally not shown to M. L. King,  
> another Baptist minister.) He considers the possibility, over  
> against the monoglot media, that Huckabee could be a "genuinely  
> interesting candidate," even a "wild man" terrifying the political  
> establishment like Bryan (a rather admirable figure although  
> "another implacable foe of Darwin") or Wallace (certainly less  
> admirable).
>
> Surveying the US presidents from Reagan to Bush, can you seriously  
> doubt that "any imbecile could be head of state" (or government)?  
> But the problem is not that they're stupid -- in some ways they  
> aren't -- but that they do vicious things.
>
> I don't agree that "lack of experience and knowledge about the rest  
> of the world is one of the principal problems right now in American  
> government."  Liberal critics of the Vietnam War used to say that  
> the US had stupidly blundered into a situation there (a "quagmire")  
> that it didn't understand.  There was no blunder -- it was just  
> hard for US Liberals in their naivety to believe that that people  
> they went to school with would kill 3-4 million people to teach the  
> Third World a lesson.  But they did (successfully), just as Clinton  
> and Bush have killed millions in order successfully to maintain US  
> hegemony over ME energy resources.  And Clinton-Obama-Edwards- 
> Romney-Giuliani-Huckabee will do the same. Plus ca change, plus  
> c'est la meme *pose*...
>
> Regards, CGE
>
>
> Matt Reichel wrote:
>> I think Alex must have been inebriated when writing this snippet.  
>> 90% of the time I think he is quite good, if not outright  
>> fantastic, but this article in particular was sloppy and poorly  
>> defended.
>> The bigotry of the Left? What . . is he talking about the  
>> Communists in The Soviet Union who is father spent his life  
>> defending? . .
>> Even worse, he says: "So Huckabee will probably survive these  
>> charges, as he should the
>> whines of New York Times columnists that he is unversed in foreign
>> affairs. Both Ronald Reagan and George Bush demonstrated
>> conclusively that a passing glance at a stamp album is the only
>> education required for dealing with the rest of the world."
>> Is he trying to assert that any imbecile could be head of state  
>> because the real brains are already in place at the state  
>> department, FBI and CIA? . .This is obviously un-true, since the  
>> CIA is so desperate for anyone who actually speaks a foreign  
>> language that they are practically handing jobs away to anyone who  
>> can pass a drug test. I don't know how many times I've had to  
>> explain to someone on the phone that I am not interested in a  
>> career at the CIA!! . . And a simple google search of my name  
>> would reveal quite conclusively that I am not CIA material!
>> . .  Or does he actually mean to say that one can obtain the  
>> knowledge necessary to associate in a complex manner with foreign  
>> envoys without experience studying in a foreign setting (once a  
>> pre-req for anyone looking for work at the state dept) . . . ?
>> Either way I find this remark unsettling, if not outright  
>> insulting. The lack of experience and knowledge about the rest of  
>> the world is one of the principle problems right now in American  
>> government, and goes a long way to explaining the continually  
>> growing resentment of the U.S. by a majority of people in our  
>> fellow "Western countries," as well as explaining the concurrent  
>> rapid decline of the American empire.
>> Perhaps that's it! It's best to have unskilled statesmen at the  
>> helm because that will facilitate the decline of the Empire, which  
>> will presumably be a good thing for a majority of the world. This  
>> seems like a far fetched reason to support idiot presidents!
>> -
>> mer
>>  > From: brussel4 at insightbb.com
>>  > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: The Evangelical Rebellion by  
>> Chris Hedges
>>  > Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:06:29 -0600
>>  > To: galliher at uiuc.edu
>>  > CC: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>>  >
>>  > So, Huckabee or Paul for President! Kookyness abounds it seems.
>>  > And where lies the so-called "bigotry on matters of religion"  
>> of the
>>  > left? (Is it their disbelief in Genesis and ressurection and other
>>  > myths, and fear of the fundamentalists seemingly growing  
>> influence?)
>>  > Why doesn't Cockburn get on his horse for someone like Kucinich
>>  > instead of relishing the likes of Huckabee?
>>  >
>>  > --mkb
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > On Dec 28, 2007, at 2:33 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>>  >
>>  > > [I often find myself agreeing with Alex Cockburn. Here I think
>>  > > he's good on Huckabee and the presidential campaign. The
>>  > > comparison with Bryan is apt, except that Bryan was more anti- 
>> war
>>  > > than Huckabee: Bryan resigned as Secretary of State when a
>>  > > mendacious Democrat president (celebrated by liberals)  
>> manipulated
>>  > > the US into war. Regarding this thread, I think Cockburn is  
>> right
>>  > > to say, "The clamor about Huckabee's Christian beliefs is  
>> overdone,
>>  > > not least among the left whose bigotry on matters of religion is
>>  > > particularly unappetizing" -- although, needless to say, neither
>>  > > Cockburn nor I agree with Huckabee's theology (if on different
>>  > > grounds). --CGE]
>>  > >
>>  > > Mike Huckabee's Ascending Chariot
>>  > > By ALEXANDER COCKBURN
>>  > >
>>  > > Suddenly it's Huckabee. The surge of the former Arkansas  
>> governor
>>  > > in the race for the Republican nomination has the pell-mell
>>  > > excitement of one of Napoleon's victorious rampages across  
>> Europe
>>  > > in his heyday. In this case the long faces belong not to the
>>  > > crowned heads of the Grand Alliance, but to the Republican
>>  > > establishment, quivering with terror at the thought of their
>>  > > doughty standard bearer in 2008 being a former Baptist  
>> minister, a
>>  > > fellow who thinks God created the world 6000 years ago more  
>> or less
>>  > > in its current form.
>>  > >
>>  > > The great dread of American political establishments down the
>>  > > decades has been that a wild man will suddenly sneak past all
>>  > > obstructions cunningly devised to repel uncomfortable  
>> surprises and
>>  > > upset the apple cart. Democrats even today shiver at the  
>> memory of
>>  > > William Jennings Bryan, another implacable foe of Charles  
>> Darwin,
>>  > > who ran on a silver platform in the late nineteenth century.  
>> George
>>  > > Wallace, a redneck governor out of Alabama, ran as an  
>> independent
>>  > > presidential candidate in 1968 and Richard Nixon was  
>> terrified that
>>  > > he would steal enough votes to throw the race to the Democrat,
>>  > > Hubert Humphrey. A would-be assassin's bullet put paid to  
>> that threat.
>>  > >
>>  > > The clamor about Huckabee's Christian beliefs is overdone, not
>>  > > least among the left whose bigotry on matters of religion is
>>  > > particularly unappetizing. A robust majority of all  
>> Americans, so
>>  > > polls unfailingly show, maintain they have had personal  
>> encounters
>>  > > with Jesus Christ. Ronald Reagan believed and publicly stated  
>> more
>>  > > than once that the Apocalypse was scheduled to occur in his
>>  > > lifetime at Megiddo, as excitingly trailered in the Good  
>> Book. The
>>  > > soigné Governor Mitt Romney, now displaced by Huckabee as the  
>> front
>>  > > runner, is a Mormon and thus, unless he is a heretic from the
>>  > > Latter Day Saints on this specific issue, believes that  
>> Christ was
>>  > > Lucifer's older brother, as Huckabee has not been slow in  
>> pointing
>>  > > out.
>>  > >
>>  > > But Huckabee should not be dismissed as simply the creature  
>> of the
>>  > > Christian fundamentalists who play a very significant role in  
>> the
>>  > > Republican primaries and who are currently hoisting him in the
>>  > > polls. Of course they like Huckabee for all the obvious reasons,
>>  > > and because the alternatives are the Mormon Romney or Giuliani,
>>  > > who's hopped from wife to wife, shared an apartment with a  
>> male gay
>>  > > couple and favors abortion.
>>  > >
>>  > > But on many substantive matters, demonstrated during his ten  
>> years
>>  > > as the governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was often a  
>> progressive, with
>>  > > enlightened views and a record of substantive executive  
>> action on
>>  > > immigration, public health, education of poor kids and the
>>  > > possibility of redemption for convicted criminals. In his ten  
>> years
>>  > > as governor, Huckabee commuted the sentences of, or outright
>>  > > pardoned, over 1,200 felons including a dozen murderers. This  
>> was a
>>  > > courageous and unparalleled display of enlightenment in a  
>> country
>>  > > whose interest in rehabilitation is near zero. As Huckabee  
>> said in
>>  > > answer to Mitt "throw away the key" Romney, should a woman
>>  > > convicted of check-kiting when she was 17, have this criminal
>>  > > offense prevent her from getting a job thirty years later?
>>  > >
>>  > > Democrats started by chortling over Huckabee's meteoric rise  
>> in the
>>  > > national polls. The Democratic National Committee supposedly
>>  > > ordered a moratorium to onslaughts on the Arkansas governor  
>> in the
>>  > > hopes that as the nominee he will be roadkill for them in the  
>> race
>>  > > next fall. This patronizing posture is already fraying. Huckabee
>>  > > would not be a pushover. He's quick on his feet, has an easy  
>> sense
>>  > > of humor and has a powerful appeal to Americans unconvinced  
>> by any
>>  > > of the major contenders.
>>  > >
>>  > > Thus far, beyond hee-haws at his Christian fundamentalism,  
>> the most
>>  > > the liberals can come up with is that he intervened to save  
>> his son
>>  > > from very nasty charges of dog-abuse at a Boy Scout camp and  
>> that
>>  > > among those whose sentences he commuted was a rapist, Wayne  
>> Dumond,
>>  > > who killed at least one woman after his release. Murray Waas has
>>  > > devoted thousands of plodding words to the case.
>>  > >
>>  > > It's chilling to watch liberals and pwogs thundering their  
>> outrage
>>  > > at the mere idea of pardons or commutations, as though one of  
>> the
>>  > > besetting horrors of America today isn't the penological mindset
>>  > > that puts people behind bars for decades, or the living death of
>>  > > what the criminal justice industry laconically terms LWOP, Life
>>  > > Without the Possibility of Parole. Let's go back to 1988, when
>>  > > Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis, who had supervised an
>>  > > elightened parole and day-release program as governor of
>>  > > Massachusetts, was trashed for letting Willie Horton out of  
>> prison
>>  > > on a weekend pass. Who first raised the Horton issue. No, not
>>  > > George Bush Sr. Not Lee Atwater. It was Al Gore, in the '88
>>  > > Democratic primaries.
>>  > >
>>  > > Of course, if you decide not to let people rot in prison for  
>> forty
>>  > > years, and let some of them out, there's a chance there'll be a
>>  > > Dumond or a Horton among those released. That's a risk. To  
>> say that
>>  > > it's an unacceptable risk is the same as saying there's a  
>> risk in
>>  > > administering the death penalty, because an innocent person  
>> might
>>  > > get gassed or killed with poison, but that nonetheless the  
>> price is
>>  > > worth it. Some guy with a DUI on his record gets his license  
>> back,
>>  > > gets loaded again and kills another carload of innocents. So, we
>>  > > should bring in a lifetime ban of all DUIs from driving ever  
>> again?
>>  > > More people get killed by drivers with DUIs on their record  
>> than by
>>  > > convicted killers let out of prison, or for that matter by sex
>>  > > offenders. These days, with liberal assent, sex offenders serve
>>  > > their full terms and still can't get out of prison. Run a  
>> society
>>  > > totally on principles of revenge, not forgiveness or  
>> redemption and
>>  > > you end up in the realm of Milton's Moloch, "besmeared with  
>> blood
>>  > > of human sacrifice and parents' tears."
>>  > >
>>  > > Then there are the corruption charges. Huckabee accepted gift
>>  > > vouchers for meals at Taco Bell and had a registry at Target and
>>  > > Dillard's where he and his wife got big-ticket items like a Jack
>>  > > LaLanne juicer. Hold the front page! From reading the furious
>>  > > brayings of Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone, you'd think  
>> Huckabee was
>>  > > the Emperor Bokassa, of the Central African Republic, crowned  
>> on a
>>  > > golden throne, wearing a Roman toga embroidered with a hundred
>>  > > thousand pearls, then driving off in a coach pulled by six white
>>  > > horses flown from Paris.
>>  > >
>>  > > Try as they may, dustrakers like Taibbi have a hard time showing
>>  > > Huckabee was anything more than a piker in the perks department.
>>  > >
>>  > > Here's some of the record of shame. Total for items requested on
>>  > > the Target wedding registry, $ 2,282, including a 12-piece  
>> cookware
>>  > > set for $ 249, a DeLonghi retro 4-slice toaster for $ 39. 99 ,
>>  > > napkins, kitchen towels, two king-sized pillows and a clock.  
>> Total
>>  > > on the Dillard's registry, $4,635, not omittting the Jack  
>> Lalanne
>>  > > juicer for $ 100.
>>  > >
>>  > > True, the Huckabees got married in 1974, but they had that  
>> covenant
>>  > > marriage in 2005, which is certainly as convincing as Hillary
>>  > > Clinton saying she just got lucky when, as Arkansas' first  
>> lady she
>>  > > made $99,000 on cattle futures off an initial stake of  
>> $1,000, the
>>  > > whole miraculous bonanza organized by a guy in the retinue of  
>> Don
>>  > > Tyson, the largest food processor in the state of Arkansas. More
>>  > > convincing, actually.
>>  > >
>>  > > As so often with American politicians accused of graft and
>>  > > corruption, one reels back in embarrassment at the tiny sums
>>  > > involved. In 2003 Huckabee was fined $250 by the State Ethics
>>  > > Commission of bringing shame on Arkansas by accepting a $500  
>> canoe
>>  > > from Coca-Cola in 2001. The Comission also gave him a rap on the
>>  > > knuckles for not reporting acceptance of a $200 stadium  
>> blanket the
>>  > > same year. He probably wanted it to put over his knees in the  
>> canoe.
>>  > >
>>  > > Huckabee appealed the sanctions to Pulaski County Circuit Court.
>>  > > Judge Fox said he should have owned up to the blanket, but threw
>>  > > out the $ 250 fine, finding that there wasn't sufficient  
>> evidence
>>  > > to show that the canoe, painted with the words "Coke,  
>> Arkansas and
>>  > > You," illegally rewarded Huckabee for doing his job as governor.
>>  > > Huckabee battled other such charges, including more substantial
>>  > > gifts of clothes and furniture. It was all familiar stuff, to
>>  > > connoisseurs of small-time corruption charges. Were the suits  
>> for
>>  > > the shrunken Huckabee to deploy to Arkansas' advantage at
>>  > > conferences of governors or trade trips abroad? Was the  
>> furniture
>>  > > for the rehabbed governor's mansion while Mr and Mors Huckabee
>>  > > roosted in the double-wide?
>>  > >
>>  > > Arkansas underpays its governors as a matter of policy, forcing
>>  > > them into a flexible ethical posture, as opposed to chill high
>>  > > mindedness. Incorruptibles are often more of a menace to  
>> society.
>>  > > The American way, which isn't so bad, is to have the laws on the
>>  > > books, for proper use if things start getting seriously out of
>>  > > control. Corruption, held within bounds, is a useful  
>> lubricant. Is
>>  > > it really worse for Muscovites to slip the traffic cop 500  
>> roubles
>>  > > ($20), thus paying a de facto fine, as opposed to getting a  
>> ticket,
>>  > > and mailing in your $250 speeding fine to the County Superior  
>> Court?
>>  > >
>>  > > Bill Clinton got $20,000 a year for governing Arkansas. Huckabee
>>  > > got $80,000.
>>  > >
>>  > > These guys had to go to McDonalds or Taco Bell. It's all they  
>> could
>>  > > afford. Of course they pocketed $10,000 bribes in cash for  
>> issuing
>>  > > end use certificates and the like. If the truth be told, Gov
>>  > > Clinton in his Arkansas days in the governor's mansion, was a  
>> piker
>>  > > in corruption, just like Huckabee. The laughable thing about
>>  > > Whitewater was the pathetically small sums the Clintons stood to
>>  > > make if all went well, which they did not. When the tribunal
>>  > > investigating Irish prime minister Charles Haughey finally
>>  > > concluded its labors, long after his death, I totted up the  
>> proven
>>  > > bribes and it came to something like $50 million.
>>  > >
>>  > > So Huckabee will probably survive these charges, as he should  
>> the
>>  > > whines of New York Times columnists that he is unversed in  
>> foreign
>>  > > affairs. Both Ronald Reagan and George Bush demonstrated
>>  > > conclusively that a passing glance at a stamp album is the only
>>  > > education required for dealing with the rest of the world.
>>  > >
>>  > > Huckabee's single rival as a genuinely interesting candidate is
>>  > > another Republican, Ron Paul, who set a record a few days  
>> ago, by
>>  > > raising $6 million in a single day. Unlike Huckabee, Paul's core
>>  > > issues are opposition to the war and to George Bush's abuse of
>>  > > civil liberties inscribed in the U.S. Constitution. His  
>> appeal, far
>>  > > more than Huckabee, is to the redneck rebel strain in American
>>  > > political life – the populist beast that the US two-party  
>> system is
>>  > > designed to suppress. On Monday night Paul was asked on Fox News
>>  > > about Huckabee's Christmas ad, which shows the governor  
>> backed by a
>>  > > shining cross. Actually it's the mullions of the window  
>> behind him,
>>  > > but the illusion is perfect. Paul said the ad reminded him of
>>  > > Sinclair Lewis's line, that "when fascism comes to this  
>> country it
>>  > > will be wrapped in a flag and bearing a cross." In the unlikely
>>  > > event they had read Lewis, no other candidate would dare  
>> quote that
>>  > > line.
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > > Robert Dunn wrote:
>>  > >> so.... what is the point. The Republican establishment hates  
>> him
>>  > >> because he will not cowtow to them. He is more of a threat than
>>  > >> Ron Paul or Ralph Nader ever was or would be. I disagree that a
>>  > >> Huckabee presidency would bring about a new wave of fascism.  
>> This
>>  > >> is one of my hugest pet peeves of the liberal wing of the  
>> American
>>  > >> Left. The hostility to evangelicals needs to cease for the  
>> Left to
>>  > >> be effective. It would have sounded absurd if during the  
>> 2002 15th
>>  > >> Congressional District, Carls opponents attacked him based  
>> on his
>>  > >> devout Catholic beliefs. Who would not rolling on the floor  
>> with
>>  > >> uncontrollable laughter if the main threat from Carl was that
>>  > >> through him, then Pope John Paul II would control policy for  
>> East
>>  > >> Central Illinois. Of course it would be nice to have my state
>>  > >> taxes go down from 30% to the tithe of 10%.
>>  > >> So, if others can really help me out with some fruitful
>>  > >> discussion, perhaps Carls 2 or more cents, on this issue. I am
>>  > >> curious as to who the "real enemy" is? Is it the "Right-Wing
>>  > >> populists led by the noses?" Or is it the corporate  
>> establishment?
>>  > >> Either way, if the Liberal wing of the American Left,  
>> particularly
>>  > >> the Democratic activists who claim to speak for the Left  
>> continue
>>  > >> to come up with ridiculous notions of a Christian theocracy  
>> as the
>>  > >> real threat, the more evangelicals will reject the Left and
>>  > >> continue "to vote against their economic interests." So with  
>> all
>>  > >> fairness to actual folks concerned about real violations of  
>> civil
>>  > >> liberties such as the Patriot Act, domestic wiretapping,  
>> etc. Baby
>>  > >> Jesus at city hall or some public school kid praying over  
>> his PBJ
>>  > >> is not a threat to average Americans.
>>  > >> Carl, do you have any insight into this ridiculous article?
>>  > >> Who am I supposed to fear, the corporate elite or the rubes  
>> duped
>>  > >> by them. Because I could just as well say that there are  
>> liberal
>>  > >> rubes that the corporate elites are duping. This whole  
>> culture war
>>  > >> issue where abortion, environmentalism, gay marriage, even
>>  > >> identity politics on the Left is in my opinion another way  
>> of the
>>  > >> corporate elite to maintain power. Are those who just say  
>> whatever
>>  > >> the Democratic Party spouts at the moment dupes as well, as  
>> I have
>>  > >> seen some even on this list?
>>  > >> Cheers,
>>  > >> Robert
>>  > >>  ...