I look forward to reading Hedges' book. I hope it will clarify my own thinking on the subject of the Kristianists (which is a good term for this current brand of fascists).

It should be remembered that the roots of National Socialism in Germany date back to the late 19th Century, and even right to Martin Luther, and its founders played heavily on a virulent, rampant anti-Semitism. Contrary to what Hedges claims about initally suppressing anti-Jewish feelings and policies, Hitler knew he could count on an entrenched hatred of the Jews and used it well. A combination of the horrible post-WWI economy, the humiliating Versailles Treaty and a ready scapegoat in the Jews was the fertile soil from which the Nazis grew an invented German fascist identity.

There has always been a fascist element in America, but the paranoid types who drove it post WWII, like Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the Birchites, The American Legion, and their ilk were not using divine orders as their mandate or Christ as their mascot. The extreme nationalism, posing as patriotism, that became implanted here had an implied white Christian religion in its tirades and rants about godless Communism. But the friction and hostility between Catholics and Protestants, and among the many Protestant denominations kept a coherent, religiously based movement from forming. At its core, however, the right-wing of the '40s, '50s, and '60s, while somewhat disorganized politcally, was racist, anti-Semitic, and decidedly homophobic. What has changed is the enormous growth of evangelicism and religious fundamentalism, along with the isolating, conformist lifestyle of suburbia. And this movement is not politically disorganized.

It seems to me that we now have a theocratic movement wearing fascism on its sleeve, a holy grail to be sought in order to curry favor with god, or Jesus, and in the name of which you can commit torture, murder, destroy any institution, democratic or otherwise. The goal impose an Old Testament patriarchycal system of justice, free of science and reason. That this movement is able to play so effectively on the fears and despair of the ignorant, of the economically unstable is no surprise.

We have with the onset of Reaganomics in 1980 done our very best to create a permanent under-class, undermine the middle-class, and allow the infrastructure of the country to crumble. Just so the rich could get richer; which they have beyond their wildest dreams. The Kristianists may not have gotten what they wanted from the Repugs, but the wealthy certainly have.. The Bush thugs have taken us back to the days of McKinley, who it might be remembered was assassinated in 1901 shortly after being reelected, whose vice president was Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt launced the first progressive era, which culminated in the New Deal and the Great Society, both of which were and are anathama to the ruling class. FDR was termed a "traitor to his class." Bush is a hero to his. And were the events in 1901 to be repeated, we would get Cheney as president. He is certainly no Teddy Roosevelt.

Michelle Goldberg asked a very good question to Chris Hedges about the huge number of evangelicals who aren't necessarily part of the religous right. Mr. Hedges basically said that evangelicals are hopeless because they have a non-reality-based belief system which includes believing that Jesus has a plan for them and intervenes in their life. In other words, there is no such thing as a thinking evangelical because they are ignorant enought to believe in a fairy tale. Well, as far as I'm concerned, he just lost the "preacher's kid" cache he was trying to exploit in order define himself as sympathetic to Christianity.

But in some respects, he's right. Christians don't answer to a particular political ideology (Democratic or Republican) or to such bullies as Ron Parsley or Pat Robertson. They need to answer to God. What Mr. Hedges fails to realize here, is that the best remedy for the corruption of the religious right is for Christians to develop a truly biblical world view and place a greater value on such issues as being good stewards of God's creation, respecting such values as justice and mercy, and caring for the poor. This also could have the consequences of upending the current political stalemate we have going on today in this country. A stalemate in which many of us are reluctant members of the particular side we find ourselves on.

All this talk and the real questions haven't even been asked yet.

Who is it who puts their faith in clerics? It doesn't matter what the religion is. Who says organized religion has some knowledge that any individual can't have if they take the time and make the effort to look at their own deepest values, and what provides them the greatest solace?

It is in the American tradition to choose our own beliefs--not have them chosen for us. Take a look at some Emerson, Thoreau, or Walt Whitman--perhaps the greatest poet of democratic values this country has ever produced--who was gay!

Every generation has to fight the battle between the individual and the collective belief. We are now in a period where a reactionary consciousness is in the ascendance. That's where Bush comes from. Don't kid yourself--religious values go so much deeper than the political it isn't a contest. Millions simply can't see through him. They don't know they are being exploited.

There is always a very thin layer of the culture that point the way. The retrograds hate us. They want to live in the past. Their "God" is a two car garage and all the cheap gas they can consume.

If the current generation of the deceived doesn't wake up (which is unlikely) the next will be better prepared to do so. That's how cultures evolve. That's why we don't hang people any more in this country, or burn them at the stake.

The best those who know better can do is live with as much dignity as we can without stooping to their level of bigotry and hatred. We also need to make it clear that we are not in their camp so they don't assume otherwise.