American Fascists - The Christian Right and the War on America

I was looking for a different book by Chris Hedges when I came across American Fascists - The Christian Right and the War on America (#32).  I have to say that this is one of the most frightening books I have read in a long, long time.  Not because I think Mr. Hedges is a fanatic; just the opposite.  I think he's the voice of reason.

He discusses the attempts by the Christian Right to dismantle democracy and an open society in America by seizing political power and allying themselves with wealthy right wing corporations.  Sounds far-fetched, doesn't it?  But you can see it happening if you follow the news.  There are "family values" candidates who advocate private education (vouchers) and home-tutoring at the expense of public schools or funding for schools so that they can teach their own curriculums of Creationism, pseudoscience and intolerance for anyone who is the least bit "different" from their own mold.  Their ProLife candidates want to make abortion illegal, or at the very least cut all public funding.  This precludes women's rights to determine what happens to their own bodies, yet they will not fund welfare or WIC (Women, Infants and Childrens nutrition programs) to ensure that these unwanted children can have any kind of a decent life.  In fact, they refuse to support any public funding for those who most need it in our society - the poor, th sick, the homeless, the unemployed.  Witness what happened in December of this year when the Republicans refused to extend unemployment benefits.  There was a strong swell of support for this among Republicans and the tea party. The wealthiest corporations are busy outsourcing jobs to countries without labor unions or any other protections for their workers so that they can maximize their profits.  Those who are out of work as a result deserve it, according to the Christian Right worldview because wealth is a sign of God's favor to those who are "saved".  That's the double whammy - control people's lives through political power while enslaving them by ensuring that they cannot make a living wage or receive benefits in the service jobs that manufacturing has left behind.  If you think that to yield your own conscience to the dictates of the leaders of this movement who will determine for you just what "sin" is (including not sending pots of your own money to support them) you'd fit right in.  Conforming is important.

In other words, if you are a woman, a Muslim, a Catholic, a Jew, a mainline Protestant who is "not Christian enough" because you do not think the Bible is to be taken literally, or gay, lesbian, intellectual, free-thinking or a host of other "unacceptable" character traits, you are a target for the Christian Right.  It might be a good thing to know what you are up against.