VAST OR HALF-VAST?

IS IT VAST OR HALF-VAST?

By Peter Fredson

June 17, 2005

What shall I call it? Is it Vast? Is it Right Wing?  Is it a Conspiracy?

In a previous blog, my assertion that there was a Vast Right Wing conspiracy was indignantly denied by several True Believers. No Conspiracy, they said.

After sorting out thousands of pages of material dating from the Reagan administration to the present time I have found more than enough information to determine several facts.

First: Is it vast?  Well, it started out as small disparate groups, led by a few aggressive and determined individuals, that gradually coalesced into much larger associations of groups with specific agendas in mind. Today one might say that several million people belong to "it," or to several "its" with converging strategies, plenty of cash, and the complete support of the entire Republican Party (which they have captured,) and the Bush administration (which exploits them endlessly.)

Second: Is it Right Wing? The membership is composed principally of white Christians that are either evangelicals, charismatics, foot-washers, snake-handlers, baptizers, hymn-chanters, god-praisers, hallelujah-shouters, talk-in-tonguers, faith-healers, dominionists, reconstructionists, and similar Christian activists that regard the Bible as an inerrant document written by a god, whose son a miracle -working person about 2,000 years ago was crucified, arose into the clouds but is expected back momentarily to herald the destruction of the world.

Third: Is it a conspiracy? Dictionary and thesaurus definitions vary enormously.  After reviewing several dozen definitions of conspiracy, one seems to fit:  "Conspiracy, in common usage, is the act of working in secret to obtain some goal, usually understood with negative connotations." (From Wikipedia)

There are presently several hundred groups, loosely associated under the Christianity umbrella, led by zealots, who are determined to express their Christian superiority in beliefs, morals, symbols, icons, dogma, and activities above all others. The zealots are determined to share or impose their beliefs, by any methods, with the entire world. Part of their strategy to accomplish this is to demolish the Wall of Separation between Church and State in the United States.

By incitement, stealth, or brazen imposition they intend to install their icons and symbols wherever possible in the public arena. For years activist preachers have been lobbying to put their symbols on coins, bill and stamps. They have been successful in putting the words "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. They have been successful in introducing art work based on biblical incidents into public buildings.

They are now claiming vociferously that all our laws are based on their Ten Commandments or other biblical injunctions. There was even a State Supreme Court judge that arrogantly made a religious monument and installed it in his court house to the delight of worshipful throngs of True Believers who came to worship the monument and blubber before it. Even the governor of the state threatened to call out the militia to "protect" the monument. The movement led to several state and federal legislature amendments to install similar monuments in public areas.

But this is simply a start. Their real aim is to establish a Christian theocracy in the United States, and in other territories. They intend to destroy the public educational system and substitute Bible readings. They intend to install Creationism or Intelligent Design and smash the entire scientific endeavor under the weight of Bible quotations and Republican pious rhetoric. Their proselytizing zeal resembles that of the early Christians about the time of Emperor Constantine, when their bigotry and intolerance created immense bloodshed and death.

The Holy Roman Catholic Church was responsible for creating the greatest fog to envelop mankind. Their obscurantism continues to this day with the modern popes reciting the same poisonous refrains that have been chanted for hundreds of years by a long line of posturing knaves, scoundrels, wastrels, and conniving power-mad tyrants. Their flocks have been consistently kept ignorant as idiots, by endless recitation of ancient clichés, tales, myths, proverbs and nonsensical beliefs intended to provoke terror and keep people in subjection to sexually repressed men in ladies robes.

So, the belief systems go back a long way. Although some of the power of the Holy Church was diffused into institutions like the Church of England and then into several hundred offshoots of Christianity, like Protestant, Episcopal, Methodist and Baptist, the tyrannical hold of their beliefs on large populations never waned.

It took several revolutions: French, English, American and Mexican, to smash the hold of the Holy Church on some European countries and the United States. The American Revolution culminated in an acceptable solution to the bigotry of Christian warring sects: the Separation of Church and State. This ended, for a time at least, the worst excesses of Christian proselytizing, posturing and arrogance in the United States.

Most of the rival sects and cults of Christianity were able to live together, comfortably if not amicably. They were able to build their churches, hold meetings, chant, praise their Lord, raise their families in peace, read their Bible, and listen to interminable repetitive sermons from pulpits without unnecessary rancor from competitors. There were even ecumenical movements where competing factions could present themselves in equality and peace.

But all the blessings of democracy and liberty were not sufficient for ambitious zealots. They wanted more.  More recognition of their beliefs as being superior to others, less recognition for beliefs that were inferior to theirs. They were not content with having complete liberty of worship and expression of beliefs in their churches and abodes but decided to transport whatever they believed into neutral or "inferior" realms.  

Proselytizing again raised its ugly aggressive head. This was not proselytizing by friendly communication of beliefs but by imposition, by stealth, by deception, and by outright domination through aggression.

At this point a crucial strategy was developed. The proselytizers would intercede in political campaigns, to the extent of forming their own political party if necessary. They would offer full support, cash and momentum to whichever politicians would agree to their aggressive proselytizing. They began deliberate campaigns amongst evangelists to boost particular acceptable candidates and to threaten to oust members from Christian society that would not support their political candidates, platforms and parties.

The reverse also occurred.  Politicians discovered the awesome purchasing power and support of the religious zealots, to be had simply for the promise to let the Right Wingers proselytize their own countrymen, without obstacle.

A third element then linked to the other two. Corporate executives were beginning expansion into world markets. They saw the usefulness of having several million fully-committed True Believers to let them accomplish their aim of world domination.

Then there was a fourth element to the strategy. This vital link made everything possible.  The Neocons arrived on the scene. Draft-dodging but bloodthirsty, they had embraced a philosophy of Might Makes Right of Leo Strauss. The Skull and Bones frat boys decided on world conquest, under their direction of course. To this end they had to be merciless. Individual humans were simply pawns in their chess game. They decided that bullying, aggressivity, and preemption were fine policies to guide a national effort into world conquest.

Several hundred of these Neocons linked up into political endeavors, accepted the Right Wingers plea for free proselytizing, hooked up with the power-hungry politicians, and the struggle to smash the Wall of Separation of Church and State began. Democracy is seen as antiquated, while Theocracy has an imperial side which is attractive to draft-dodgers.

Bullying, preemption, world domination, aggressive demands, arrogant statements, swaggering have combined with a lust for power (money, goods, profit, glory), that is making this administration a nightmare.

Congress has been made an adjunct of the Oval Office, with an arrogant President able to impose any stupidity upon the national economy, environment, and humanity without any protest from the Republican majority.  This may cease soon, but meanwhile anything the President proposes is put to the vote and his plans go into effect, regardless of their deleterious effect on the nation and the world.

He is at the point now of converting the entire Judicial System into being sycophants for his administration, giving him extra-legal status and allowing any excesses or inhumanities to occur without effective official protest.

Thus: Is it Vast?  Yes.  Is it composed mainly of White Christians? Yes.  Is it a Conspiracy?  You bet! Just try getting some information without "spin" from the White House!

 Downing Street Memorandum?  The entire Cabinet says "Nothing to it." Secrecy, stealth and lies are the daily diet of the conspirators. There is a resemblance to the "Iron Wall" philosophy that once plagued the world.

Let this plague too pass from us!