As discussed in an earlier diary, Naming An Empire, I've been pondering the historical and political nature of the schismatic state ruled by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney during the previous decade. My tentative model for that state, which I am calling the Texic Empire, revolved around a triumvirate of power centers I am calling the Texic Axis, whose outlines I provide below. This is just the barest, earliest glimmer of a model in the initial stages of my research into the era, but I believe my terminology is at least sound - something I also address.
I. "Texic"
I can already hear TX Kossacks groaning in exasperation, and believe me when I say I'm not engaging in gratuitous Texas-bashing by coining this adjective for the Buscist state. Unfortunately, I feel that any such term must contain the prefix "Tex" to place that state in its proper social and cultural context: The ideological, logistical, and political cores of the regime were intimately tied to the uniquely messianic and expansionist outlook of Texas conservatism.
So I apologize several years in advance to Texas liberals whose state will have to bear this stain even after it has redeemed itself, but I'm afraid it's unavoidable: The culture of Texas had, and still has, such potently toxic strains in its character that people like Dick Cheney home in on it and converge there, choosing it over other conservative states because Texas has so many more opportunities for their malice and greed to find nourishment.
But regardless of what the future holds for the Lone Star State, from the years 2001 to 2008, inclusive - if not before and after as well - Texas was the heartland and devoted support base of an inhumanly savage, murderous empire the likes of which had not been seen since the demise of the Soviet Union. It was a base of operations, an abundant source of financial support, and crawling with rabid followers of an entity that had overthrown the US Constitution and ruled as an absolute monarchy. The past cannot be changed, but it should be remembered with clarity and honesty.
II. The Texic Axis
The same body of interests typically behind the Republican Party supported the Bush regime, but in the latter case they were far more potent, more intimately entwined, and coordinated seamlessly through the executive staff of the monarchy. In particular, the Karl Rove organization and Dick Cheney's secretive "Fourth Branch" - which under the US Constitution was known as the Office of the Vice President - carefully negotiated and weaved these often imperfectly-aligned interests together into a single, powerful political force, which I am terming the Texic Axis.
The three domains of the Axis will sound familiar: Business, Military, and Religion, in that order. These are just broad categories, however, as they corresponded more specifically to (a)highly corrupt, criminally organized industries (e.g., oil); (b)military contractors and fascist foreign policy theorists; and (c)dominionist evangelical Christianity. There has always been some degree of natural overlap in these domains, but they nevertheless have tended to operate without a high degree of coordination, yet under Bush they formed the political basis of a revolutionary state. Ergo, the Texic Axis.
While all three parts of the Axis were essential to the power of the regime, they were not coequal: Evangelicals and other radical right-wing Christians were used as obedient foot soldiers whose bigotry and ignorance could be easily manipulated, and whose loyalty could be bought with symbolic victories and dog whistles.
Although George W. Bush was himself a religious extremist, his apathy toward the details of governance limited the effect of his beliefs, and the regime was more heavily dominated by the corporate and fascist foreign policy blocs. If the devout became dissatisfied, they could be re-energized with some meaningless publicity stunt or by manufacturing left-wing threats to their agenda.
On the business side, we must distinguish between industries that were merely supportive on a mundane basis - e.g., donating to Republican campaigns - from those who were active participants in the regime, and directly wrote most if not all of its economic and regulatory policies. The former were just regular Republicans going about the usual process of bribing their way to more money, while the latter were Axis members and wielded de facto sovereign power in their respective domains.
Oil and energy companies - especially those headquartered in Texas - held a strong position in the Axis due to their ability to operate simultaneously as Business and Military interests: An unfortunate result of the fact that the entire American economy is dependent on them. Axis power tended to be concentrated in industries that controlled raw materials and essential commodities, with service-sector or retail industries tending not to have much of an active role. Banks did not play anywhere near the role one might suspect from the events of 2008.
The Military domain of the Axis was comprised of contractors, fascist theorists from "think tank" fronts like Project for The New American Century (PNAC), radical right-wing military and intelligence personnel, and other powerful Republicans who just happened to have a hard-on for killing people in large numbers. The popular term "neoconservative" or "neocon" is often used for these people, but it's a double misnomer: They were neither "new" nor "conservative," but a repackaged version of fascism sold and implemented by wanton thugs with no concern for American institutions or traditions.
The bargains that held the Axis together were simple: The regime would seek to introduce religious language, symbols, and dogma into every facet of governance in exchange for loyalty and support from the devout. They would also rationalize in religious terms policies they intended to pursue anyway, so as to give themselves a messianic aura among zealots. In return, religious radicals would ardently support the military and business agenda of the regime.
Likewise, the martial side of the Axis - as well as businesses related to them - would be given carte blanche for unchecked military conquests in perpetuity, with a bottomless fund of no-bid contracts, the effective elimination of Congressional oversight, and near-total secrecy. In return, they would enforce the absolute authority of the regime, and quite probably hedge against potential domestic trouble. Blackwater, I think, was probably being built up into a private army so that the regime could bypass the Pentagon bureaucracy and directly impose its will.
Among Axis industries, the bargain was that they were exempt from all laws, and could actively collaborate with the regime to rob the American people and crush competitors - as in the Summer of 2001, when Texas energy corporations engineered the theft of over $20 billion from California electricity ratepayers, likely in direct concert with Cheney's energy task force. Part of this money would undoubtedly have contributed to supporting the regime, consolidating media, and other objectives.
II. The Texic Empire
We have described the political support structure as an Axis, but the state itself functioned as an Empire along lines similar to ancient Persia: I.e., one absolute, sacred, and semi-divine figure holding the throne and wielding unchecked power, but ruling over subject states who were allowed some leeway in the structure of their governance. In other words, I don't claim the Texic Empire destroyed the United States of America - rather, it ruled and occupied it as a vassal state, holding itself superior to US laws while utilizing American institutions and resources for its own ends.
This model allows us to understand its extreme expansionism and extraterritorial politics: The Bush regime did not view itself as the government of the United States, but as the possessors of the government of the United States, and it sought to possess even more states beneath its imperial rule. I won't bother with discussing the specific motivations and plans behind the invasion of Iraq, but they were clearly seeking a vassal satellite state for their empire where they could rule directly through the military and, where even that was too constraining, Blackwater.
Afghanistan they had much less interest in, and invaded only because it was a political necessity: Despite whatever money they managed to squeeze out of it, Afghanistan was not a prime or even interesting target of conquest from their perspective, and defeating al Qaeda was never even a priority. Still, it was one more piece of territory where forces under their control could operate with impunity.
The allies of the Texic Empire were mostly states like it: Saudi Arabia being chief among them, but also including some former Soviet republics ruled by homicidal thugs. Countries it regarded as hostile were overwhelmingly democracies - particularly the NATO countries - and its contempt for the UN was open and palpable. But it routinely found things to praise about Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Libya, etc. etc., while treating France as a virtual enemy.
Britain's relationship is a special case, and merits more detailed analysis. They are a monarchy, albeit a constitutional one, and their elected leadership was liberal and yet willing to go along with naked aggression. I don't pretend to have the answer for that conundrum at this time, but it will be interesting to examine in the future.