grodscorp@grods.comI’ll have a flat white with one sugar, thanks
 | Posted by Bron on Wednesday 20 August 2008, 10:37 pm Categories: Literature, Religion Tags: Books, evangelicals, fundamentalism, lattes, Politics, Right-wingChristianity, TehLeft, USA |
Last week, the Editor whimpered something about damned responsibility preventing him from getting one of those infamous leftard drinks known as a latte.
I was reminded of his 10.23am latte withdrawals when the book I’m currently reading, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism by Michelle Goldberg, mentioned them. Goldberg’s book is, clearly enough, about the rise of Christian nationalism, that is, right-wing evangelical and fundamentalist so-called Christianity. A snippet from the book’s website describes it as thus:
In Kingdom Coming, Goldberg demonstrates how an increasingly bellicose fundamentalism is gaining traction throughout our national life, taking us on a tour of the parallel right-wing evangelical culture that is buoyed by Republican political patronage. Deep within the red zones of a divided America, we meet military veterans pledging to seize the nation in Christ’s name, perfidious congressmen courting the confidence of neo-confederates and proponents of theocracy, and leaders of federally funded programs offering Jesus as the solution to the country’s social problems.
I was amused by a paragraph she wrote and I wanted to share. Writes Ms Goldberg:
[D]uring the Democratic primary season [in 2004], the right-wing Club for Growth ran an anti-Howard Dean ad featuring an elderly Middle American couple ranting against a type that populates much of the Northeast and Northwest. The man began, “I think Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading…” His wife continued: “…body piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont where it belongs.” Imagine for a moment, if MoveOn had run an anti-Bush ad that called his following a gun-toting, Bible-thumping, McDonald’s-eating, gay-bashing, gas-guzzling right-wing freak show. There would have been no end of hand-wringing about the supercilious secular elite and their contempt for so-called ordinary Americans. Having defined Americanism as an amalgam of anti-intellectualism, provincialism, self-righteousness, and bellicosity, conservatives then attack everyone who finds these things repellent as unpatriotic, and few mainstream voices challenge them. (Incidentally, conservative evangelicals are the only religious faction I’ve encountered who sell lattes in church.)
It seems that even one of the bastions of right-wing rabble-rousing — the pseudo-political evangelical, fundamentalist “Christian” church — cannot resist the lure of a leftie latte.
It’s a well-researched, well-presented book, very alarming and a good record of the damage the right-wing “Christian” nationalists are doing to the good ol’ US of A. I finished reading it tonight while drinking a flat white with one sugar. Go get this book. Highly recommended.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 1:32 am #Toaf
Sounds like a bewdy, Bron. And only too relevant, sadly.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 11:35 am #Private Tom
Damn liberal elites!
BTW, I made mention of this in GrodsSoldier. Can someone tell me how to provide internet links when commenting?
Thursday 21 August 2008, 12:22 pm #skeptic
Thanks for the book recommendation Bron.
On the tram this morning was this nutjob - and he probably wasn’t the full quid - talking on his mobile about the Anti-Christ, new World Order, a Global Church, electronic tagging and the Temple of Solomon. The only solution to all this evil is Jesus. Swim against the current, he told the person on the other end of the line, because if you swim with the current where does that take you?
Correct answer - the sea!
More amusing than scary.
While not the same topic, I can recommend Naomi Klein’s ‘The Shock Doctrine’ has a very good albeit very scary, read. It’s the kind of book that makes you angry.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 12:24 pm #Bron
Check your email, Tom.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 12:28 pm #Bron
Ta Skeptic. I like books that make me angry.
That half-quid dude on your tram probably thinks the Joos are behind this New World Order as well, as many proponents of this far-out ‘belief’ tend to think.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 1:18 pm #Broken left leg
I heard Family First are already burning Kingdom Coming at their offices.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 2:49 pm #Toaf
Skeptic, do you watch the little videos from The Real News? They recently posted a series of interviews with Klein in which she discussed her disaster capitalism thesis and a range of other issues. Available at their main site and via youtubeses.
Thursday 21 August 2008, 4:17 pm #skeptic
Toaf
No, but I will endeavour to have a look. Thanks.