Comments on: The Politics of Radicalized Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money

The Politics of Radicalized Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money

Parallax.Error — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:25:08 -0800

Bush had Karl Rove. But the original wiretapping President needed brains too. Introducing Kevin Phillips. He predicted the prolonged Republican dominance of Washington 1970-present and advised the Ford and Reagan presidencies. He predicted a more liberal 1990s and when the Bushies killed his party he became uttery disgusted. Recently he spoke about the influence of the christian right, our addiction to oil, and America's debt (public and private) at the University of California Santa Barbara.

Some Reviews of his work: New York Times on Phillip's books 1969-2005 Salon Review of American Theocracy Previously on Mefi in 06 and in 2004

By: euphorb

euphorb — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:34:30 -0800

Republicans turning away from Bush and towards Obama have a name, Obamacons: "The Republican Party is a dead rotting carcass with a few decrepit old leaders stumbling around like zombies in a horror version of 'Weekend With Bernie,' handcuffed to a corpse."

By: jfuller

jfuller — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:47:05 -0800

> Obamacons: I'm one of those. Several of the "rigidly liberal" Mr. Obama's actions give me great hope for a business-as-usual future.

By: RussHy

RussHy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:58:42 -0800

This is pretty good stuff. Thanks for posting it.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:04:03 -0800

Indeed, great post.

By: Mblue

Mblue — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:04:16 -0800

Dunt, dunt, dunt Another one under the bus.........

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:10:49 -0800

I'm one of those. Several of the "rigidly liberal" Mr. Obama's actions give me great hope for a business-as-usual future. As a general rule, whoever the Democrats run, no matter how centrist, will always turn out to be the most liberal member of congress.

By: hortense

hortense — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:11:29 -0800

Recent intrvu

By: Postroad

Postroad — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:23:05 -0800

McCain has had some 30 years in Congress. Obama scant few. Lincoln ONLY as much as Obama. Crises? experience counts? Lincoln no sooner sat down than an urgent note sent him about the goings on at Fort Sumpter. Didn't even have time for an hour interview with Larry King.

By: Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:33:29 -0800

I love the way conservatives are now turning on Bush as the betrayer of the cause when he's just following the same playsheet as his predicessors. It's like getting on the 5:15 train to Poughkeepsie then complaining when you end up in Poughkeepsie.

By: RussHy

RussHy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:36:45 -0800

I especially liked his comment on how the Democrats can't go for the jugular, instead they go for the capillaries.

By: enn

enn — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:41:54 -0800

It's like getting on the 5:15 train to Poughkeepsie then complaining when you end up in Poughkeepsie. On the other hand, it's hard to blame anyone for complaining about being in Poughkeepsie regardless of the circumstances.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:04:48 -0800

I love the way conservatives are now turning on Bush as the betrayer of the cause when he's just following the same playsheet as his predicessors. It's like getting on the 5:15 train to Poughkeepsie then complaining when you end up in Poughkeepsie.

Well, almost, but not quite. It's really more like getting on the 5:15 train to Poughkeepsie, shouting at the top of your lungs that anyone who doesn't go to Poughkeepsie is a radical and traitorous terrorist who hates America and should be shot on sight without the benefit of quaint antiquated things like "trials", and then complaining when you end up in Poughkeepsie.

By: Grimp0teuthis

Grimp0teuthis — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:06:25 -0800

"Vogue" is great

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:08:54 -0800

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:18:07 -0800

As a general rule, whoever the Democrats run, no matter how centrist, will always turn out to be the most liberal member of congress. So, we can expect a major upset at the convention when the Dems nominate Dennis Kucinich? Sweet.

By: three blind mice

three blind mice — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:22:13 -0800

I love the way conservatives are now turning on Bush as the betrayer of the cause when it is the conservative cause itself which has failed.

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:28:53 -0800

Social Psychology has terms for these behaviours. Casting Off Reflected Failure. The flip side is Basking in Reflected Glory. An example is when a sports team wins the whole city says "We won!" and when they lose the whole city says "They lost".

By: DU

DU — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:35:42 -0800

Actually, it's more like this: First, painting "TIHS TRANE TOO UTIKA" sloppily over the "Poughkeepsie" sign and getting the train schedule printing shop to do the same for all the pamphlets. Then when everyone realizes they ended up in Poughkeepsie instead of Utica, saying "no one could have foreseen this".

By: schroedinger

schroedinger — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:38:08 -0800

It is hard for me to feel sympathy for Republicans who are now in bad shape and blaming Bush. I mean, the evidence that things were going to go badly was there even pre-9/11. Sorry dudes, you got what you paid for. If only you didn't drag the rest of us down with you.

By: Parallax.Error

Parallax.Error — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:44:06 -0800

I think what is unique about Phillips is that he called out the Neoconservatives for taking over the Republican party and he did it from a position of strength within the party itself. Most importantly he realized that the House of Bush was a bad idea a long time before the rest of his Republican friends did. To his credit he risked losing all of his political influence by telling it like he saw it, instead of toeing the party line. This is the kind of intellectual honesty politics needs.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:01:57 -0800

Once again I am forced to defend my hometown. Take your Poughkeepsie bashing elsewhere, please. Maybe you'd rather end up in Coxsackie? No, I didn't think so. Poughkeepsie will kick your asses, haterz.

By: three blind mice

three blind mice — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:12:38 -0800

First, painting "TIHS TRANE TOO UTIKA" sloppily over the "Poughkeepsie" sign and getting the train schedule printing shop to do the same for all the pamphlets. Poughkeepsie was a September 10th destination. All the intelligence indicated that the train was headed to Utica. It had traveled to Utica once 10 years ago. Who knew that after such a long journey the train going to Poughkeepsie would actually end up in Poughkeepsie?

By: MetaMan

MetaMan — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:45:19 -0800

Who helped the GOP to shape the Iraqi war years? Who helped vote for almost every arcane piece of democracy-damaging legislation that Bush introduced. Who helped put new bankruptcy laws into place? The Democrats. I'm a Democrat, although not for much longer. We are getting exactly what Americans have voted for And now that we're into almost $100 trillionin unfunded medicare and social security mandates, we're going to need to change. There is nobody on the current stage that is going to lead us in the necessary direction. The Democrats need a Kevin Phillips.

By: oaf

oaf — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:49:33 -0800

All the intelligence indicated that the train was headed to Utica. This, despite the fact that the line is obviously not electrified past Croton-Harmon.

By: oaf

oaf — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:50:52 -0800

(There was only enough diesel to make Poughkeepsie.)

By: oaf

oaf — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:51:15 -0800

perhaps I should not continue this metaphor

By: Krrrlson

Krrrlson — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:04:20 -0800

So, we can expect a major upset at the convention when the Dems nominate Dennis Kucinich? Sweet. OCTOBER SURPRISE!

By: Artichoke Dance Off!!

Artichoke Dance Off!! — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:06:04 -0800

So, is Willoughby after Poughkeepsie.... or did I miss my stop?

By: Weebot

Weebot — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:11:49 -0800

You people from New York have strange town names.

By: Parallax.Error

Parallax.Error — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:19:27 -0800

Metaman, agreed. There is a psychologist who has the right ideas to be the Democrat's brain for the 21st century but who will be its heart and soul?

By: plexi

plexi — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:32:00 -0800

American Theocracy is required reading. Sincerely I can say that each page is nova dense with facts, and it will blow your mind.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:45:03 -0800

Obamacons Sounds like a Afrocentric comic-book festival.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:57:34 -0800

Huh? I'm voting for Obama. So's Handsome Dick Manitoba, because Bruce Springsteen said he should. He told me last time I was at his bar. What more endorsement do you need?

By: schroedinger

schroedinger — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:58:57 -0800

You're absolutely right. During the years of the Republican majority in Congress, it was the Democrats that got the laws passed.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:04:32 -0800

You people from New York have strange town names. I've been to Riverdale, Ramapo, Oniontown, Florida, Armonk, Elmira, Fishkill, Kerhonkson...

By: stet

stet — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:26:19 -0800

Fishkill makes more sense when you realize that "kill" is the Dutch word for creek. Oh. My. God. We've added over a million irrigation ditches in Iraq! Osama merely wanted to create recreational fishing opportunities for Americans! Forget 9-11, this changes everything.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:38:55 -0800

I know a few Wall Street Republicans that like, and have given money to, Obama. One of them recently defined his changed point of view as a matter of "competency". I think in his case, Katrina pushed him over the edge. His world view being... To the degree that gov't has to be present in one's life, it should at least be good at its job. Things like Katrina and the political firings at the Justice Dept. deeply bother him.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:40:09 -0800

New Yorkers have strange place names? Let's look at NJ and PA: Jim Thorpe, PA; Metuchen, NJ, Intercourse, PA; Machesautauxen, NJ; Metuchen, NJ; Mulhockaway, NJ; the list goes on.

By: unSane

unSane — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:42:54 -0800

Am I the only person who had some wicked times in Poughkeepsie?

By: synaesthetichaze

synaesthetichaze — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:59:48 -0800

I know a guy who was born in fucking Turnip Hole, PA (evidence that it really exists). If you get out in the boondocks, the names in this state are preposterous.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:40:14 -0800

I knew a guy whose name was Ivan Turnipseed. unSane..you think you had some wicked times in Poughkeepsie, you should have meandered down to Wappingers Falls. Talk about a party town.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:03:52 -0800

I knew a guy whose name was Ivan Turnipseed. Beats knowing a woman named Ivana Kutchapekarov.

By: ericb

ericb — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:40:15 -0800

Ivana Vodka.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:07:20 -0800

Jeez, ericb, my joke was Badenov.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:35:23 -0800

This is pathetic.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:36:03 -0800

-ish.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:36:53 -0800

Nyet.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:39:42 -0800

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:43:24 -0800

Who helped the GOP to shape the Iraqi war years? Who helped vote for almost every arcane piece of democracy-damaging legislation that Bush introduced. Who helped put new bankruptcy laws into place? There's also reports that they put the bomp in the bomp-she-bomp-she-bomp and possibly the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong. (you know, the original 'Rama Lama Ding Dong" contains the line 'I got a gal named Rama Lama Lama Lama Ding Dong.' Her drivers licsence must be enormous)

By: Parallax.Error

Parallax.Error — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:51:39 -0800

Who didn't filibuster or even attempt a challenge on anything the President labeled as necessary for the War on Terror? The Damocrats. They dont have an instinct for the jugular, they have an instinct for the capillaries. Phillips says it at 24:30.

By: telstar

telstar — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:36:26 -0800

Theocracy Watch

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:47:49 -0800

So, McKinney then?

By: alasdair

alasdair — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:36:42 -0800

I don't know. In geopolitical terms, aren't the fundamentalist Christians pretty good for you? High birthrates, high propensity to serve in the armed forces? Demographics is destiny and all that. The Christians of the Roman Empire were nihilistic pacifists... Their main threats, again in strictly geopolitical terms, are their restrictions on free speech and scientific progress, and their opposition to high levels of immigration - though the latter represents potential converts, which may sway them.

By: Agamenticus

Agamenticus — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:55:18 -0800

Hey this might be the youtube you're looking for.

By: Parallax.Error

Parallax.Error — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:32:35 -0800

If the fundamentalist Christians would pump out kids to go be marines and stay out of politics they would be model citizens. The trouble is when some of them (Falwell, Robertson, Hagee) abuse their fundamentalist followers' belief in an approaching apocolyptic endtime to bring them political power. Then smart politicians like Karl Rove only have to dupe the pastors on issues like abortion and boom, a huge percentage of the vote is in the pocket for any other issue they want. My family tends toward fundamentalist christian, and from interacting with them I don't think that restricting free speech and scientific progress are issues they have a passion for. But they are issues that can be temporarily inflamed. If George Bush says that science (or free speech) is killing god then they'd do what they needed to save god. One week its important because there was an event to make it so, but as soon as it fades from Fox News it fades from their minds. So with the video Agamenticus posted, explaining the family history of Bush back to 1900 according to Phillips, I think what we are seeing is the oil and military industrial complex using the fundamentalist Christians as pawns.

By: jadepearl

jadepearl — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:32:08 -0800

What, no shout out to Kitty Kelly's The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty?

By: bilgepump

bilgepump — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:13:56 -0800

I thought it was fantastic during the Q/A session towards the end of the video where he said the reaction to 9/11 was exaggerated. Totally true, of course, but it takes balls to say this on public record. Every time someone says "the reaction to 9/11 was exaggerated," Toby Keith dies a little.