The United States is now God -- Monbiot

[Khephra]

snip................

The US no longer needs to call upon God; it is God, and those who go abroad to spread the light do so in the name of a celestial domain. The flag has become as sacred as the Bible; the name of the nation as holy as the name of God. The presidency is turning into a priesthood.

So those who question Bush’s foreign policy are no longer merely critics; they are blasphemers, or “anti-Americans’’. Those foreign states that seek to change this policy are wasting their time: you can negotiate with politicians; you cannot negotiate with priests. The US has a divine mission, as Bush suggested in January: “to defend ... the hopes of all mankind’’, and woe betide those who hope for something other than the American way of life.

more....................

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=19132

[soleft]

1. Here we've been comparing Bush Inc to the Third Reich, while

really it's Imperial Japan that draws a comparison.

[Khephra]

2. I'm a lot more comfortable with that analogy

that's for sure. (Not in a way that makes it easier to sleep, I just think it's more apt.)

[brokensymmetry]

3. Why does the word Hubris come to mind?

I seem to recall that the Greeks thought that really bad things happened to those with overarching pride.

[bodhisattava]

4. The writer has correctly diagnosed the problem

As intolerance of anything critical of those in power,an overwhelming need to be in control of all world events,overreliance on military might,complete insensitivity to other people's opinions and so on.

These attitudes are only possible in a general populace fed with
myths about the supremacy of American economic, social and political
systems and the corresponding disdain for other cultures and nations.
These attitudes are aggravated by the innate racism of the white power elites and compounded by the Christian Fundamentalist belief that nations with other religious beliefs are inferior.

To these basic belief structures one must add the recent confluence of right wing imperialism,Jewish needs for demonization of arabs/muslims and the Christian belief in Armageddon to see the total irrationality of the times we are living in.

To top it all off we are being led by an ignoramus, a coward and a moral misfit.Whom the Gods wish to destroy etc.etc.etc. indeed.

[Name removed]

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[lindashaw]

6. It's frightening...

Rarely have I read something so perfectly true -- that I already knew, deep, deep in my bones. And I'm afraid we will be humbled because of this.

[benfranklin1776]

7. Good article.

America the religion. Thus critics of the church (the government) are to be treated as nonbelievers to be excommunicated, shunned or worse by the high priests and priestesses of the new faith the O'Reillys Limbaughs and Coulters. Charming. Since we have theocracy merged with corporatism what shall we call it theofascism?

[dudeness]

8. kick...

thanks for this post..here is george monbiots website if you have trouble accessing this article www.monbiot.com