Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Bill Moyers: They govern like there's no tomorrow
This Bill Moyers article has been reverberating around my corners of the 'net for the past week or so. The thesis is that the Republicans have long had a large streak of fundamentalist Christianity, and these fundamentalists are expecting The Rapture real soon now, so there's no need to conserve the environment, or save for the future, and they govern like it.
He even has a quote from James Watt before a congressional committee to that effect.
The thing is, the quote, originally from an article by Glenn Scherer of Grist, apparently never happened. Which, of course, set the hounds that inhabit the right wing of the web a-baying. Whether or not the thesis has merit, a paragon of the left did one little thing wrong, so he must be hunted down. (But that's a topic for another day. Soon.)
As far as the thesis itself, I think it's over-wrought. I am instictively repulsed by the demonization of a religious group, which I think is a healthy instinct to have.
I'd much rather indulge in the demonization of Republicans. There's no need to invent a religious conspiracy theory to explain the governance of this administration. It's what they do naturally: loot the treasury, drain natural resources, enrich their friends. Not because they're religious fundamentalists; it just looks good on a short-term balance sheet.
He even has a quote from James Watt before a congressional committee to that effect.
The thing is, the quote, originally from an article by Glenn Scherer of Grist, apparently never happened. Which, of course, set the hounds that inhabit the right wing of the web a-baying. Whether or not the thesis has merit, a paragon of the left did one little thing wrong, so he must be hunted down. (But that's a topic for another day. Soon.)
As far as the thesis itself, I think it's over-wrought. I am instictively repulsed by the demonization of a religious group, which I think is a healthy instinct to have.
I'd much rather indulge in the demonization of Republicans. There's no need to invent a religious conspiracy theory to explain the governance of this administration. It's what they do naturally: loot the treasury, drain natural resources, enrich their friends. Not because they're religious fundamentalists; it just looks good on a short-term balance sheet.
# posted by Steve : 4:29 PM
