The Evangelical Roots of American Unilateralism:

[Classical_Liberal]

That the administration of George W. Bush is pursuing a unilateralist foreign policy on issues ranging from the Iraq War to global warming to the International Criminal Court is obvious to observers at home and abroad. Also clear is the fact that the Bush policy, at least in its broad outlines, is very much in keeping with the preferences of the Christian right. As the second two quotes above indicate, the president, himself a born-again Christian, does not hesitate to use a moralistic, implicitly religious language in defense of his policies.

What, exactly, is the relationship between the Christian right and the unilateralist foreign policy of the present administration? For the last quarter century, the Christian right has been a key player regarding domestic social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and prayer in schools. While journalists, politicians, and academics continue to analyze and debate the Christian right's effectiveness in these areas, less attention has been paid to the religious right's influence on American foreign policy. However, that influence is becoming difficult to ignore and is in need of further analysis. 1

In the first two sections of this paper, I examine the political and religious roots of the Christian right's unilateralism and the development of the alliances that have allowed the Christian right to become a significant player in contemporary U.S. foreign policy. The final section of the paper looks at a second question: how should progressives understand and respond to the Christian right's influence? I contend that focusing on the “extremism” of the Christian right is a misguided strategy and that we should instead see the Christian right as part of a dominant foreign policy alliance. Resisting that unilateralist alliance requires a focus on its inherent contradictions........

http://www.fpif.org/papers/2004evangelical.html

[Comadreja]

1. The "Christian" Right is neither

They are but the latest manifestation of an old societal disease: Old Testament Calvinist theocrats. Calvin had established his idea of an ideal earthly kingdom in Geneva, a repressive religious despotism that modern day Xtian theocrats are determined to foist upon our nation. It was copied and took up armed political power in England through the Puritans, who succeeded in controlling the government for a time. The English soon got sick of their prudish rules and they were sent packing to America, where they led the colonies in exterminating the natives to establish "one nation under God." Thus, their recycled modern counterparts see no discrepancy in what the Likudists are doing to the natives in Palestine, and even applaud the atrocities. Bu$h is their best hope. They have the added reason of yearning to see the earth destroyed so that they can get launched to their imaginary reward in the sky. I think we should use the Pentagon's money to build a fleet of rockets and launch the whole fruitcake gang to Mars. It is already a lifeless planet so they could descend from space and start over like Revelations says. Tom DeLay and Jerry Falwell could be regent and coregent. They could rename it Jesus World.





YAWL READY FOR THE RAPTURE? BRING IT ON!

[Gimel]

2. This seems a US political discussion

I don't really see that it is I/P except tangentially.