"America was founded as a Christian nation": Now, replace Christian with libertarian

[alp227]

Since the rise of the Christian right in the 1980s, the appealing motto of the movement claimed that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, separation of church and state be damned. That's why the activist Christians have been so gung ho to shove Christian values into the law, whether through school prayer, taxpayer-funded vouchers for private religious schools, or restrictions on abortion or gay marriage. Conservative commentators frequently invoked "Christian nation" or "our Christian heritage" in cultural discussions of this country. Even Sen. John McCain asserted "this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles" in an interview the year before he ran for president against Obama.

Now, with a declining economy along with the declining appeal of religion here and worldwide, the conservative movement's new conception of the nation is that the country was founded on libertarian principles. When Obama became president, the center of attention shifted from social to fiscal conservatism, as the Tea Party movement protested the administration's agenda, especially the stimulus and health care bills. Reflecting how economically focused the Tea Party movement was, The New York Times reported in March 2010: "Tea Party Avoids Divisive Social Issues." Two years and a struggling economy made such a difference: in 2008, religious organizations were raising millions to pass Proposition 8 in California to end same-sex marriage. By the time a federal court overturned Prop. 8 two years later, the recession and declining influence of the Religious Right gave advantage to the economic conservatives who appealed to frustrated average Americans with anything that said "individual," "freedom," "liberty," or "Constitution." Additionally, the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling by the Supreme Court in 2010 gave big corporations infinite electioneering rights. Now that the provision of the McCain-Feingold Act banning corporations and nonprofits from spending general fund money on electioneering a certain time before election days was struck down, the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove's American Crossroads, Americans for Prosperity, and other astroturf/front groups can more easily reach average Americans with pro-corporate, anti-regulation misinformation.

So that's why you'll see so many people posting on message boards, calling into radio shows, or posting on comment sections on websites "vote for Ron Paul to solve our troubles...limited government...freedom!" Actually, maybe I should've said Paulbots. And in case you're still stumped...maybe you haven't really heard any conservatives say "America was founded on the principles of limited government"...well, the Libertarian Party history page states that the following values "earned America its greatness: a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings; a dedication to civil liberties and personal freedom; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade as prescribed by America's founders."

It's amazing how conservatives have all these fantasy conceptions of this country and how they promote original intent of the Constitution yet have convenient unoriginal intents of the Constitution such as Christian values for law and limited government. The Constitution really leaves religious views to be individuals' choices and regulates what the government is allowed to do, but doesn't per se advocate small government.

[GeorgeGist]

1. When I was a kid , I was taught that America was founded ...

as a Democratic nation. Boy was I naive.

[WCGreen]

2. Great post...

K&R