January 22, 2005
fundamentalism #3
'Tis an odd couple, even though some would say that it is a marriage made in heaven.
Remember General William G. Boykin, who received brief press coverage when it was revealed that the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence had been regularly appearing at evangelical revivals preaching that the U.S. was in a holy war as a "Christian nation" battling "Satan." General Boykin expressed his insight that his battle with the forces of evil was a crusade between his "true God" and "the false one." Boykin insisted, "I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol. So we have a "holy war" against infidels.
The odd couple seem to be getting along well. There is no sign of a divorce. Both couples have a Manichean mentality. That would help them stay united in strenghth against a hostile world. Both see themselves on the side of Good and see their enemies and adversaries as Evil. Both are morally righteous and accept redemptive violence in the struggle for Good.
The couple say that they are on a crusade abroad; a crusade inspired by a Judeo-Christian culture trying to defend itself against the aggression of Islam. At home the marriage gives rise to a creeping authoritarianism of the national security state, which has little time for a culture of critical thinking or civil liberties.
That makes liberals who defend a free society very very anxious.
The cartoon does ignore the other pillar of empire--a free market fundamentalism that makes the market an idol.Is that represented by the figure of the ascetic priest?
If you look at Cromwell or Andrew Jackson, the couple is not odd.
Posted by: John Emerson on January 27, 2005 02:43 PMJohn,
very nice.