American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America

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Hedges, who grew up in rural parishes in upstate New York where his father was a Presbyterian pastor, attacks the movement as someone steeped in the Bible and Christian tradition. He points to the hundreds of senators and members of Congress who have earned between 80 and 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups as one of many signs that the movement is burrowing deep inside the American government to subvert it. The movement's call to dismantle the wall between church and state and the intolerance it preaches against all who do not conform to its warped vision of a Christian America are pumped into tens of millions of American homes through Christian television and radio stations, as well as reinforced through the curriculum in Christian schools. The movement's yearning for apocalyptic violence and its assault on dispassionate, intellectual inquiry are laying the foundation for a new, frightening America.

American Fascists, which includes interviews and coverage of events such as pro-life rallies and weeklong classes on conversion techniques, examines the movement's origins, its driving motivations and its dark ideological underpinnings. Hedges argues that the movement currently resembles the young fascist movements in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and '30s, movements that often masked the full extent of their drive for totalitarianism and were willing to make concessions until they achieved unrivaled power. The Christian Right, like these early fascist movements, does not openly call for dictatorship, nor does it use

physical violence to suppress opposition. In short, the movement is not yet revolutionary. But the ideological architecture of a Christian fascism is being cemented in place. The movement has roused its followers to a fever pitch of despair and fury. All it will take, Hedges writes, is one more national crisis on the order of September 11 for the Christian Right to make a concerted drive to destroy American democracy. The movement awaits a crisis. At that moment they will reveal themselves for what they truly are -- the American heirs to fascism. Hedges issues a potent, impassioned warning. We face an imminent threat. His book reminds us of the dangers liberal, democratic societies face when they tolerate the intolerant.

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I did not meet a single individual, of the clergy or the laity, who was not of the same opinion on this point. Religious conservatives now routinely breach Jefferson's 200-year old "wall of separation" with radical agendas and are not above demonizing minorities while they do it.This is a lucid, provocative profile their movement. Read this work and decide for yourself.PS. Jefferson wrote Danbury Baptists "religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God.the whole American people.declared that the legislature should `make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between the church and State" in 1802. Those who discount the threat should consider the following sentiment (nation and author):"We want to be active, to work and make brotherly peace with one another, to struggle together, so that some day the hour will come when we can step before Him and will have the right to ask Him: Lord, You see, we have changed; the German nation is no longer the nation of dishonor, of shame, of self-laceration, of timidity and little faith; no, Lord, the German nation has once more grown strong in spirit, strong in will, strong in persistence, strong in enduring all sacrifices. They're not alone. Lord, we will not swerve from You; now bless our struggle."-Adolf Hitler 1 May 1933 Templehof speech

They keep aloof from parties and from public affairs."Fast forward to the 13 Sept 2001 `700 Club' broadcast. Each American should feel free to express their convictions as a birthright in the public forum (agree or disagree), but alarms should sound when anyone (religious or secular) seeks to dominate all others. It becomes dangerous when they seek political dominion with strategies that have more in common with fascism than with faith.Critics cite other threats, but this book isn't about them (though some may well deserve attention). Rev. This would matter less if pastors were content to tend their own domains.

Thirty years later Tocqueville remarked "peaceful dominion of religion" in America is due "mainly to the separation of church and state. The author (HDS alumni and son of a minister) skillfully reveals a bizarre world of ersatz piety, intolerant political activism, judicial meddling, chauvinism, egocentric paranoia, messianic violence, denominational imperialism, cult propaganda, tacky commercialism, and the worship of compassionless plutocracy.Ultimately it's a movement smitten by worldly wealth, fame, power and celebrity. I point the finger in their face and say, `You helped this happen.'" Host Pat Robertson (media mogul, televangelist, and failed presidential candidate) readily agreed.Both men pioneered organizations (the `Moral Majority' and `Christian Coalition') designed to actively influence political races, public education, legislation, foreign policy, medical practice, law, and the judiciary. The American Clergy.do not support any particular political system. Jerry Falwell (asked to comment on the 9/11 terror attacks) said "I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America.

The tools and dynamics used to create a small cult or a major totalitarian empire are exactly the same. This book has hopefully given me a language with which to promote positive dialog with my fellow citizens regarding the world we want to create while there is still a measure of caring and civility among us.Thank you Mr. They became involved in a church that offer moral support and counseling. Each of us needs the ability to rationally evaluate our faith and the institutions we support. I can't begin to convey how much I appreciate this book and the obvious intelligence, compassion, and courage it took to write it.

I live in a town where people are already so heavily influenced by the extremist right propaganda machine. Over the next 5 years, I learned first hand how a cult is formed. I have already seen the frightening roadblocks to intelligent conversation and insight. Hedges. Despite all our knowledge of human history, most of us don't realize the depth and insidiousness of these dynamics until it is far too late and we have created a prison for ourselves. Chris Hedges has written this very readable book that clearly presents the danger of these dynamics that are so innocuous looking and mainstream in our current society.

Hedges has articulated so much that I experience to be true. I witnessed how people were manipulated, ever so subtly and gradually, into behavior and patterns of thinking dictated by church leadership. His focus is on presenting well researched evidence without ranting or rhetoric -- a style that I can appreciate. I couldn't put it down.When I was a pre-adolescent in the 70's, my normal, intelligent, average Joe and Jane parents were experience a period of distress in their lives. We do not comprehend how easily we can become willing participants in the schemes of those who seek to control others. But ultimately and tragically I saw good people commit horrendous acts - all in the name of Christ, of course.

Nothing too out of the ordinary. Of course parishioners vehemently denied any question of brainwashing posed by their concerned family and friends.

I should add that I am not an atheist or ant-religionist or am I particualrly left-leaning, in the interest of full disclosure to both sides. I am still looking for the book that takes them both on. Probably dumb on my part. I am sorry to say that this book disappointed me. While there is on the Christian Right a strain that is authoratative, dangerous and too influential, one cannot discount their counterparts on the left.

Facts are treated as opinions (`Why condoms aren't safe').It believes in and supports the anti-Darwinian gospel of creationism (Intelligent Design).Chris Hedges's crystal clear book shows ominously the dangers of the Christian Right for democracy. I want your money. I deserve it.').(Un)scientific influenceIts belief system and its handbook (the Bible) are the basis for understanding the world. In this hard-hitting book, Chris Hedges attacks head-on the Christian Right and their ideology, dominionism, which calls for the church to take political and institutional power and install a theocracy in the US.The movement has very wealthy backers for two main reasons, politically, the assault on democracy and economically, the promotion of unfettered capitalism.Assault on democracyThe Christian Right calls for the destruction of an open and pluralist society with its civil-rights laws, trade unions and public schools teaching secular humanism.Education and welfare should be handed over to the churches. His book is a must read for all those who want to understand the world we live in. Its organizations received billions of dollars under the Bush II administrations.It has representatives in the Supreme Court, in the Senate and the House of Representatives.It can spread its message through its own TV channels, radio stations and newspapers.Social influenceThe Christian Right tries to create a political mass movement with people, who are, in fact, victims of this unfettered capitalism (see also, T. `Tithes' should be paid by the population.The movement is anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-liberal, anti-immigrants, anti-Hindu, anti-Muslim and for severe sexual repression.Chris Hedges accuses one of its members as being the mastermind of vote counts manipulation in recent elections.Unfettered capitalism (the gospel of prosperity)Unfettered capitalism allows the exploitation of human workers by paying less than living wages, thereby generating billions of dollars of profits for the corporatocracy.Political influenceThe Christian Right controls a big part of the Republican Party. Frank: What's the Matter with Kansas).On the other hand, it is a money machine for its preachers (`Let me be very clear.

I think Hedges is also correct in his call to action. I differ with Hedges though in one important respect. I give this book five stars largely on the strength of Hedges' courage to take on the Christian Right. People of goodwill and compassion for humanity need to stand up against the dangers of mindless superstition and dogma because this provides the fertile soil for totalitarianism.I am the author of a novel, Kaleidoscope, in which I explore similar themes. While Christianity has some positive elements (and to that extent shares some common goals with humanism), I think religious moderation tends to enable fundamentalism because moderates readily concede fundamentalists' primary claim - that reality is negotiable and that "faith" takes primacy over honest inquiry. His effort is particularly heartening given that almost no moderate Christians criticize fundamentalism. I think Hedges is correct in his description of the mindset of the Christian Right, which is profoundly anti-intellectual, hostile to science, and committed to closing people's minds so that they will only accept the "truth" contained in primitive (often vicious and brutal) texts and the supernatural bromides peddled by right-wing preachers.