IV, Mearsheimer and Walt, and moving on.

by Sara,

Delighted that at least one reader will pick up a copy of Mearsheimer and Walt and actually read it.  I had ordered an advance copy at my local B & N before it was released, and then during a visit found the stock person putting 20 or so copies on the shelf about a week before the announced release.  But because of advance reviews, they advanced the release date.  Signed on to Josh's place after coming home with book in bag, and there were already about a hundred folk ready to bash the book -- and they could not have possibly read it.   I recommend reading it before making a judgment. 

Next Book -- Kevin Phillips on Theocracy.  Perhaps his dedication says it all, "...dedicated to the millions of Republicans, past and present and lapsed. who have opposed the Bush Dynasty and the disenlightenment in the 2000 and the 2004 elections."

Disenlightenment;  that is a profoundly important invented word -- Thanks Kevin. 

Actually I have been a reader of Phillips since the early 1970's.  If one remembers the Emerging Republican Majority, he invented the Dayton Ohio Suburban woman who had a husband who was a tool and die maker, and had several children, and they were in the midst of discovering that there was no future for tool and die makers at National Cash Register.  Well -- that woman was my former back door neighbor, and I had added to my account for my year in Europe by babysitting her kids over several years.  Skilled labor was the first to be roughed off during the conversion to rust belt status --  so I have always understood Phillips.  (In fact my back door neighbor who became a Reagan Democrat, and not so obviously blamed race for her problems, is indeed someone I disagree with, but understand.)  But in "American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century,"   Kevin Phillips asks us to understand much more than the archtype of my backdoor neighbor of the late 1960's.  In fact you actually have to read a couple of other Phillips books to understand his points.  In fact, I doubt if "American Theocracy" comprehends without an understanding of his earlier work, "The Cousins' War."  In my mind Phillips achieved "read and seriously consider status" when I thought he aptly described my former babysitting customer in the late 50's, as he described her in the late 60's about when National Cash Register not so gradually no longer needed any tool and dye makers, because cash registers depended not on gears and springs, but on chips, and backyard neighbors became rust belt victims.  While Reagan may have appealed to these folk (and he did --they voted for him) when I finally went back to visit I found them holding down four low skilled part time jobs, but unable to manage an education for their children, and one was quite talented.  Phillips accurately predicted what Nixon's politics and policy should be (Southern Strategy and racial politics) -- but he sure as hell did not offer much to his respondants.   Which is how I read him now. 

Essentially, Phillips rips Republicans from Nixon through GWB through their hide, largely because they did not comprehend that the Oil was a commodity that was running out, and they had no idea how to replace the asset.  He argues that they thought it (and related power afterall) could be turned into a financial asset where the US would dominate, and they failed to listen to alternative views. 

In essence, Phillips suggests that into this failure, the Republicans introduced the dimension of fundamentalist and individualist salvation religion. 

And on that point, we will later take up this review of books. 

 

 

 

Comments

[freepatriot]

time magazine dropped kruthammer and kristol

2008 is shaping up to be a repuglitard disaster

that's the problem with using a confidence game as a political strategy, you end up violating the primary rule of any con job: get out before the sucker learns he's been conned

now the criminal charges are piling up, and the voters have seen who's behind the curtain

if you want to make money on the next phase of American politics, invest in tar, feathers, and rails. the repuglitard faithful are gonna need lots of tar, feathers, and rails

[prostratedragon]

Essentially, Phillips rips Republicans from Nixon through GWB through their hide, largely because they did not comprehend that the Oil was a commodity that was running out, and they had no idea how to replace the asset. He argues that they thought it (and related power afterall) could be turned into a financial asset where the US would dominate, and they failed to listen to alternative views.

This sure sounds on the money. I wonder whether as obviously critical a moment has ever been as badly missed by those who might have done the most to address it. One of the bigger reasons I think these guys are pretty stupid. Maybe Phillips is worth reading on them.

[njr]

Thanks Sara
[... I doubt if "American Theocracy" comprehends without an understanding of his earlier work, "The Cousins' War." ]
It comprehends, but I did need to reread the first parts to bundle all the rocket engines and focus on the latter half.
Phillips is worth reading, tho not particularly optimistic.
Thanks again for the recommendation.

[Jon]

Interesting Preview. Thanks!

[Jon]

Hi Sara,

I'm just catching up on your posts. I left a couple of comments on previous threads.

I am very interested in the splintering of the Religious Right and in particular, the marginalization of the Hagee movement within the core fundamentalist, evangelical movement.

Even within the Roman Catholic Church in the States, local parishioners are pushing back against priests who push the anti-abortion politics too much. There is a growing desire to remove the Roman Catholic Churches from overt politics and to refocus them on being good stewards, helping the poor and elderly and doing good works within the local community. I believe that this desire to refocus will continue to grow while the push back against the Church hierarchy will harden and deepen. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy is seriously out of tune with its parishioners. Since the Roman hierarchy is terribly resistant to change from below, I suspect we will see a long period of resistance and push back over the next 20 years. Unless, of course, there is a reformist Pope. You know it's time for a change, when even my 70-something mother and others of her generation are praying for a Reformist Pope to follow Pope Benedict XVI.

[Martiki]

While I have not read Phillips, my husband has been reading him for many years and thinks he has a lot to say. He has strongly encouraged me to listen (we download to ipod so my husband can read while he drives) but I spend so much time reading blogs that I have not read Theocracy, but will attempt to make time to do so.

Did Time say Krauthammer and Kristol needed to spend more time with their families.....??

[EH]

So I'm guessing TNH is taking the week(s) off?

[Jodi]

Sara,

a bit off Topic, but I was in my Physical Therapist's office today checking out my knee. Old basketball injuries! I saw a copy of The Weekly Standard, Nov 12, 2007 which had an extensive article on Antioch College.

i.e. Death by Political Correctness (Who killed Antioch College?)

Very interesting read.

Also an article on Hillary and Wellesley.

[hauksdottir]

Since the Pope himself is going medieval on us, he's declared a War on Satan! Just what we need... another war on something that doesn't exist in any tangible sense. Charms and spells against evil spirits are being revived, too.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17598931

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=504969&in_page_id=1811

Fabrication? Tissue of lies? Embroidered tails? Clothes making the man (in the full carnal sense: given his love of fur-lined caps and capes, it is more than just being gay). Did you see his Christmas robes... from the sides and back he looks as though he is being devoured, and that is a special class of pornography.

So... back to politics... why declare a war on Satan, NOW?

Is it because a return to the Crusades is being pushed by Americans such as Huckabee and Bush? If anybody is going to lead a religious war, he probably regards American politicians as usurpers. By parading around with more mitres than a frame shop, he may be saying that he wants to frame the war on his terms... after he restores thousand-year-old prayers and practices to further tighten control in his bony fists.

Nobody expects the Inquisition.

Fear and ignorance wielded by absolute god-given authority is a powerful tool for controlling the masses.

Romney wears magic underwear and Benedict wears magic outerwear.... :roll eyes: Clothes protect against hypothermia and sunburn, not against some imaginary evil, no matter how much embroidery you add.

Will we send crusaders off to foreign lands protected by embroidery?