The "Christians" who vote for these Republicans aren't Christians, they're Fundamentalists. Whether a Fundamentalist pretends to be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu, they are Fundamentalists, all the same - they have nothing to do with the values of any of the religions they claim to be "purifying."
Agreed! I have made the same point to fellow citizens for years. Fundamentalism of any kind is a dangerous movement. Reasoning with a fundamentalist is nearly impossible - at least that is my experience.
Adding to that is the term "Christofascism," which I have learned from Carolyn Baker's book of the same name. It envelops Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Opus Dei, (the hard right wing of the Catholic faith.) It has nothing to do with social justice of Catholicism nor the loving and caring Christianity of mainstream Protestantism. Its tenets are basic, although they would never say so: racism, misogyny, anti-semitism, and greed. At this moment it is rampant, worldwide. It appeals to insecure people by promises of inclusivity and "answers" to immigration, feminism, environmentalism and intellectualism. We must be strong, compassionate and wise in response. Indeed we are with such newsletters as Today's Edition,LFAA, et al.
I am taking an on line Zoom class with "Catholics for Choice". It is excellent. The book we use as a resource is the "Advocate's Bible, a guide for pro-choice Catholics and Co-Conspirators" It details the roots of not only anti-choice (which are, of course misogynistic and racist") but also the power structure of the church which seeks to limit women's rights and voices. "In the past 50 years, religious groups and politicians have harnessed this polarizing topic (abortion) to accumulate power, influence voters, and animate a right wing base." For more info check out: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/?sourceid&emci=af8e0c30-0644-ed11-b495-002248258d38&emdi=b403aa24-cf44-ed11-b495-002248258d38&ceid=23689073&utm_source=
Yes! And that's what the cynical power grabbers have mastered over the past 40-50 years. They could care less about "protecting unborn children" but they know how to rile up the folks who would. I'm convinced that's why Herschel Walker has such a following even though it seems ridiculous to think of him in the senate. When he talks, he sounds like folks who are Trump supporters - plain English, feelings not facts, slogans not truth, a sense of community and meaning.
I got a sense from attending Robert's event tonight that there are many grassroots activist groups that do know how to speak to folks in communities - helping them to see how their vote is a tool to make life better for themselves and their communities; helping them to get past the rhetoric and understand the truth behind the riling up. Optimism + action!!!
You put that really well. I agree we need to be able to speak to people in plain language about the stakes and how good policies can help. I highly recommend a book called Viking Economics which gives people a different perspective on how wealthy countries can remain both wealthy and take care of their citizens. I read it because I kept running into happy Norwegians who liked their government. It was refreshing. The book is easy to read, but intelligent. I think you might like it. All those folksy slogans aren't going to create the world we need. But heart, intelligence, and love might move us a bit in the direction we seek.
Thank you Susan! I don't know that book, and I appreciate the recommendation. I love that you were inspired by happy Norwegians! I often think how mujch easier it must be to run a country that's so much older than the US, and perhaps has a somewhat more homogenous population. I love your last line, "Heart, intelligence and love might move us a bit in the direction we seek." Blessings,
Thank you for that, Hope. It helps to better name this. I believe you are correct in your assessment of fundamentalists as insecure. It is the social justice, loving, and caring elements of faith that we need so desperately right now and it is being obscured by the loudmouths. That hurts us all.
Two things really get to all Americans. The threat of nuclear war and paying too much for their gasoline addiction. The Republicans' Russian buddy (we hear you trump, Hannity, FOX and CPAC) is waving his nuclear threats right under the voters' noses. The headlines yesterday screamed at OPEC+ not Biden. Also. Just because women aren't marching and declaring war like men are so very prone to do doesn't mean they aren't enraged over the reversal of Roe v Wade. And thanks to Walker for rubbing everyone's noses in the sordid treatment women go through when they do exercise their right to choose. It might not be a blue tsunami but the voters' choices are crystal clear for the Midterms. I believe we will keep the Senate and quite possibly the House.
I have to wonder if the "polling" that shows a "cooling off" over Dobbs has to do with the tsunami of scandals that are revealed every single day. It's almost too much to follow and the news cycles can't keep all the sordid balls in the air day by day. I sincerely doubt that the millions of Americans who were and are incensed at the Stench Bench decision to remove a Constitutional right for over half of us have cooled off enough to change their hearts or minds. There comes a point, some 30 days out from an election, when marching and outrage become unnecessary because the seething rage has already taken root and will spring forth on November 8. I don't know any sane woman (or man) who thinks that staying home or voting R is an intelligent choice when lives and freedom are at stake. In short, I agree with you. And I agree with Nicole Wallace, who said yesterday that is does NOT require an overwhelming majority of D voters to win. It requires a MAJORITY. Period.
I believe you are right. I'm not yelling and screaming, but I'm going to vote for Proposition 1 in California which ensures a woman's right to choose. And, yes, I am seething inside even as I write this.
But what about HRC's emails which MUST be on Hunter's laptop which is probably still in the non-existent basement of a pizza parlor? What's a TWO BILLION DOLLAR political bribe/gift compared to that stuff?
A number of the republicans who were shocked on January 6th, lost their shock within hours and turned a blind eye to justice.
Just so with Hershel Walker, et. al. There is no sense of justice within the Party of Lincoln anymore. What a nasty reality that the republican party has become the party of minions of an unhinged monster.
"A party that claims to be based on Christian values makes a mockery of those values every day." By all rights, the loser as Herschel Walker lies about paying for an abortion while opposing all abortion should the the entire Republican Party, not just Walker. Republican leaders once again demonstrate their interest is only in power. They care nothing for the values they pretend to espouse.
There are so many who believe the lies and reject the truth. I (sort of) understand the Republican politicians who want nothing more than power, but what is the rationale of the average voter who has turned his/her back on every shred of human decency?
It really hurts to have a mockery made of Christian values. It is an insult not just to Christians, but to any person of any faith who attempts to use that faith to foster an ethical life. It is a slap in the face to everyone.
Is anyone involved in organizations that are trying to discourage using gasoline? Americans could be so much more intentional about driving. Traffic in our city is now worse then pre-pandemic despite a lot of people working from home. I almost never drive (though I completely understand that some people have to) and own a decent, hefty bike with saddlebags that gets me almost anywhere I need to go on most days. I'm looking for a national movement that is focused on everything from old school carpooling to encouraging electric vehicles, Bike-to-Work days, get on the bus, that kind of thing. Is it naive to think that if everyone who cares about the environment and gas prices drove less (and limited flights) we could permanently decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and people like MBS?
I am reminded today of a documentary by Jen Senko I saw awhile back titled, “The Brainwashing of My Dad.” The film explores the radical change in her father as he listens to and is influenced by right-wing media. It starts with a quote by Edward Bernays. “In almost every act of our lives....We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
This reminds me that our fight is not with the many individuals who listen to right-wing media outlets, but with a small number of people who wish to control the narrative for their own purposes. These people are strong and powerful, understanding that fear and resentment are great tools in influencing group behavior.
I do despair at times. How can people believe the lies put forth by right-wind media? How can the polls by tightening when the candidates put forth by Republicans are so unworthy and undeserving of leadership positions?
One foot in front of the other, writing postcards, contributing what and when I can, hoping.
I’ve come to look at maybe 3/4 of those on the far right as people who let themselves become brainwashed over many years. Most aren’t bad people, IMO; they just made a series of awful but very human mistakes.
Here’s how I see that unfolding. Social changes in America after 1960 were coming fast and furious, and these overwhelmingly white conservatives were not happy. So they allowed Fox and hate radio to not only validate their grievances but also amplify them. Their hatreds for various scapegoats were steadily stoked, day after day. (My well-educated mother in Alabama stayed in a righteous rage for decades.)
So you have a) times of huge social changes causing deep frustrations for millions and b) new outlets (including 24/7 cable news) willing to feed off that. I suspect that the 3rd essential ingredient for many was the internet, which has dramatically undermined the concept of their being a “true story”. Peoples’ acceptance of lies and conspiracies slowly got further normalized. Evangelicals were extra vulnerable, as they already held multiple fantastical beliefs. Voila, we get birtherism, QAnon, the Big Lie, Jan. 6 minimizing, Herschel Walker, etc.
Hypocrisy and “small lies” can, I’m convinced, become invisible to people in a white hot rage. And cruelty becomes “justified punishment”. Normal people become German Nazis, Pol Pot Communists, or Trumpistas.
Brainwashing is VERY powerful stuff. On the right, their massive mistake, IMO, was not understanding that such mental and moral corruption doesn’t have to come from a government. People can let it happen to themselves when they become fearful and mad about societal changes. Especially when the propaganda is right at their fingertips and presented so seductively. (We all must be very on guard about this!)
From our wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, I believe Americans have very slowly learned that tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers can’t solve internal conflicts in very complex and hostile environments. We should therefore stay out 90% of the time. I’m fervently hoping that the demise of Trumpism will also teach us a very powerful lesson in this decade: Americans aren’t immune to fascism, and we almost lost our nation to it.
Progressives will, IMO, have a responsibility to handle this painful lesson well, if we want it to really sink in constructively for generations to come.
Edward Bernays, father of advertising, Freud’s nephew, said, “In almost every act of our lives....We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” ALL OF US should know this psychology. We should know that such knowledge even exists.
Do you suppose OPEC’s decision driven by Trump’s Saudi buddy, MBS, and his Russian buddy, Putin, to cut oil production likely resulting in upward pressure on gasoline prices only one month before the U.S. midterm election is a mere unhappy coincidence?
As Yogi Berra once said, “That would be too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.”
Russia once again puts its thumb on the scale of U.S. elections in favor of Republicans and their Dear Leader TFG.
How should we respond? Call it out and oppose it by voting for Democrats up and down the ballot.
Here's another great quote on hope from Bryan Stevenson (Equal Justice Initiative): Hopelessness is the enemy of justice. Hope is our Superpower.
“It's not a pie in the sky hope, it's not a preference for optimism over pessimism. It's just an orientation of the spirit. I think we have to be willing to believe things we haven't seen. That's our superpower. I had to believe I could be a lawyer even though I'd never met a lawyer who looked like me. We had to believe that we could create an institution that could help people on death row, even though we hadn't seen that happen. We had to believe we could build a museum and a memorial in the heart of a pretty hostile space when it comes to racial justice. And yet we've achieved all of those things. And so, I think hopelessness is the enemy of justice. I think injustice prevails where hopelessness persists. And so, hope is our requirement, it's our superpower.”
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
A friend who knew I worked in a toxic organization said to me once, "You have to protect your heart." That's what we all have to do now in today's political environment. Robert, thank you for showing us how.
"Saudi Arabia gave Russia a huge gift on Wednesday by coordinating a two million barrel per day reduction in oil production among OPEC oil producers. " And a huge finger to the U.S. It's past time to release the investigations of 9/11. Out the erstwhile ally.
As always your daily newsletter is spot on. I just wanted to share some NC news: Candidates for US Senate from NC debate will be this Friday, Oct 7 at 8pm EST Spectrum News Debate – Available to stream at https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills
I also started a postcard campaign for Cheri Beasley (I chair Women For Beasley)- it has been hugely successful - well over 260 volunteers writing over 37,000 postcards to date - awesome!!!
The "Christians" who vote for these Republicans aren't Christians, they're Fundamentalists. Whether a Fundamentalist pretends to be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu, they are Fundamentalists, all the same - they have nothing to do with the values of any of the religions they claim to be "purifying."
That's an interesting insight. thanks.
Agreed! I have made the same point to fellow citizens for years. Fundamentalism of any kind is a dangerous movement. Reasoning with a fundamentalist is nearly impossible - at least that is my experience.
Adding to that is the term "Christofascism," which I have learned from Carolyn Baker's book of the same name. It envelops Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Opus Dei, (the hard right wing of the Catholic faith.) It has nothing to do with social justice of Catholicism nor the loving and caring Christianity of mainstream Protestantism. Its tenets are basic, although they would never say so: racism, misogyny, anti-semitism, and greed. At this moment it is rampant, worldwide. It appeals to insecure people by promises of inclusivity and "answers" to immigration, feminism, environmentalism and intellectualism. We must be strong, compassionate and wise in response. Indeed we are with such newsletters as Today's Edition,LFAA, et al.
I am taking an on line Zoom class with "Catholics for Choice". It is excellent. The book we use as a resource is the "Advocate's Bible, a guide for pro-choice Catholics and Co-Conspirators" It details the roots of not only anti-choice (which are, of course misogynistic and racist") but also the power structure of the church which seeks to limit women's rights and voices. "In the past 50 years, religious groups and politicians have harnessed this polarizing topic (abortion) to accumulate power, influence voters, and animate a right wing base." For more info check out: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/?sourceid&emci=af8e0c30-0644-ed11-b495-002248258d38&emdi=b403aa24-cf44-ed11-b495-002248258d38&ceid=23689073&utm_source=
Thank you, Annette. This helps.
Thanks, Annette.
Yes! And that's what the cynical power grabbers have mastered over the past 40-50 years. They could care less about "protecting unborn children" but they know how to rile up the folks who would. I'm convinced that's why Herschel Walker has such a following even though it seems ridiculous to think of him in the senate. When he talks, he sounds like folks who are Trump supporters - plain English, feelings not facts, slogans not truth, a sense of community and meaning.
I got a sense from attending Robert's event tonight that there are many grassroots activist groups that do know how to speak to folks in communities - helping them to see how their vote is a tool to make life better for themselves and their communities; helping them to get past the rhetoric and understand the truth behind the riling up. Optimism + action!!!
Hi Chaplain Terry,
You put that really well. I agree we need to be able to speak to people in plain language about the stakes and how good policies can help. I highly recommend a book called Viking Economics which gives people a different perspective on how wealthy countries can remain both wealthy and take care of their citizens. I read it because I kept running into happy Norwegians who liked their government. It was refreshing. The book is easy to read, but intelligent. I think you might like it. All those folksy slogans aren't going to create the world we need. But heart, intelligence, and love might move us a bit in the direction we seek.
Thank you Susan! I don't know that book, and I appreciate the recommendation. I love that you were inspired by happy Norwegians! I often think how mujch easier it must be to run a country that's so much older than the US, and perhaps has a somewhat more homogenous population. I love your last line, "Heart, intelligence and love might move us a bit in the direction we seek." Blessings,
Thanks and Happy Friday to all of us.
Thank you for that, Hope. It helps to better name this. I believe you are correct in your assessment of fundamentalists as insecure. It is the social justice, loving, and caring elements of faith that we need so desperately right now and it is being obscured by the loudmouths. That hurts us all.
Thank you for that. You are correct and Fundamentalism is is toxic to faith.
Two things really get to all Americans. The threat of nuclear war and paying too much for their gasoline addiction. The Republicans' Russian buddy (we hear you trump, Hannity, FOX and CPAC) is waving his nuclear threats right under the voters' noses. The headlines yesterday screamed at OPEC+ not Biden. Also. Just because women aren't marching and declaring war like men are so very prone to do doesn't mean they aren't enraged over the reversal of Roe v Wade. And thanks to Walker for rubbing everyone's noses in the sordid treatment women go through when they do exercise their right to choose. It might not be a blue tsunami but the voters' choices are crystal clear for the Midterms. I believe we will keep the Senate and quite possibly the House.
I have to wonder if the "polling" that shows a "cooling off" over Dobbs has to do with the tsunami of scandals that are revealed every single day. It's almost too much to follow and the news cycles can't keep all the sordid balls in the air day by day. I sincerely doubt that the millions of Americans who were and are incensed at the Stench Bench decision to remove a Constitutional right for over half of us have cooled off enough to change their hearts or minds. There comes a point, some 30 days out from an election, when marching and outrage become unnecessary because the seething rage has already taken root and will spring forth on November 8. I don't know any sane woman (or man) who thinks that staying home or voting R is an intelligent choice when lives and freedom are at stake. In short, I agree with you. And I agree with Nicole Wallace, who said yesterday that is does NOT require an overwhelming majority of D voters to win. It requires a MAJORITY. Period.
I believe you are right. I'm not yelling and screaming, but I'm going to vote for Proposition 1 in California which ensures a woman's right to choose. And, yes, I am seething inside even as I write this.
I sure hope you are right!
Let's make it so.
Let's not forget the $2 Billion down payment the Saudis gave to Jared Kushner 6 months after he left the White House.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/us/jared-kushner-saudi-investment-fund.html
That this bribe was not a bigger story and the subject of intense investigation is one of the biggest failings of main stream media i can remember.
But what about HRC's emails which MUST be on Hunter's laptop which is probably still in the non-existent basement of a pizza parlor? What's a TWO BILLION DOLLAR political bribe/gift compared to that stuff?
I use every opportunity to tell people this.
A number of the republicans who were shocked on January 6th, lost their shock within hours and turned a blind eye to justice.
Just so with Hershel Walker, et. al. There is no sense of justice within the Party of Lincoln anymore. What a nasty reality that the republican party has become the party of minions of an unhinged monster.
Well said.
"A party that claims to be based on Christian values makes a mockery of those values every day." By all rights, the loser as Herschel Walker lies about paying for an abortion while opposing all abortion should the the entire Republican Party, not just Walker. Republican leaders once again demonstrate their interest is only in power. They care nothing for the values they pretend to espouse.
There are so many who believe the lies and reject the truth. I (sort of) understand the Republican politicians who want nothing more than power, but what is the rationale of the average voter who has turned his/her back on every shred of human decency?
It really hurts to have a mockery made of Christian values. It is an insult not just to Christians, but to any person of any faith who attempts to use that faith to foster an ethical life. It is a slap in the face to everyone.
Is anyone involved in organizations that are trying to discourage using gasoline? Americans could be so much more intentional about driving. Traffic in our city is now worse then pre-pandemic despite a lot of people working from home. I almost never drive (though I completely understand that some people have to) and own a decent, hefty bike with saddlebags that gets me almost anywhere I need to go on most days. I'm looking for a national movement that is focused on everything from old school carpooling to encouraging electric vehicles, Bike-to-Work days, get on the bus, that kind of thing. Is it naive to think that if everyone who cares about the environment and gas prices drove less (and limited flights) we could permanently decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and people like MBS?
And not just gasoline. Single use plastics drive me crazy.
Ugh. Another pet peeve.
I think we have to be more conscious of how we use precious resources period. I like your comment very much. Thanks.
'Optimisn of the will'. I love that. Keep working people! We CAN do this!!!!
I am reminded today of a documentary by Jen Senko I saw awhile back titled, “The Brainwashing of My Dad.” The film explores the radical change in her father as he listens to and is influenced by right-wing media. It starts with a quote by Edward Bernays. “In almost every act of our lives....We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
This reminds me that our fight is not with the many individuals who listen to right-wing media outlets, but with a small number of people who wish to control the narrative for their own purposes. These people are strong and powerful, understanding that fear and resentment are great tools in influencing group behavior.
I do despair at times. How can people believe the lies put forth by right-wind media? How can the polls by tightening when the candidates put forth by Republicans are so unworthy and undeserving of leadership positions?
One foot in front of the other, writing postcards, contributing what and when I can, hoping.
I’ve come to look at maybe 3/4 of those on the far right as people who let themselves become brainwashed over many years. Most aren’t bad people, IMO; they just made a series of awful but very human mistakes.
Here’s how I see that unfolding. Social changes in America after 1960 were coming fast and furious, and these overwhelmingly white conservatives were not happy. So they allowed Fox and hate radio to not only validate their grievances but also amplify them. Their hatreds for various scapegoats were steadily stoked, day after day. (My well-educated mother in Alabama stayed in a righteous rage for decades.)
So you have a) times of huge social changes causing deep frustrations for millions and b) new outlets (including 24/7 cable news) willing to feed off that. I suspect that the 3rd essential ingredient for many was the internet, which has dramatically undermined the concept of their being a “true story”. Peoples’ acceptance of lies and conspiracies slowly got further normalized. Evangelicals were extra vulnerable, as they already held multiple fantastical beliefs. Voila, we get birtherism, QAnon, the Big Lie, Jan. 6 minimizing, Herschel Walker, etc.
Hypocrisy and “small lies” can, I’m convinced, become invisible to people in a white hot rage. And cruelty becomes “justified punishment”. Normal people become German Nazis, Pol Pot Communists, or Trumpistas.
Brainwashing is VERY powerful stuff. On the right, their massive mistake, IMO, was not understanding that such mental and moral corruption doesn’t have to come from a government. People can let it happen to themselves when they become fearful and mad about societal changes. Especially when the propaganda is right at their fingertips and presented so seductively. (We all must be very on guard about this!)
From our wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, I believe Americans have very slowly learned that tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers can’t solve internal conflicts in very complex and hostile environments. We should therefore stay out 90% of the time. I’m fervently hoping that the demise of Trumpism will also teach us a very powerful lesson in this decade: Americans aren’t immune to fascism, and we almost lost our nation to it.
Progressives will, IMO, have a responsibility to handle this painful lesson well, if we want it to really sink in constructively for generations to come.
Edward Bernays, father of advertising, Freud’s nephew, said, “In almost every act of our lives....We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” ALL OF US should know this psychology. We should know that such knowledge even exists.
Absolutely agree!
I know just how you feel. Onward.
Saudis are not our friends and have not been for decades.
Just asking -
Do you suppose OPEC’s decision driven by Trump’s Saudi buddy, MBS, and his Russian buddy, Putin, to cut oil production likely resulting in upward pressure on gasoline prices only one month before the U.S. midterm election is a mere unhappy coincidence?
As Yogi Berra once said, “That would be too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.”
Russia once again puts its thumb on the scale of U.S. elections in favor of Republicans and their Dear Leader TFG.
How should we respond? Call it out and oppose it by voting for Democrats up and down the ballot.
Never fail to love you Robert Hubbell
Here's another great quote on hope from Bryan Stevenson (Equal Justice Initiative): Hopelessness is the enemy of justice. Hope is our Superpower.
“It's not a pie in the sky hope, it's not a preference for optimism over pessimism. It's just an orientation of the spirit. I think we have to be willing to believe things we haven't seen. That's our superpower. I had to believe I could be a lawyer even though I'd never met a lawyer who looked like me. We had to believe that we could create an institution that could help people on death row, even though we hadn't seen that happen. We had to believe we could build a museum and a memorial in the heart of a pretty hostile space when it comes to racial justice. And yet we've achieved all of those things. And so, I think hopelessness is the enemy of justice. I think injustice prevails where hopelessness persists. And so, hope is our requirement, it's our superpower.”
From John Lewis:
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
A friend who knew I worked in a toxic organization said to me once, "You have to protect your heart." That's what we all have to do now in today's political environment. Robert, thank you for showing us how.
"Saudi Arabia gave Russia a huge gift on Wednesday by coordinating a two million barrel per day reduction in oil production among OPEC oil producers. " And a huge finger to the U.S. It's past time to release the investigations of 9/11. Out the erstwhile ally.
As always your daily newsletter is spot on. I just wanted to share some NC news: Candidates for US Senate from NC debate will be this Friday, Oct 7 at 8pm EST Spectrum News Debate – Available to stream at https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills
I also started a postcard campaign for Cheri Beasley (I chair Women For Beasley)- it has been hugely successful - well over 260 volunteers writing over 37,000 postcards to date - awesome!!!
Hi, Pat. if you send me information regarding Beasley events, I will promote. send to rhubbell@outlook.com