Disagreeing with Myself

A couple of days ago I used the phrase "theocratic elite" to describe the dominant faction in the G.O.P. Kevin Phillips has an interesting new book discussing the role of religion in contemporary politics and, in particular, the way rightist evangelicals have become a dominant force in the G.O.P. Well, I think you would enjoy reading Phillips book. It is quite an excellent read. However, I disagree with my use of the term "theocratic elite." I'm not sure there is any such thing and, in any event, I feel quite certain that the G.O.P. is far more dominated by narrow economic interests than by the religious right, who are largely tools of the former. Yes, yes, the religious right is thrown a bone here and there, but this in exchange for providing the votes and money that have made the G.O.P. dominant in the South and allowed a few corporations to gain enormously increased economic power and access at the expense of many of the foot soldiers of the religious right itself. Real wages down, lost jobs, diminished prospects for the future, a health care system that continues to deteriorate, a cancer epidemic, global warming and its consequences on the weather, crime on the rise again, a growing national debt for our children to bear --- these are the fruits of the G.O.P. dominance in American political life, in executive offices in state capitals, in legislatures, in the presidency, in the judiciary. Like Phillips, I spent my time in the wilderness, as a member of the Young Americans for Freedom, and I used to think (at least for a brief moment in my youth) that conservatism was based on principles. What can I say? I was young and naive, like a lot of those evangelicals who have been seduced by the possibility of changing America into some idealized vision. But like the young Taliban who were similarly seduced, the reality turns out to be very different. And only the Halliburtons and Bechtels and G.E.s win.