Let's make fun of Trump, bash him, etc. while we can!

[Eric the Green]

(01-29-2019, 07:20 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote:

(01-29-2019, 01:43 AM)Eric the Green Wrote: It has been very clear for years that the Christian right and the Libertarian-economics right (neo-liberalism) are the two main factions in the Republican Party, and they are joined at the hip and overlap. Militarism is another strong component of the Republican brand, which we often call neo-con. George W Bush when he was president specifically mentioned these three items on the white house webpage as their purpose. Racism is in the background of neo-liberalism, although not explicitly stated, and so it has been since Nixon's southern strategy.

Now under Trump, the Christian right continues to back him, and he rewards them with policies, even though Trump is scarecly moral himself and totally egotistic. But I don't see that as any kind of ideology. It doesn't seem to be a factor at all for the Christian right; they back Trump. Some neo-liberals don't, but most do, because except on trade Trump policies are so thorougly neo-liberal libertarian free-market trickle-down economics. As for militarism, Trump is less interventionist, but not immune to it, and he is keen to build up the military just like previous Republicans. The main difference is that Trump is more outspoken in his racist xenophobia, although not completely overt about his racism, except in his anti-immigration policies which are the cornerstone of his campaign and his presidency.

This will always be a mystery for me: how can an alliance between political orientations that have almost nothing in common last so long?

Christian Republicans promote Rand, although she openly hated Christianity. She was praised by the famous Satanist Anton LaVey:
https://www.churchofsatan.com/satanism-and-objectivism/

On the other hand, Jesus made it clear that those who worship mammon are not his followers. I have pointed it out to some Republicans on Personality Cafe, but they typically come up with gimmicks like "glorifying personal achievement is not worship of mammon". In essence, they redefine this sin in such a way that it's almost impossible to commit.

As for racism, I don't agree that libertarianism is racist since it views the individual as most important, rather than a collective like race. But its outcomes ARE harmful for economically less powerful individuals, and those individuals are more likely to be non-White, so in practice you are almost right

Christian fundamentalism and evangelical churches really have little in common with what Jesus actually taught. The religious right in the USA is a political movement. It is motivated largely today by opposition or revulsion against the counter-culture, feminism, secular humanism, and other movements that came to the fore in the sixties, as they perceive it. Fundamentalism actually goes back some decades before, toward the beginning of the century, but was more often aligned with Democrats and liberals back then, as with W.J. Bryan and the social gospel. Religious fundamentalism is a traditional religious counter-awakening that could be said to have, like other Awakening trends, skipped along from 2T to 2T, and gaining power in the 3T and losing some ground in the 4T.

Neo-liberalism or individualist free-market ideology like Rand's does glorify personal achievement, especially in making money. But the two movements have fused in our time, and in fact were mostly never apart in our times, going back to before the 2T. "Christian character," and especially "American Christian character," is seen to consist in self-reliance, and in opposition to socialism and communism which, being "godless," is quite anti-Christian in their mind. So, charity and taxes for welfare are not compatible, in their view, since liberal programs are seen as socialist in essence (as per Classic Xer). And Marxism is explicitly atheist, and was excoriated as such during the Cold War, preparing the ground for this sentiment among many patriotic and allegedly self-reliant red-state and rural/small town Americans today.

Sometimes, some Christians have a problem with the latest representative of mammon in political power, Mr. Trump, such as Mormons in Utah; but they still vote for him more often than for Democrats, because they see their religion in politics orientation as supporting the good character of self-reliance and opposing communism and socialism.

Racism has quite clearly, and increasingly, been linked to libertarian or Randian economics. Libertarianism in its liberal side supports democracy and human rights, at least explicitly, so that is not racist. But it conservative side, its economics side, its more powerful and important side, has a strong racist undertone, and your comment touches on it. I would say it's not only in the outcome, but partly in its intention too. Those who oppose taxes spent on welfare, the main gripe voiced by libertarian economics supporters, know all too well that disadvantaged ethnic groups are the people who get most of the welfare checks, or are assumed to be the ones, whether they actually are or not. So the conservative proponents of libertarian economics, from George C. Wallace and Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich, also spoke out against such things as "busing to achieve racial balance in schools" as well as "welfare mothers who have more children in order to get benefits." And now the immigration issue affords even more opportunity for racism, patriotism and libertarian economics to fuse, with Trump as the chief proponent of this racism.

As David mentioned, "fear of the other" shows itself in opposition to non-fundamentalist religion or atheist influence in society, as well as non-white ethnic groups whether indigenous, here since slavery, or latinos and muslims coming over the border.

The distinct attribute of all conservative views, is respect for and submission to authority and the power of traditional hierarchies. For free-market advocates, this is the business boss. For religious conservatives, it is church authority. And for both, America right or wrong. But--- not the government when it supports those atheist, non-American "others" who aspire to overthrow tradition and hierarchy.