Amos's River of Justice

Category: geopolitics

  • Neoconservatives Against the World

    We knew that this election was a contest between two deep state factions, but the most interesting thing in my opinion is the fact that both Trump and Clinton represent neoconservative influences.

    It was Bill Clinton who allowed the left-wing neocons to take control of the Democratic Party.[1] (Page 36, Location 465) He did so because he needed their support for his first presidential campaign. This would explain the DNC’s treatment of Bernie Sanders in 2016. Bernie’s Democratic Socialism is more threatening to left-wing neocons than the right will ever be. However the neocon influence on the left tends to stay under the radar. It usually takes the form of neoconservative candidates posing as progressives, including John Kerry, Howard Dean, and John Edwards. Those ‘in the know’ hoped that the imperialist-democratic ideal was on its way out with the election of Barack Obama. Little did they know…

    It goes without saying that the right-wing religious leaders who supported Donald Trump are also neocons, although everyone seems to chalk up their bizarre statements to religious extremism. The Christian Right has been considered a natural ally of the neocons since the time of Irving Kristol. The neocons shared the Christian Right’s aversion to the cultural revolutions of the 60s and 70s. They rejected the Democratic Party when President Carter proved to be too open-minded and respectful of people’s different lifestyles, and they were disappointed again at Reagan’s moderate stance on family and cultural issues. From that time the Christian Right has supported the most radical groups and it has violently opposed the Democrats, particularly the Clinton administration, which it considered too timid in foreign affairs.

    This alliance has been courted by both the Christians and the neocons. Ralph Reed, head of the Christian Coalition from 1989 to 1997, had neocon sympathies, putting him somewhere between a sometimes anti-Semitic protestant fundamentalist and the pro-Israeli group in Washington. On the neocon side, PNAC sought to create links with key Christian groups such as William Bennett’s Empower America, and neocons like Kristol or Eliott Abrams showed their support by sharing extreme Christian positions on abortion and Aids. This alliance was boosted after September 11 when Christian Right think tanks, lobbies, and affiliated preachers adopted the neoconservative vision of Islam, Islamic terrorism and the ‘War on Terrorism’.

    Many Americans are not aware of how often the Christian Right has swayed presidential decisions. George Bush was threatened with their sanctions when he condemned Israel’s assassination attempt on Hamas leader Rantissi in June of 2003. As a result of their threats Bush’s reaction to the successful assassinations of Sheikh Yassin and Rantissi in 2004 took on an entirely different character: he sided with Sharon. (When Empire Meets Nationalism, Page 35, Location 447)

    Thus, starting from a deep-rooted anti-communism, the neoconservatives have gradually developed their analyses, which go far beyond the strict mould of their supporters to irrigate the whole political scene. During all their historical trajectory, there has always been a desire for American supremacy and a wariness of the rest of the world which can only lead them towards a re-legitimization of the Empire as a key to world order. (When Empire Meets Nationalism, Page 38, Location 489)

    Given this discouraging state of affairs, it’s important to identify a pointed and coherent resistance. The position of Pope Francis in this struggle is probably best illustrated by the identity of his Catholic critics. As described in Todd Scribner’s book, A Partisan Church: American Catholicism and the rise of Neoconservative Catholics,[2] Francis’s critics are Catholic neocons. This is probably the faction represented by Paul Ryan when he stated that Francis should not be involved in politics. Bernie Sanders on the other hand, has been sympathetic to Francis’s approach.

    Orthodox criticism of the Catholic Church represents political rivalry of another sort. The Orthodox Church is not a disinterested religious voice. It vies with Alexander Dugin for influence over Vladimir Putin.

    Dugin’s neo-eurasianism represents a line of thought similar to neoconservative thought. His influence on both Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon reveals the true dilemma of our time.

     

    [1] Didier Chaudet, Florent Parmentier, Benoit Pélopidas, When Empire Meets Nationalism: Power Politics in the US and Russia. Ashgate Publishing Limited, Surrey, England and Burlington VT, 2009. (All page numbers and locations correspond to the Kindle edition.)

    [2] As reviewed by Patrick Garry, Neoconservative Catholicism in America. First Things, December 2, 2015

  • Long Term versus Short Term Strategy

    See also: [intlink id=”985″ type=”post”]The American Diamond in the Rough[/intlink]

  • Who’s Right About Syria?

    I’m reading Patrick Cockburn’s article about the U.S. teaming up again with Al Qaeda and at the same time listening to Obama’s news conference. I’d like to know why they differ so much on the situation in Syria. Obama says it’s all about Assad’s treatment of Syrian protesters. Cockburn says the U.S. has been trying to destabilize Assad’s regime since 2006. ((Patrick Cockburn, A Special Relationship, Harpers, January 2016)) It gets worse:

    “Syria’s first and only democratically elected government was overthrown by a CIA-instigated coup in 1949 at the behest of American oil interests who objected to Syria’s request for better terms on a pipeline deal.”

  • The World Bank’s Bankrupt Policy Causes Conflict

    Masses of humanity overrunning neighboring borders is not the kind of thing I had in mind when I said we should focus on supporting a growing population. My context was the justification of automation in agriculture with the need to feed a growing population. I was referring to an article in which automation had already been justified by the profit motive.  I argued that corporate profitability and prosperity don’t mix. Putting the population first in this case would mean employing more people. If this makes the agriculture industry unprofitable, it’s the industry that should be considered expendable—not the workers.

    The profit motive is more expensive in the long run. The refugee crisis in Syria began at least fifty years ago with bad agricultural policy. Desertification of the Syrian Steppe began in 1958 when the former Bedouin commons were opened up to unrestricted grazing and the eastern part of the steppe was put under intensive agriculture using underground irrigation. The nomads and farmers that were displaced by these practices were then forced to eek out a living in the cities, which explains why the protests began in provincial towns rather than in Damascus or Aleppo. ((Serra, Gianluca, Overgrazing and Desertification in the Syrian Steppe Are the Root Causes of War. Ecologist, June 5, 2015. Available: http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2871076/overgrazing_and_desertification_in_the_syrian_steppe_are_the_root_causes_of_war.html))

    Regardless of the cause, at this point the U.S. is obliged to do its part for Syrian refugees. But going forward we need policies that are designed to help people where they live. It’s true that we have no control over the agricultural policies of countries like Syria which were influenced by the Soviet Union. However in the West the World Bank’s policies have been just as damaging.

    Aside from rampant corruption, (I moved the discussion of Richard Behar’s Forbes article to the end this post) one of the main characteristics of the World Bank’s Green Revolution, from 1970 to 1990, was the removal of poor farmers from their land. As in Syria, these farmers either migrated to the cities or moved to areas with poorer soils. It is estimated that with the added pressure of the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, up to a third of the world’s population has been dragged into a cycle of poverty and hunger. Unbelievably, according to its 2008 World Development Report, the World Bank plans to resume its focus on agriculture while ignoring the lessons of history. The basis of its agenda remains the transfer of resources away from peasants and toward large capitalist firms. ((Kersson, Tanya, Land and Resource Grabs: the World Bank’s Long War on Peasants. Global Research, April 24, 2015. Available: http://www.globalresearch.ca/land-and-resource-grabs-the-world-banks-long-war-on-peasants/5444917))

    If the well-being of the global population is a priority, it makes no sense to uproot people and destroy working ecosystems. Instead, our policies should have the goal of allowing people to thrive where they are. This would benefit the environment and also decrease the flow of refugees. But if we want to accomplish altruistic goals, they have to actually be our focus.

    Today a handful of people believe that wealth and power entitle them to rule the world. Their decisions are profit driven, but in order to sell them to the public they then tack on altruistic goals, like feeding the world, spreading democracy, or enforcing peace. This is not policy—this is sleight of hand. It’s no wonder nothing gets done.

    Dismantle the World Bank. Rein in the corporations.  If you’re still not convinced please read Richach Behar’s article in Forbes.  A summary follows:

    According to a 2012 Forbes article ((Behar, Richard, World Bank Spins Out of Control: Corruption, Dysfunction Await New President. Forbes, June 27, 2012. Available: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2012/0716/feature-world-bank-robert-zoellick-too-big-to-fail.html)) things were pretty bad when Dr. Jim Yong Kim took over as president. Richard Behar’s assessment at that time was that the system needs a complete overhaul. Since that article was written things have gone from bad to worse. ((Lakhani, Nina, World Bank’s Ethics Under Scrutiny after Honduras Loan Investigation. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/jan/13/world-bank-ethics-scrutiny-honduras-loan-investigation))

    Behar argued that the World Bank’s problems are philosophical, structural, and cultural. Examples of the philosophical problem include a failure to articulate a vision for the World Bank’s role in the 21st century, and the handling of countries like China which no one wants to offend, with the result that China’s abuses are tolerated.

    The cultural problem refers to a culture of fear—fear of loss of reputation for the Bank, fear of being the target of a witch hunt for whistle-blowers.

    The most obvious structural fault would be the huge annual budget combined with a lack of oversight by the governments that provide the funds, leading to corruption at all levels.

    In my opinion, you would also have to include a corporate way of thinking that convinced reasonable people this setup would work in the first place. Frankly it’s difficult to believe that the World Bank’s negative outcomes could be caused by a bunch of hapless people. The bank’s destructive tendencies are too consistent. 

     

  • NGO Blames Bride Price for Domestic Violence in Uganda

    A recent article tells of a woman in Uganda whose husband beat her regularly until she finally left him and went back to her parents’ house. It is assumed that her husband’s behavior was caused by the custom of ‘bride price or dowry’ supposedly enshrined in Ugandan law. The article refers to a survey done by Mifumi (a Ugandan NGO) which found that 84% of Ugandans believe there is a connection between bride price and domestic violence, and ends by calling for the abolition of this custom. ((Wives not cows: Uganda Dowry fuels domestic violence. Fallon, Amy, Yahoo News. Oct. 24, 2014. Available: http://news.yahoo.com/wives-not-cows-uganda-dowry-fuels-domestic-violence-041333421.html))

    “A 2007 Constitutional Court petition launched by the charity (Mifumi) and 12 individuals argued that the dowry portrayed women “as an article in a market for sale” amounting to ‘degrading treatment’…In 2010, the court upheld the payment, ruling while the bride price played a role in some domestic abuse cases and women being treated as “inferiors”, this was no justification for a “blanket prohibition”…But the petitioners then appealed in the Supreme Court, and say if it does not rule in their favour, they will explore other legal avenues. The court is currently considering its judgement.”

    I’ve suggested [intlink id=”1113″ type=”post”]here[/intlink] that bride wealth implies status and relative independence for women. The situation in Uganda seems to contradict my view, doesn’t it? I don’t think so. I’ll begin with the article’s confusion of terms. In the second paragraph we read:

    “But the dowry she would bring — cows, goats and cash — soured the marriage and brought dark clouds over the partnership, a story repeated by many others in Uganda.”

    After reading this, one wonders if the court was amused by the petition. We are told the ‘dowry’ refers to the gifts of goats, cows and cash the bride’s family received from the groom. First, this is not the definition of a dowry; second, dowry is not the same thing as bride price; third, bride price is not the same thing as bride wealth, which is not even mentioned in this article.

    Dowry is a payment of cash or goods by the bride’s family. It does not refer to gifts from the groom or his family to the bride’s family. The subject of dowry can get really complicated. Its purpose differs according to the culture and time period. In some accounts it remains the bride’s property although she may use it to set up a household for her new family. At the other extreme a dowry is considered the groom’s property to use as he sees fit. Or it is considered the property of his family. In the most onerous manifestation of dowry, the bride suffers the wrath of the grooms family if the dowry is insufficient.

    On the other hand, bride wealth is cash or goods paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s family. Again, it’s complicated. Ideally bride wealth is held in trust for the bride even though her family is allowed to use the income it generates. But in current practice it might be counted as her father’s property. Today, it is often used to pay for a brother’s marriage.

    On the other hand, bride price is just that—cash or goods paid by the groom’s family for the services of the bride.
    This article also demonstrates a confusion of cause and effect. The bride’s father paid nine cows to her mother’s family when he married, and his marriage is still in tact. If this payment is the cause of domestic violence, why didn’t it lead to domestic violence in his case? In fact, the bride’s mother remains in favor of the custom.

    Furthermore, domestic violence exists in societies that don’t practice this custom. In the United States for example, the righteous indignation expressed in this article might be a little disorienting. Americans see violence against women, even though American laws support ‘community property’. They even hear violence encouraged by their own legislators who speak cavalierly of rape. Here is an important fact to keep in mind whenever you read about efforts to end payments associated with marriage—especially when they are promoted by NGOs: Usually it is to the advantage of a certain class of people to end them, and this class of people includes colonizers as well as Christians and Muslims. Why?  About some of the reasons we can only speculate. There is the matter of the family connections and the wealth the custom helps to protect. In addition, and this reason has been noted by others, because these payments have the effect of delaying marriage they have a tendency to decrease birth rates.

    But if this custom is so beneficial, how do you explain the abuse? To be fair, the cultural context can make the causes easy to misinterpret. You would have to start by looking at cultural changes wrought in these societies by turmoil and invasion. While bride wealth used to be premised on pleasing the ancestors, various factors have given it a more individual nature. For example, in one African society a colonizing ruling class levied taxes on the population to cover the costs of the colonial government. This made it necessary for the young men to work in a distant mine in order to earn enough money to marry. The result was a subtle change in the attitude of the men. Some of them began to feel that since they had paid for their wives they were entitled to rule over them.

    Meanwhile, back in the community property West, women often exit marriage financially destitute and can consider themselves fortunate if they are not deprived of their own children as well. I’m not suggesting that Americans should implement the practice of bride wealth, even if it were possible, which it isn’t, and not only because of cultural differences. Typically by the time society has been organized into states, the inhabitants don’t have enough wealth for such things. But on the level of principle this custom has much to teach us about human nature, about hidden and seemingly innocuous factors behind the world’s problems, and about how tangled these problems have become during the course of history.

    The confusion of terms in this article combined with the blanket assurance that this NGO knows what is right for this culture indicates that we haven’t even begun to talk about this custom rationally.

  • Islamic State’s Apocalyptic Vision

    General Martin Dempsey stated recently that because the Islamic State group is motivated by an ‘apocalyptic, end of days strategic vision’ the United States and a coalition of partners must confront it ‘head on’ in Syria. ((Dempsey Hits Islamic Militant End of Days Vision. AP Aug. 22, 2014. Available: http://news.yahoo.com/dempsey-hits-islamic-militant-end-days-vision-120301204.html)) This has helped me to focus on a subject I’ve been wanting to talk about but didn’t know where to begin. This subject is probably the best illustration we will ever find for the importance of dialogue.

    I think Dempsey is correct in despairing that IS will never engage in dialogue. I also agree with the general’s assessment of the danger of the Islamic State’s apocalyptic vision. I just don’t agree that this vision can be wiped out by military action. After all, Jihadism is only only one version of this phenomenon. Americans have their own ‘end of days’ beliefs, and apparently, so do Britons. The Jihadist who beheaded American Journalist, James Foley is believed to be a British born militant from London who calls himself John. ((Rayner, Gordon and Martin Evans, British Jihadist Who Beheaded Journalist is Londoner Called John, The Telegraph. 20 Aug. 2014. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11047109/British-jihadist-who-beheaded-journalist-is-Londoner-called-John.html))

    The Blood Moon Influence and the Christian Answer

    This is a diversion from my main topic, but when I asked myself why so many Americans and Britons would be drawn to fight with the IS at this time, it led me in an interesting direction. It’s possible that at least part of the problem is an astronomical phenomenon, the ‘blood moon’. With the help of a growing industry that promotes end of days hysteria, apocalyptic beliefs in the West may be coinciding with IS’s apocalyptic jihadism.  Consider this article written in the UK in April of this year. ((Taylor, Jason, Apocalypse Now: Why a Rare Astrological Event Last Night Could Herald the End of Days. Express. April 9, 2014. Available: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/469228/Four-blood-moons-Does-alignment-of-Mars-Earth-and-Sun-mean-the-end-of-the-world-is-nigh))

    What is the blood moon? Sometimes during a lunar eclipse, the earth’s shadow on the moon takes on a red hue. Lunar eclipses aren’t unusual—there are about two per year. What is unusual this time is that there will be four blood moons within eighteen months. And well, certain parties have been whipping religious believers into a frenzy. Several books written for a Christian audience have been published about this event. They refer to an Old Testament verse in Joel 2:31 and its echo in Acts 2:20: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord.”

    One author who is getting a large share of the attention is Texas megachurch pastor [intlink id=”689″ type=”post”]John Hagee[/intlink]. We’ve discussed him here before in relation to his belief in armageddon in Jerusalem. The book in question is “Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change”.

    Lest I add to the hysteria, I’ll begin with a discussion of dissenting views in the Christian community. A pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., Greg Boyd, has called this whole thing a waste of time—a very dangerous waste of time–and he warns that no congregation is immune to it.

    Sam Storms, pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City says, “We need to stop giving into some of these sensationalist speculations. Maybe Christians are more gullible. One has to twist the data to make it appear as if these are the fulfillment of some biblical prophecy. I thought in 2011 we all said we weren’t going to fall for this again, when Harold Camping twice missed the date of the Second Coming?” (( Sarah Pulliam Biley, Blood moon sets off apocalyptic debate among some Christians. Religion News Service, April 14, 2014. Available:http://www.religionnews.com/2014/04/14/blood-moon-sets-apocalyptic-debate-among-christians))

    A Call for Dialogue

    Even though IS seems more determined than ever to provoke an immediate reaction, I’m going to argue that this is really the time for intensive dialogue.

    Characteristics and Tendencies of Apocalyptic Thinking

    To begin with, it’s important that we understand the general characteristics and tendencies of apocalyptic thinking. I’ll begin with a discussion of Muslim apocalyptic beliefs and end with Christian and secular beliefs in the West.

    Apocalyptic Jihadism

    Richard Landes discussed Apocalyptic jihadism in a 2004 article: Jihad, Apocalypse and Anti-Semitism. I’m aware Landes is controversial, however the value of this article is the perspective it offers on Islamic apocryphal thinking. In hindsight, we should be so lucky to be dealing with the PLO and Hamas instead of IS. However, Landes says they both used apocalyptic rhetoric. The majority of Muslims are not yet apocalyptic, but Landes worries that both Arabs and Muslims worldwide could get swept up in ‘a fever of apocalyptic hope and violence’. All things considered, it’s hard to find fault with him on that point.

    According to Landes, modern jihadism is a ‘cataclysmic, apocalyptic movement’. Its goal is Islam’s dominance over the world. Its promises have a millennial character, such as the claim that once Islam rules everywhere there will be world peace. Jihad’s millennial war operates on two major levels: The first is outright violence; the second is the invocation of civil society’s values to undermine that system from within.

    In more general terms, apocalyptic thinking is a belief that a cosmic transformation is imminent. The transformation can take two forms. Either it will end entirely (eschatology), or the Messianic Age will begin. The second form is often called millennialism. Moderate millennialism exists everywhere in the hope that the world is going to improve.

    Again, there are two alternative beliefs as to how this improvement will come to pass. The passive one says God will cause it. The activist approach says we are God’s agents. Therefore we have to bring it about. If activists believe cataclysmic destruction is necessary, it follows that they can save the world by destroying it. According to Landes, the Holocaust was an ‘apocalyptic deed’.

    Landes returns us to the West’s participation in this chain of events when he talks about ‘Philo-Judaism’. There has been a change in Anglo-Christians’ millennial scenario to a view which says that the Jews have to return to Zion in order for the apocalypse to occur. Balfour was a believer in pre-millennial dispensationalism and held views similar to today’s Protestant Zionists. According to Landes, the present degree of Christian millennial theology has never before been seen among Christians at so popular a level. (Pre-millennialists believe Christ must return before the Millennium can begin while post-millennialists believe we must create the millennium here and now.)

    The Mujaddid

    Landes cites a book by David Cook, Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic. According to Cook, there are a variety of apocalyptic traditions in Islam. One is called the Mujaddid. This tradition holds that every hundred years, a religious ‘renewer’ is expected. The Mujaddid is a Messianic figure. In 1300 of the Hajj (1881/2) the renewer was the Mahdi, who took over Khartoum and started a war against English imperialism. in 1400 (1979/80), Khomeini inspired apocalyptic thinking. That year there was a violent messianic outbreak in Muslim Nigeria, while the Shiites in Lebanon had a candidate for the renewer in the Imam Musa al Sadr of Lebanon.

    Khomeini had the support of a large number of secular, as well as religious, supporters. Both fundamentalist and progressive millennialists shared a common hope.  Unfortunately, Khomeini’s program didn’t work, but it did legitimize Islamic extremism.

    “Khomeini did for Muslims—even Sunnis—what Lenin did for Communists. No matter how bad the Sharia state, it served as a model of the possible. After Khomeini, apocalyptic Muslims could begin to imagine that Islam would eventually take over the whole world. The Taliban represented the first anti-modern Sunni millennial experiment.”

    The Apocalyptic Rhetoric of War with Israel

    The 1948 and 1967 Arab wars with Israel were accompanied by apocalyptic rhetoric. In the 1960s, the failure of Nasser’s ‘final war’ with Israel discredited secular Arab nationalism for many, leading back to religious fundamentalism and eventually to cataclysmic millennialism.”  (Of course, the Jews have millennialist beliefs as well, but Landes says these are passive.)  Islamic extremism has increased since that time.

    “In the 1980s, Muslim apocalyptic discourse took a new turn. Whereas previously it had been very conservative, only compiling traditional hadiths on the subject, it now borrowed ideas and techniques from the Western world—especially Protestant millennialism—including more sophisticated use of means of communication, such as glossy pamphlets and cassettes of sermons. It even picked up Western themes, such as flying saucers or Biblical texts, and quoted these in addition to the Koran and the hadith.

    “The approach of the end of the Christian era’s second millennium also influenced the Muslim world. It expected the classic Muslim version of the Anti-Christ, the Dajjal, to arrive in 2000. He would be a Jew and control most of the world according to the procedures outlined in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (According to Landes, the Protocols remain influential with Arab intellectuals and elites.)

    “The most depressing aspect of current Islamic apocalyptic thought is that all its variants of cataclysmic events will bring immense destruction and death. This is why so much apocalyptic thought in the Arab world—secular and religious—focuses on death and martyrdom that kills indiscriminately. They think that God wants them to visit the destruction on the Jews that the Hebrew prophets warned about. Current Muslim apocalyptic thinking gives no support to the notion that Islam is a religion of peace.”

    Was the year 2000 a turning point?

    Since 2000 the 12-year-old boy, Mohammed Al Dura has become a martyr and patron saint for both the intifada and global Jihad. (Unfortunately, this article is unnecessarily inflammatory when it claims the Al Dura affair was staged.) ((Interview by Manfred Gerstenfeld, Jihad, Apocalypse, and Anti-Semitism. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Sept. 1, 2004. Available: http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-24.htm))

    The Western Contribution

    According to an article on the TeacherServe website, apocalyptic thinking in the Americas began with Christopher Columbus who invested the discovery of the new world with millennial meaning. He thought he had found the new heaven and the new earth that God spoke ‘through the mouth of Isaiah’ and again in the Apocalypse of St. John. That said, it is more common for apocalyptic views to express the expectation that history will come to a complete halt. Protestant conservatives have been susceptible to this belief, especially evangelicals, because of their literal reading of the Bible. They focus on the book of Revelation in the new Testament, as well as the book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible.

    Evangelicals

    Throughout American history, evangelicals have vacillated between pre and postmillennialism. The Puritans were premillennial. In other words, they knew Christ’s return could take place at any moment. Jonathan Edwards believed the millennium would begin in America.

    The Shakers and John Humphrey Noyes

    The Shakers thought Christ had already returned in the person of Mother Ann Lee and they were busy establishing the millennial kingdom. They forbade all private union between the sexes. On the other hand, John Humphrey Noyes, founder of the Oneida Community in western New York, believed Christ had returned in A.D. 70. For him the millennium provided sexual license.

    The American Revolution

    Many patriots in the eighteenth century fused millennial expectations with radical Whig ideology and thought the American Revolution was ‘the sacred cause of liberty’.

    The Second Great Awakening and the Reform Movements it Inspired

    During the Second Great Awakening there was optimism in the perfectibility of humanity and society. This complemented the Enlightenment’s appraisal of human potential and inspired many reform efforts such as temperance, abolitionism, prison and educational reform, and Christian missions, in other words, postmillennialism.

    At the same time, some evangelicals had lost their optimism about human potential after the excesses of the French Revolution and they reverted to premillennialism. William Miller believed Jesus would return sometime between March 1843 and March 1844.

    Joseph Smith

    Joseph Smith thought the New Jerusalem would center in Jackson County, Missouri. His assassination interrupted the preparations, but in recent years a small band of Mormons has returned to resume the task.

    Nat Turner

    There was a conviction among antebellum blacks that God sanctioned rebellion against white slaveholders. On May 12, 1828, God appeared to Nat Turner, a slave preacher in Southampton County, Virginia. “I heard a loud noise in the Heavens,” he said, “and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.” The rebellion he unleashed claimed the lives of fifty-five whites and two hundred blacks.

    Reform Judaism

    Even some Reform Jews caught the spirit and recognized America as the New Zion and Washington as the New Jerusalem.

    From Postmillennialism to Premillennialism

    After the Civil War, optimism about human perfectibility continued to dissipate. In addition, the evangelicals had lost their dominance due to European immigration. This caused an inward turn and eventual contempt for the culture that had spurned them. An alternative to postmillennialism was found in John Nelson Darby’s dispensational premillennialism. Believers saw a society careening toward judgment. Enter the influential [intlink id=”1074″ type=”post”]Dwight Moody[/intlink]. Subsequently, the Scofield Bible provided a dispensational template for their reading of the scriptures.((Balmer, Randall, Apocalypticism in American Culture. TeacherServe. Available: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/apocal.htm))

    Apocalypticism, the Right Wing, and Popular Culture

    According to another article on oldpubliceye.org (cited below) Apocalypticism and millennialism have influenced a variety of right-wing political and social movements, especially in the United States. Tim LaHaye in his 1980 book, The Battle for the Mind, stated: “tribulation is predestined and will surely come to pass.” But LaHay also teaches that there will be a pre-tribulation tribulation if the liberal, secular humanists are permitted to take control of our government. He says this not predestined, but it will happen if Christians fail to assert themselves in defense of morality and decency!

    In the United States the apocalyptic worldview is influenced by religious and secular interpretations of the prophecies in the Biblical book of Revelation about the coming of a new millennium. Fundamentalist Christians believe the end of time will be preceded by a cataclysmic battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The period of peace and harmony begins when evil is vanquished. This period marks the return of Christ. Popular films like Rambo, Mad Max, the Terminator series, and Red Dawn reinterpret the vision without making its origins clear. The film Apocalypse Now and theTV series Millennium name the myth while secularizing and mainstreaming it as a paradigm.

    The Heaven’s Gate group merged prophetic themes with the dynamic of manipulative demagoguery in the setting of a totalitarian group with a charismatic leader. Three roots of key prophetic visions in the Heaven’s Gate group came from:

    The Christian Bible
    The prophecies of Nostradamus
    Science Fiction

    The science fiction theme often proposes that more advanced life forms and beings with higher consciousness from space will visit Earth and select humans for travel or transformation. A typical example is the book Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. These ideas are also embraced by people in the UFO movement.

    The New Testament Book of Revelation has inspired a large number of myths, metaphors, images, symbols, phrases and icons for mass movements. It is the influence behind current right-wing movements such as the new Christian electoral right, Protestant and Catholic theocratic groups, survivalism, the patriot and armed militia movement, Christian patriot constitutionalists, and the Christian Identity religion. Some, but not all, Christian Identity members such as Aryan Nations, are racists.

    This article lists six key ways the predictions of Revelations influence popular culture: Omens and Signs of the Times; Apocalyptic Doomsday Cataclysm; Subversion and Countersubversion; Armageddon and Holy War; Reign and Rule; and Transcendent Ascension and Rapture.

    The Branch Davidians believed the end times were approaching and were studying the meaning of the seven wax seals on a scroll mentioned in Revelation. Law enforcement abuse of power against the Branch Davidian’s in Waco, Texas and other dissidents creates cascading echoes of apocalypse throughout the society. (Italics mine)

    The survivalist movement, and in particular the Weaver family and the Montana Freemen, are influenced by a belief in apocalyptic doomsday cataclysm.

    Those who take the subversion and counter-subversion route believe that humankind will be betrayed by a world leader who will eventually be exposed as Satan’s agent. In addition to this leader there will be a false prophet and global religion that supports him. They especially mistrust those who call for world cooperation and international intervention, like the United Nations. They thought at one time that the antichrist was based in the Soviet Union. This was the evil empire of the Star Wars trilogy. It is also partly the basis for the Montana Freeman rejecting government authority. It influences some, but not all, armed militia groups.

    Believers of the Reign and Rule dogma think they must clean up secular society to prepare for the return of the Lord. Much of the violence against reproductive rights clinics and attacks on gay rights is based on this interpretation. This is called dominion theology. Its most theocratic and authoritarian version is Christian Reconstructionism.

    Dialogue is the Only Way Out

    “The millennium provides an opportunity for society to engage in a process of renewal and reconciliation, as well as an opportunity for demagogues, bigots, paranoids, and charlatans to spread messages of division and destruction. If a totalitarian group turns outward its members can engage in scapegoating with the most extreme outcome being homicide. If a totalitarian group turns inward its members can engage in scapegoating with the most extreme outcome being suicide. In a society where inequality and injustice is creating deep divisions and tensions, we need constructive ways to channel anger and alienation toward demands for social change rather than apocalyptic withdrawal or aggression. In societies suffering from economic and social stress, backlash movements take several forms: racial or ethnic nationalism; religious fundamentalism or spiritual alternative; and right-wing populism and conspiracist scapegoating. These forms can blend and interact.

    “The more we all discuss the issues of millennial expectation, apocalyptic thinking, and scapegoating, the more likely the outcome will be positive rather than negative.”

    Definitions

    Apocalypticism: the belief in an approaching confrontation, cataclysmic event, or transformation of epochal proportion, about which a select few have forewarning so they can make appropriate preparations. From a Greek root word suggesting unveiling hidden information or revealing secret knowledge about unfolding human events. The dualist or demonized version involves a final showdown struggle between absolute good and absolute evil. In Christianity there are competing apocalyptic prophetic traditions based on demonization or liberation. Central to Christianity, the tradition also exists in Judaism, Islam, and other religions and secular belief structures. Believers can be passive or active in anticipation; and optimistic or pessimistic about the outcome. Sometimes used similarly to the term millenarianism.

    Millennialism: A sense of expectation that a significant epochal transformation is imminent, marking either the end of a thousand year period, or signal its beginning, or both. Two major forms of millennialist response are passive waiting versus activist intervention. Can involve varying degrees of apocalypticism. In Christianity, the idea that the Second Coming of Christ marks a thousand year period.

    Aggressive apocalypticism: the merger of conspiracism with apocalypticism often generates aggressive forms of dualism. Apocalyptic aggression occurs when demonized scapegoats are targeted as enemies of the ‘common good’, a dynamic that can lead to discrimination and attacks.((Apocalyptic Millennialism, Political Research Associates. Available: http://www.publiceye.org/tooclose/apoc.html))

  • Anglicans versus U.S. Conservatives: 1-0

     

    Responding appropriately to the Church of England’s decision to ordain female bishops is complicated. In the case of the Mormon Church, I couldn’t see how a movement to ordain women would have a good effect on female members. However, the Church of England’s case is different in several ways and there are factors that complicate the analysis. For one thing, Great Britain’s class system makes it difficult to say how this decision might affect ordinary women. On the other hand, you could say that the British government’s lack of separation between Church and state makes the decision more impressive. Female bishops will now be eligible to sit in the House of Lords.

    This vote comes at a time when the monarchy is changing its system of primogeniture, making females equal with males in eligibility for the throne. And no, I’m not forgetting that it’s still primogeniture or that it helps keep the class system in place. Still, it’s hardly a small matter. Nor is it insignificant that Church leadership has long been in favor of ordaining female bishops when they could have just as easily refused to consider it.

    I’m not sure why this wasn’t bigger news in the U.S., unless it has to do with old rivalries, what with the Church of England being part of the British government, but I was fascinated to hear the Church say ’yes’ to women. I thought it made an interesting contrast with the favorite refrain of conservatives in the United States: ’Me Tarzan, you Jane’.

  • Church of England Votes on Female Bishops

    The Church of England’s General Synod is set to vote on Monday on whether to allow women to become bishops.  This would not necessarily compel all Anglican Churches to accept women bishops, but it would set a precedent.  Conservative Anglicans rejected a previous proposal in 2012.  However, Anglican women in the United States, Canada and Australia have already been ordained as bishops.  ((London AFP,  Church of England female bishops would be ‘seismic’, July 11, 2014. available: http://news.yahoo.com/church-england-female-bishops-seismic-032533964.html))

  • Ukraine: The Corporate Annexation. “For Cargill, Chevron, Monsanto, It’s a Gold Mine of Profits”

    Considering the big part played by corporate greed in the run-up to World War II, and the confusion of analysts about U.S. policy in Ukraine, I thought it might be interesting to find out what American corporations have against Vladimir Putin. I found an article on the Global Research website that I’ll share here. It seems if you are American, you can’t defend your own country without defending the devil. Read this.

    Ukraine: The Corporate Annexation. “For Cargill, Chevron, Monsanto, It’s a Gold Mine of Profits”.

  • Plato’s Iron Fist in the Soviet Union

    I’ve been saying that we need to reexamine the influence of the ideas of Plato and Aristotle in politics and religion. As it happens, that conversation is already underway. The following discussion is based on an article about Plato’s influence in Russia. Mikhail Epstein, Professor of Russian and Cultural Theory and Co-Director of the Center for Humanities Innovation, identifies the Russian approach to Plato as the source of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. However, the Russian experience should have as much meaning for the West as it does for Russia.

    He begins by asking, What is philosophy? He answers by saying that although there is no simple, universal definition, the most ‘credible attempt is a nominalistic reference: philosophy is what Plato and Aristotle, Kant and Hegel were occupied with.’ Then he provides what he calls the most broadly cited definition, that of A. Whitehead: ‘philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato.’((Epstein, Mikhail, An Overview of Russian Philosophy. Intelnet. Cited on May 16, 2014. Available: http://www.emory.edu/INTELNET/rus_thought_overview.html))

    If this is accepted, he argues, Russian philosophy must be seen as a part of the Western intellectual tradition. Russia, and especially the Soviet Union, has been unique in its literal incarnation of the teachings of Plato. This was made possible by the tendency of Russian thought to ‘philosophize reality, to transform it into a transparent kingdom of ideas.’ In the Soviet Union, this resulted in philosophy becoming a supreme legal and political institution, and ‘in its unrestricted dominion [it] was equivalent to madness.’ However, non-Marxist and anti-Marxist thinkers in Russia belong to the same tradition. The hard-won understanding they achieved in this process can provide an invaluable lesson for the West.

    “One might even say that the philosophy of the Soviet epoch is the final stage of the development and embodiment of Plato’s ideas in the Western world. During this stage, the project of ideocracy came to a complete realization and exhausted itself. The czardom of ideas arrived at the threshold of self-destruction because the substance of Being resisted the yoke of idealism, and it is now in the process of returning to its primordial identity. Thus Russian philosophy both summarizes and punctuates more than two thousand years of the Platonic tradition and points the way for a return to foundations which are not susceptible to ideologic perversions.

    “A relatively short period of years sums up a two-millenium adventure of Western thought which escorted Plato in his search for the world of pure ideas. Among these footnotes to Plato, Russian philosophy appears to the attentive eye as the final entry, signifying ‘The End’.”

    Still, I suppose someone could argue that the problem is not Plato, but one particular approach to Plato. Epstein mentions this as a possibility, but says the question has yet to be answered.

    “The question is: Now that Platonism in its Marxist guise, has been overcome by Russian thought, is it still possible to find inspiration in Platonism as such, in its sublime idealistic and religious interpretations? Or does the experience of Russian history convincingly argue that Platonism has exhausted itself as a spiritual resource for humanity and that all attempts to Christianize it are just wishful illusions? (Russia slipped into the pagan version of Platonism, while in the West, Plato’s ideas were Christianized.)

    “Whatever the answer may be, it is indisputable that the ongoing relevance of Platonism for Russian thought will provide the ground for its intensive dialogue with…Western philosophy also rooted in Plato’s heritage.”((Epstein, Mikhail, The Phoenix of Philosophy: On the Meaning and Significance of Contemporary Russian Thought. Intelnet. Cited May 16, 2014. Avaliable: http://www.emory.edu/INTELNET/ar_phoenix_philosophy.html))

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