Bush's wayward march: An interview with author Kevin Phillips

[seafan]

Bush's wayward march

By Bill Steigerwald
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 15, 2006

Unfortunately for the Bush Dynasty, and for the troubled Republican Party, political analyst and long-lapsed Republican Kevin Phillips has written another book. This one, "American Theocracy," is, as its subtitle says, about "The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st century."

snip

Q: You say the last two elections have transformed the Republican Party into "the first religious party in U.S. history." How is this religious influence in politics and government hurting the country?

A: You start right at the top with the sense that as the world situation is focusing more and more on the Middle East, to have a political party becoming in many ways semi-captive to the portion of the Religious Right which is concerned about the Book of Revelations, Armageddon, the End of Times -- the whole Tim Lahaye cycle -- causes major problems for foreign policy and tends to suck us into the Middle East, where the Bible is seen as unfolding.
On the home front, the increasing religiosity of the Republican Party creates problems in terms of the conflict between faith and science. You see this on reproductive drug policy. You see it on stem-cell research, where for example in Missouri the Republican Party is dividing over this; it's got its church wing and its business wing. You see it in the Terri Schiavo situation, where George W. and his brother, Jeb, were so busy trying to pander to the Religious Right that they intervened in things that most people thought were a family responsibility.

snip

Q: You've painted a pretty grim picture. Is it going to get worse or better?

A: I would think that there's going to be more of a crisis before there is a solution. For example, in the paper this morning it's clear that a number of generals now are beginning to revolt, even semi-publicly, against (Donald) Rumsfeld. That goes hand-in-hand with a partial revolt in the Republican Party. The price of oil -- you have prices going crazy. I don't know how high interest rates are going to go.
I think we've got a president, frankly, who is one of the least prepared for major issues in the history of the United States. The notion that he can discuss a number of these things seriously, to me, is far-fetched. If you talk to him about the currency problem of the OPEC countries leaving the dollar price for pricing in euros, I think he'd just stun people with his lack of awareness. The same would be true of Middle East geopolitics. I think we're paying a huge price there.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/steigerwald/s_443858.html

[Doctor_J]

1. Heh

"I think he'd just stun people with his lack of awareness"

I can no longer be stunned by his ignorance

[xxqqqzme]

4. I think it was Richard Clarke who

said he was raisin brain was not curious. I always go back 2 that because w/o curiosity, there's just a flat line....no brain waves.

[prairierose]

2. I saw Phillips and Gary Wills last night on..

Charlie Rose. It was a very interesting conversation. I also thought it as a very important conversation. Wills position that the current evangelical mob does not follow the teachings of Jesus is an important distinction. More religious writers of the left/mainstream are articulating this position. Phillips idea that the republican party has been taken over by theocrats who are more interested in preaching hatred and preparing for the end of the world is an idea that more people, including republicans of the old school, who are wondering what the hell happened to their party, are beginning to make. I hope that more people will read both of these books and/or see more interviews with both of these gentlemen. They are both lapsed republicans who are appalled by what they see happening in the US today.

But more important than the fact that they are appalled is the fact that they are both very rational and effective speakers/writers.

[kentuck]

3. I think what he is saying is...

that just about anybody would be a better president than George W Bush...

[xxqqqzme]

5. 'just 'about anybody would

be a better president than George W Bush'....see you don't need 2 write or buy the book. You summed it up nice 'n neat.

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. Perhaps Chauncey Gardener was elected president after all

In the final scenes of Peter Sellers' movie, "Being There", the pallbearers of the rich industrialist Benjamin Rand are discussing who should be offered up for the presidential nomination of their party (Rand had been the king-maker of his time). Chauncey's name comes up for serious consideration because he has no baggage (literally and figuratively) and seems to know everything (he actually knows nearly nothing).

Maybe Chance the gardener got elected president after all. "Being There" is a great and very funny movie.

[Doctor_J]

7. To Smirk's credit,

he never tries to discuss issues. He smirks and utters platitudes that are being given to him through his earpiece, or answers a question completely different than the one that was asked, or cracks a "joke" so that the question just goes away.

He doesn't try to fake learnedness or awareness or gravitas - he's proud of how ignorant he is.