Getting the Big Picture

TO UNDERSTAND contemporary America, it is necesary to realize that Doanld Trump is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg, a symptom rather than a casue, a symptom of a deep social illness, right wing extremism. Trump himself would just as soon be standing in front of audiences of screeching liberals and socialists, ranting about worker's rights and corporate exploitation. In fact he was once a pro choice Democrat, in New YOrk City, where it pasy to be a liberal pro choice Democrat. But Trump knew which way the wind blew, and his personal fortunes would be far better served by taking the conservative approach. Trump has no core values, other than his personal wealth and fame, from which his desire for political power derives. But, being wealthy, he is much more naturally suited to economic conservatism, and, as for his social and moral agenda, he is up for sale. For far right wing religious extremism he makes a perfect spokesman, with the innane passion of a pulpit preacher. He loves the attention and adulation of his evangelical Christian cult followers, aside from the extreme irony of someone with Trump's debauched lifestyle, attitude, words, and deeds representing the supposedly moral majority. If the American religious right would deign to stay out of politics it would be somewhat less harmful to the country, but, alas, it won't, and therefore, is. The "moral majority" was enengered as a conservative resposne to Jimmy Carter's liberal evangelism, it elected reagen, and it elected Trump. If America isn't careful, it might elect Trump again. Thuswe have our current, strangemarriage of politicl and economic conservatism and religion in America. This, in spite of the obvious reality that the essential Christian message is far more left wing woke socialistic than neo-liberal right wing. The white Christian Republican party would happily elevate the Christian religion to official, state sponsored status, would insinuate Christianity into public shools and civic life, and the extremists would rewrite the American legal system to reflect biblical principles, disastrously. LGBTQ people, rounded up, and incarcerated or executed. Immigrants, especially the undocumented or dark skinned, deported or imprisoned in concentration camps. The complete dismantling of the economic regulatory powers of government, with unregulated capitalism loosened, running rampant, dogs, eating dogs. The complete denial of climate change, and continued support of the fossil fuel industry. These are but a few of the nightmarish items on the far right Republican agenda. This is no exaggeration. During the forthcoing election campaign between Biden and Trump, relgiious America will almost certainly unite in large numbers behind Trump, in direct if unwitting repudiation of all basic Christian values. This is what we are confronted with in America, a substantial movement of backward looking conservatives, wanting to literally turn back the clock of progress. They harbor the illusion that there was a better time in America, somewhere in the remote, foggy past....Indeed there was, if one happens to be a racist, a religious fanatic, or an unrelenting capitalist. What we have now is a nation of increased religious tolerance and diversity, reasonable economic regulation, and increasing racial tolerance, and tolerance of sexual orientation. Heaven forbid that we should turn back the clock on it.