Bush's current position maps well into IMM, but it would seem that such a belief system would be long-standing. If so, how does that square with Bush's stance prior to 9-11, where he inclined towards avoiding foreign entanglements and 'nation-building'?
As an alternative hypothesis, I would suggest an ad hoc preoccupation with Iraq stemming from the unfinished aspect of the first Gulf War and the alleged attempt on Poppy. This seems to fit better with what others are pleased to call the President's "mind."
mbs
Bush and his foreign policy are a form of imperialist messianic militarism. Some, like my friend Fred Clarkson, say it is just a play to Christian Right constituents, others, like me, say it is a genuine belief system--a worldview. Matthew Rothschild has written a thoughtful commentary on this in the February Progressive. Fred and I are quoted. Bush's Messiah Complex http://www.progressive.org/feb03/comm0203.html
Either way, it involves the apocalyptic belief structures of REAL practicing Christians.
We may not agree with these other Christians, but to deny that they are Christian is not accurate, useful, or responsible.
--Chip Berlet
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of R
> Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 9:28 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Christian Soldiers
>
>
>
> sorry mike and peter. i don't think the faux president is any more
> christian than the roman emperor nero, for example, who also
> threw helpless
> people to the lions to maintain his popularity ratings.
>
> shrub is a hypocrite and opportunist. jesus did not seem to
> be mincing any
> words when characterizing violence as a way to perpetuate
> conflict, not deal
> with it or resolve it. there's no gospel that states violence is
> acceptable in any way, shape or form. just the opposite.
> there's really
> no such thing as a "christian soldier;" "fishers of men"
> yes: "soldiers"
> no.
>
> if the ten commandments mean "thou shalt not kill," shrub
> has broken god's
> law already, several times over. if "love thy neighbor as
> thyself," and
> "turn the other cheek" mean what they say, shrub's a sinner
> from way back.
>
> shrub has broken biblical teachings and laws by, to
> paraphrase jimmy carter,
> lusting for violence in his heart. one is hard pressed to find any
> biblical laws shrub hasn't broken.
>
> biblical laws don't mean anything to shrub where his childish, spoiled
> desires are concerned. he "uses" god rather than letting
> god use him.
>
> it might give some perspective to ask yourself what would
> jesus do in this
> situation. i believe he'd be in iraq, doing all he can to
> heal the people.
> and in washington, dc, doing all he can to get the US embargo
> stopped so the
> people of iraq could receive medicines, food, goods that they need to
> survive. i don't think he'd see violence as an option.
> and i doubt
> saddam would stay around very long, of his own free will,
> with jesus on the
> job.
>
> i'd particularly like to see what the greedy MNC oil
> companies would do.
> greed, power and oil is shrub's real religion.
>
> R
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "mike larkin" <mike_larkin2001 at yahoo.com>
> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 12:56 PM
> Subject: Christian Soldiers
>
>
> from nypress today. had trouble with the link, but
> it's short.
>
> Peter Eavis
> Christian Soldiers
>
>
> After hearing Bush's State of the Union address last
> night, many nonbelievers, as well as plenty of
> Christians, will be asking how the prez can talk with
> great fervor about his compassionate God, and yet be
> so keen to wage a war that could lead to the deaths of
> thousands of innocents. As a born-again, albeit an
> antiwar one, I'll have a go at parsing that.
>
> First off, you have to realize how happy Christians
> are to have anyone in the White House talking
> God-talk, despite strict warnings in scripture not to
> worship Man. As a result, they will often tolerate a
> surprisingly large number of policies they don't agree
> with. For example, it was uplifting last night to see
> the world's most powerful man talking about
> supernatural miracles before millions of people. As an
> ex-addict freed by the Lord's power, Bush said the
> following with true feeling: "Tonight, let us bring to
> all Americans who struggle with drug addiction this
> message of hope: The miracle of recovery is possible,
> and it could be you."
>
> But Iraq should present problems to anyone who takes
> "turning the other cheek" seriously. How can Bush, who
> so obviously knows God's love, want to engage in an
> attack that could cause great suffering for millions
> of dirt-poor, downtrodden Iraqis? Obviously, Bush
> thinks he's doing good. At some point, he decided that
> the possible gains to the American and Iraqi people
> from a war far outweigh the harmful consequences. I
> don't believe that to be the case-the suffering could
> be horrendous. Nor would an attack on Iraq constitute
> a just war, in my book. Also, the Bush administration,
> to its great discredit, is using war rhetoric for
> maximum domestic political effect. And you'd be
> deranged to think oil is not a significant motivating
> factor in its Mideast policy. Most importantly, the
> Pentagon's plans to rain down hundreds of cruise
> missiles in the first days of the war does not sit
> well with the part of Bush's speech that says: "we
> will fight in a just cause and by just means, sparing,
> in every way we can, the innocent."
>
> However, I can't categorically say Bush has broken
> clear biblical teachings or laws by wanting to go
> after Saddam. As much as I hate to admit, much
> ultimately depends on how he conducts this conflict.
> Who knows, the second big miracle of Dubya's life
> could be an easy, relatively bloodless road to
> Baghdad. But then what? Send in Ann Coulter to convert
> the Ay-rabs, I guess.
>
>
>
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