Onward Christian Soldiers - take 2

Well apparently, more of us are getting a bit concerned about the tone and associations of the Administration. Molly Ivins (an all-time favorite of mine) put out a news/commentary Rabid rightists are Lenninists of today, and then David Greene of the Baltimore Sun chimes in Bush turns increasingly to language of religion.

Ms. Ivins shares her take on a report on the recent Conservative Political Action Committee where such noteworthies as Vice President Dick Cheney, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Senate Whip Mitch McConnell, Republican National Committee Chair Marc Racicot, spoke to the gathered masses. The Salon article Shock troops for Bush stresses some other aspects of the gathering.

Meanwhile, David Greene's analysis of the impact on the President's religious rhetoric is a critical read for those concerned about 1) the direction and tone of the "war on terrorism" and 2) those concerned about the decimation of our constitution and civil liberties in the purported cause of "security" and the "war on terrorism.

When you combine, the rhetoric, the outright courting of the extreme Christian Right, and the type and tone of policies, there is every reason to be concerned. When we then add in the "faith-based initiatives" and the stipulation to allow religion-based service provoders to discriminate in hiring (and perhaps in service provision?) on the basis of religion, one might wonder if we are heading towards a theocracy (such as Iran's).

These connections and the framing of the conflicts by the Bush Administration does take on the tone of a Christian Holy War against Islam (in general) and Islamic Fundamentalists (in particular).

None of this bodes good things (in my opinion) for the state of our nation or the state of the world.