American Theocracy — The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion Oil and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century
An explosive examination of the coalition of forces that threatens the nation, from the bestselling author of American Dynasty
In his two most recent bestselling books, American Dynasty and Wealth and Democracy, Kevin Phillips established himself as a powerful critic of the political and economic forces that rule — and imperil — the United States, tracing the ever more alarming path of the emerging Republican majority's rise to power. Now Phillips takes an uncompromising view of the current age of global overreach, fundamentalist religion, diminishing resources, and ballooning debt under the GOP majority. With an eye to the past and a searing vision of the future, Phillips confirms what too many Americans are still unwilling to admit about the depth of our misgovernment.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars American Theocracy: Political.Economic Pundit Keven Philllip's gloomy survey of America in the present day
Viewers of C-Span and readers of his many books on politcs and economics have come to rely on the sober judgments of Kevin Phillips. The former White House strategist in the Nixon years has grown disillusioned with the politics of big oil, fundamentalistic religion and our nation's mad leap into the economic abyss of huge national and personal debt.
Phillips deals with these three major problems with well argued prosed, statistics to back up his position and a thorough knowledge of the players involved from the Bushes to the Congress.
A brief survey of what he says about:
1. Oil-Phillips looks at former great powers whose empires declined. Specifically he focuses on Spain and the Dutch Republic relying on wind and water. Great Britain relied on coal and seapower to stay at the apex of power during her Victorian world hegemony. Phillips critically examnes the 21st century US with its heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil. Phillips views our invasion of Iraq as a disaster. Bush and his team in the White House wanted Iraq to serve as a fueling station. The invasion cost thousands of lives, drove the nation deeper in debt and led to America being viewed with disfavor by our allies. Americans produce fewer cars which are less gas efficient than overseas products. Our heavy industries are running well behind such coming behemoths as China and India. We are a nation of gas guzzlers who have relied too much on the continuing abundance of black gold to fuel our SUV's and heavy pickups.
2. The American economy has led to massive spending and trillions of dollars in debt. Americans are worshippers of the plastic god known as the credit card. Few realize how the economy functions or what are the penalites for wild spending. The Bush adminstration has spent like a drunken sailor. Dire consequences will follow as the American dollar becomes edged out by euros and other foreign currency in the money market global economy. Phillips writes for the layman and presents this gloomy picture of corporate and personal greed.
3.Radical Religion deals with the nexus between the far right and the Republican party. Many evangelicals believe in the world entering its final days due to premillenial rapture theology. Books like the Tim LeHaye bestsellers in the "Left Behind" series dealing with the coming rapture lead many political leaders to be blase about such concerns as world environment and global peace. They do so since they believe will sound end anyway in an apocalyptic day of judgment.
Phillips vision is a grim one. Can we Americans turn it around at this late date? Perhaps our decline as a nation is not inevitable. The election of Barrack Obama is an indication to people waking up to the perils we face.
Phillips style is dry and statistics fill his pages. We read him not for literary beauty but for the facts he presents with years of study of the American electorate and how and why they vote the way they do. The emergence of the Republican party married to big oil and fundamentalist religon is a story every thinking citizen needs to become familiar with.
Kevin Phillips is always worth reading.
5 Stars Even Better Than the One Before It, "American Dynasty"
I wrote a glowing review of Kevin's FIRST examination of the Bush clan.
Then came a book that tied all-together what the 2000's years have been about…and it is downright scary as I write this in late November 2008…with a punishing recession set in stone and the financial markets victim to short-sellers and hedge fund greedy pigs…how accurate this terrific examination turned out to be! The younger George Bush, contrary to the old ridiculous saw about "big spending Democrats" doubled the national debt from 5 trillion to 10 trillion by breaking what has always been a 24-carat, carved-in-stone axium: "You can't have both guns AND butter". But what made this volume even more enjoyable (to me) than Kevin's earlier one is that he really DOES examine in pretty much equal parts the largest facets of the 2000's quamire. There is an excellent profile of radical religion…a great view of oil's crucial place in the soon-to-turn-terriblu ugly equation…and an accurate and sickening look at the billions and billions and billions Bush and his lapdog Congress happily and in cavalier fashion spent as if they were nickels!! In short, if like current events and especially looking back to try and figure out, "What the heck HAPPENED ??" between 2000 and 2008…So, wrapping it all up, what does Christian Carswell say you should do? Buy this splendid historian's boil-down of one of the most turbulent and damaging decades in American history…one that may well permanently rank "W" as history's least effective and most reckless president.
4 Stars Well written & informative.
This is a must read for someone who wants to understand why the US economy is in in the shape it is in.
5 Stars This book is to Christians what Mein Kampf was to Jews
Not to much else to say. It's an excuse for marginalization and mistreatment of a particular people. Vote for my comment if you've read it and agree.
Five stars because it's a must read if you want to understand hate speech using big words.
5 Stars Mandatory Reading
A non-fiction that reads like a novel! I first read a library copy in 2006, and was frightened that the religious right would drive our country to ruin. I reread my Amazon copy (after Obama's election), and am now hopeful, but the messages of "American Theocracy" are now more important than ever. Book accurately describes our current (2008) problems with the bailout of our financial system, and dilemma with with the possible failure of the big three automobile makers. "American Theocracy" provides a compelling and credible historic case for the demise of our country.
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- A 21st Century Rationalist in Medieval America – Essays on Religion, Science, Morality, and the Bush Administration
- Multiculturalism and the Politics of Guilt – Toward a Secular Theocracy
- God and Race in American Politics – A Short History
- God and Race in American Politics – A Short History
- Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement – A Radical Democratic Vision – Gender and American Culture
- Religion and Politics – Faith Determines Political Party
- Sacred and Secular Religion and Politics Worldwide Cambridge Studies in Social Theory Religion and Politics
- Democracy vs Theocracy – The President and The Senate Will Decide YOUR FUTURE
- The Politics of Secularism in International Relations – Princeton Studies in International History and Politics
- The Politics of Postsecular Religion
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