Recommended Reading: The Consequences of Unchecked Corruption and Christian Theology and Civil War
The Week's Recommended Reading on Substack: Mar-A-Lago raid challenges American 'leadership, government, patriotism, duty, and loyalty,' and why the Christian Right is 'fixated on bloody vengeance.'
The Week's Recommended Reading on Substack:
Jared Yates Sexton writes that “The very possibility we’re now forced to consider is horrific and challenges all conventional wisdom about leadership, government, patriotism, duty, and loyalty. How is it that self-concerned actors like Manafort and Trump could come to positions of power and then, almost reflexively, use them as a means of personal enrichment?”
Diana Butler Bass writes that “Trump’s base feeds on perceived persecution and the stance of innocent victimhood — especially when carried out against true believers by actors like the “deep state,” “Soros-liberals,” “the woke mob,” or a “fake” president. In some ways, nothing better could happen to Trump and his followers in mid-August.”
Kristin Du Mez writes that “what allows rhetoric to devolve into violence is when too many people say nothing. When people shrug their shoulders at escalating rhetoric and threats of violence.”
Don Moynihan writes that the “political philosophy underpinning this support for Trump holds that state power is corrupt, and this corruption in turn justifies abuses of state power that Trump and supporters are promising in the future. Our victimhood necessitates our extremes.”
Jessica Pishko writes that “it’s not a surprise that the far-right opposes the FBI and other federal agencies like the ATF and DEA. Far-right ideology comes from a long line of localism, which was focused on supporting local law enforcement – read, sheriffs – as the answer to what was seen as increasing federal encroachment on state decisions.”
Parker Molloy writes that “power and influence in the world of media come down to one thing: exposure. You can’t become powerful or influential if nobody knows who you are.”