Emerging Republican Theocracy?

That's the name of a Kevin Phillips article currently posted on the front page of Beliefnet.

He makes a pretty good case for the ruling clique's attempt to cobble together what looks like a theocracy, but they're not going to be able to construct a real one. It'll be a counterfeit, hence ineffective theocracy for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I can't prove it, but I suspect many of many of these church-going Republican big shots are secretly closet atheists, whose kingdom is "of this world."

Take Tom DeLay, for instance. He's a scrupulous Christian, right? If I ever saw a guy who'd be willing to do absolutely anything for a dollar and a good piece of ass, it's the Honorable Mr. DeLay.

Also, as was pointed out to me in discussing this yesterday, most of the neocons are disciples of Leo Strauss, late of the University of Chicago where he taught the dark Macheavellian arts under cover of political philosophy. The mentor of little Pauly Wolfelafelwitz and others, Strauss's schtick was founded on the premise that there is no God, but that religion should be used by those in power to manipulate the ignorant masses. Like all congenital fascists, he believed in the natural right of the powerful to oppress the weak, which has ever been the foundation of right wing politics.

So I think at some point the neo Baptists and the neo Cons are going to part ways, and become semi-enemies.