Theocons Triumphant

Big thanks to Taleena over at Sun Comprehending Glass for pointing out this great review by Ross Douthat on the current crop of "Theocracy Mongers." She quotes a few paragraphs and encourages the Constant Reader to, "As always, read the rest." This is good advice.

I have several friends who have ben reading and passing around Kevin Phillips's American Theocracy and gushing over its accuracy and truthfulness. Hmmm....

One of the life lessons that I have learned through the years is to check out what people in media and letters say against my direct knowledge of a subject. I recommend this as an exercise for the Constant Reader. Whether your area of expertise is arts, sciences, law enforcement, garbage collection, or enviromental law, read the general press coverage of events in that area and compare that coverage with your certain knowlege of the facts. Charitably, one can say that issues are often simplified to the point of being incorrect; uncharitably one cna say that the press wants first to sell a sensational story, facts be damned.

People Left, Right, and Center will curse the stupidity of the press when they are covering their own area of expertise, but will gullibly swallow the same stupidity when it is about some issue upon which they have little knowlege.

The Constant Reader knows of my contempt of the idea of an impending Theocracy.

But, as Taleena recommends, read the rest. Bonus point to Ross Douthat for linking Margret Atwood to Robert A. Heinlein.