How America Made Donald Trump Unstoppable

[Gerard]

This is a selection from the linked article, which is very interesting.

Does Ted Cruz Think He’s The Messiah?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/14/does-ted-cruz-think-he-s-the-messiah.html


Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, is a preacher of the far-right doctrine of dominionism, which holds that Christians should take over the government and save it from the wicked.

When Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president, many assumed he would quietly distance himself from his father, Rafael Cruz, since the elder Cruz has long been extreme in his religious views, and outspoken in proclaiming them.

But the opposite has been the case. Rafael Cruz has been the senator’s primary surrogate on the campaign trail, particularly with the evangelical voters who are now Ted Cruz’s base. The two have frequently spoken together, prayed together, campaigned togetherâ€"even shot highly awkward “slice of life” videos together.

The reason Ted Cruz might be reluctant to embrace his father so publicly is that Rafael Cruz subscribes to what is known as dominionism, which holds that Christianity should exercise “dominion” over all of society, not just the traditional boundaries of religion.

Historically, dominionism began as an offshoot of Christian Reconstructionism, the sect founded in the 1960s by defender-of-slavery R.J. Rushdoony that seeks to replace secular law with Biblical law, stonings and all. More moderate versions of Reconstructionism began to take hold in the New Christian Right, which began in the 1970s as an effort to re-engage evangelicals in politics and fight back against the sexual revolution and the civil rights movement. Dominionism was one such version.

The etymological and Scriptural roots of dominionism are God’s command that Adam and Eve should “have dominion over all the earth” and Isaiah 2:2, which says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains.” Those “mountains” are interpreted not literally but figuratively (evangelicals are actually only selectively literalistic) as referring to the “seven mountains” of society, specifically family, religion, arts and entertainment, media, government, education, and business.

...
Now, everything I’ve said so far is about Rafael Cruz, not Ted Cruz. We don’t really know how much of this Ted believes. But it is interesting that even anodyne statements by Ted Cruz can be read in multiple ways, the classic indicator of dogwhistling. For example, Sen. Cruz wrote an epilogue to Rafael Cruz’s book, in which he said, “If our nation’s leaders are elected by unbelievers, is it any wonder that they do not reflect our values? … If the body of Christ arises, if Christians simply show up and vote biblical values, we can restore our nation.”

Read one way, this is just a Christian version of “make America great again.” Read another way, “restoring our nation” has a very specific dominionist meaning of one believes that America was once a Christian quasi-theocracy. And not many candidates describe their campaign as trying to get the body of Christ to arise.

Whatever Ted Cruz’s religious views, however, those of his father are relevant in their own right. He stumps for his son all the time, Barton has his hands on some of the largest purse strings in Republican politics, and many of Ted Cruz’s supporters are animated by a theological vision of America that will restore “kings” to power at the End of Days, of whom Cruz is apparently one.

The word “dominionism” may not roll of the tongue of political pundits, but given its shocking ambitions, maybe that’s part of the point.

I saw a YouTube video once. Rafael Cruz (Ted's dad) preaching. Scary stuff!

Gerard

[Gerard]

When you hitch your legislative agenda to the Presidents veto wagon you’re not going anywhere. Sensible politicians should have known that. Teabaggers and other Republicans, including the present establishment of that party failed to realize that in the past years. So now they get Trump, which is exactly what they deserve.

Gerard

[GSOgymrat]

When you hitch your legislative agenda to the Presidents veto wagon you’re not going anywhere. Sensible politicians should have known that. Teabaggers and other Republicans, including the present establishment of that party failed to realize that in the past years. So now they get Trump, which is exactly what they deserve.

Gerard

"Here is a much simpler explanation for Donald Trump: Republicans have fed the country ideas about decline, betrayal and treason. They have encouraged the forces of anti-intellectualism, obstructionism and populism. They have flirted with bigotry and racism. Trump merely chose to unashamedly embrace all of it, saying plainly what they were hinting at for years. In doing so, he hit a jackpot.

The problem is not that Republican leaders should have begun to condemn Trump last year. It is that they should have condemned the ideas and tactics that led to his rise when they began to flourish 20 years ago." - Fareed Zakaria

[Fickle]

Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, is a preacher of the far-right doctrine of dominionism, which holds that Christians should take over the government and save it from the wicked.

Like father, Like Son. Deep down the religious would have everyone conform to their beliefs not unlike a socialist dictatorship. They would tell us it is for our own good and micro-manage every aspect of our lives as they have done before because we as lesser beings are somehow incapable of making rational decisions. Rational defined as following imaginary words written by imaginary beings...Unicorns and fairy dust.

We have all heard this sad story before throughout our history and it never ends well. A psychopath by any other name would do no less.

[drunkenshoe]

If Trump wins the elections, but NOTHING 'changes' in the USA afterwards that would be the real question of American culture overall. Esp. after the Reagan and Bush periods.

It looks like the white seculars will continue to cussing at feminists, SJWs and racial groups for being angry and offensive, sitting in front of their comps sharing videos of how 'regressive' the left (where?) is, completely unaffected by the outcome. 

We have a saying. Translates to something like "long live the evil that doesn't touch me" in English I guess.

[josephpalazzo]

The problem is not that Republican leaders should have begun to condemn Trump last year. It is that they should have condemned the ideas and tactics that led to his rise when they began to flourish 20 years ago." - Fareed Zakaria

I would go one more step: they should have stopped Reagan in 1980 from inviting Falwell and the Moral Majority into the party. Opening the floodgates to crazy people is never a good idea. They tend to be loose canons, and whatever happens is more likely than not to go downhill.

[Baruch]

This is what happens to any party that wants to be a "big tent".  The camels come in the front door, rather than under the tent flap.

[Gerard]

"Here is a much simpler explanation for Donald Trump: Republicans have fed the country ideas about decline, betrayal and treason. They have encouraged the forces of anti-intellectualism, obstructionism and populism. They have flirted with bigotry and racism. Trump merely chose to unashamedly embrace all of it, saying plainly what they were hinting at for years. In doing so, he hit a jackpot.

The problem is not that Republican leaders should have begun to condemn Trump last year. It is that they should have condemned the ideas and tactics that led to his rise when they began to flourish 20 years ago." - Fareed Zakaria

Yes, that's a very worrying factor in this as well. A few years ago there was a half hearted attempt at damage control, initiated by (will you believe it) Bobby Jindal.........

Trump is a blowhard, but at least he knows he is. Cruz however........

Gerard

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Odd character that Cruz guy..I have a feeling that he really could care less about religion. It's his sales pitch and nothing else. He's not stupid and has successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court on several occasions so he uses religion as his selling point. If he thought that becoming ultra left wing and telling us to all sing kumya would get him elected he'd do it, but he already tied himself to the dominionist side where he can never free himself of the persona...
The longer I watch House of Cards the more I think that every politician is cut from the same cloth as Frank Underwood,  say anything, do anything, kill anyone to have the power over everyone else.
Once you have more money than you can spend in a day or even a year the only thing left is the ability to control others.
After all..The only reason we or anyone ever goes to war is over money and power because at the end of the day nobody gives a rats ass which god you pray to.

[Gerard]

I would go one more step: they should have stopped Reagan in 1980 from inviting Falwell and the Moral Majority into the party. Opening the floodgates to crazy people is never a good idea. They tend to be loose canons, and whatever happens is more likely than not to go downhill.

Yeah, you could also argue that things started going downhill in 1888 when the Republicans started getting funded by big business and got Benjamin Harrison elected. This allowed the previously awkward Democrats to move to a higher ground eventually..... But basically your point is right. Mind you, if Reagan came back today, he couldn't get nominated to the Republican ticket. Which goes to show how ideologically driven politics on the right have escalated and how isolated and radicalized Republican politics have become.

Gerard

[Baruch]

Odd character that Cruz guy..I have a feeling that he really could care less about religion. It's his sales pitch and nothing else. He's not stupid and has successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court on several occasions so he uses religion as his selling point. If he thought that becoming ultra left wing and telling us to all sing kumya would get him elected he'd do it, but he already tied himself to the dominionist side where he can never free himself of the persona...
The longer I watch House of Cards the more I think that every politician is cut from the same cloth as Frank Underwood,  say anything, do anything, kill anyone to have the power over everyone else.
Once you have more money than you can spend in a day or even a year the only thing left is the ability to control others.
After all..The only reason we or anyone ever goes to war is over money and power because at the end of the day nobody gives a rats ass which god you pray to.

Modernity started in N Italy in the 1500s.  Machiavelli has never never gone out of style.  That and MacBeth and yon Cassius with the lean and hungry look!

[drunkenshoe]

Modernity started in N Italy in the 1500s. Machiavelli has never never gone out of style.  That and MacBeth and yon Cassius with the lean and hungry look!

I knew you were a Medici fan! :PP

[Baruch]

I knew you were a Medici fan! :PP

You are only safe from a Medici, if he is dead and buried ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_KbRf47_js

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

One of my favorite books of all time is The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini.

[drunkenshoe]

You are only safe from a Medici, if he is dead and buried ...

They already ruined human culture forever. The world runs on the same process they invented. Just in a greater a level(s). Transforming religion into culture and turning it into political  and financial profit and benefit. 'Evil'.

One of my favorite books of all time is The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini.

Yeah, I remember you mentioning it before.

They also published about some letter archives of other Italian families like Dattini in 16th century (Seriously, 125 000 letters ffs) several years ago I guess. If you are interested. But wasn't a book. An article on research in socio-linguistics.

[Fickle]

Rena Girard's fundamental ideas, which he had developed throughout his career and provided the foundation for his thinking, were that desire is mimetic (all of our desires are borrowed from other people), that all conflict originates in mimetic desire (mimetic rivalry), that the scapegoat mechanism is the origin of sacrifice and the foundation of human culture,

On another more sinister note it may be that most people see the train wreck looming on the horizon and have chosen to follow their savior Mr.Trump to the promised land. That is if they vote for Trump they themselves may become more like him. A psychotic SOB with no moral compass who believes money can buy respect. However Mr.Trump will not lead them away from the train wreck...he is the train wreck.