The Religious Capitol Invaders May Yet Win
So much about U.S. society and religion can be learned from the Civil War and what happened afterwards. After its defeat, the South started a myth about the unethical soldiers from the North. The South fought for principles of God and states rights. The North did not. It was the South, this propaganda told the country, that had the high moral ground.
The Capitol invaders, encouraged by Trump, swallowed the myth that Biden's election was stolen. Thus, they think they held and still hold the high moral ground. This was reinforced by the cross and prayers during the invasion. Even with Trump is gone, we will see political opportunists like Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley stroking crowds and feeding the same lies as Trump. Like "the South will rise again" these gullible followers will talk of victory over the unclean.
After the Civil War the South rallied around the phrase, Lost Cause. For decades, and maybe to this day, there are ceremonies remembering fallen martyrs, Rebel Soldiers. There are many monuments and the song, Dixie. I remember seeing such a monument a few years ago in Savannah, GA, praising the brave Rebels who were defeated by an army of unjust invaders.
Slavery had been legal for 400 years and was followed by segregation. During that long period the white South elected white supremacists and segregationists. To this day, their brand of politics, little government, little to no public medicine, anti women and abortion, religion in government and we all know the rest is powerful in U. S. Ultimately, they won the civil war by playing up their grievances.
I'm thinking the myth of a stolen election will be replayed over and over with ceremonies and martyrdom in the coming years. This kind of propaganda is called in the link a form of civil religion. It is the collective memory of those who thought they were wronged.
Collective memory is not historical fact. It is instead an emotional memory of how things did not turn out right and how revenge is within reach.
After Trump supporters have sulked a while we may well see it all return.
I watched the entire enrollment at the U S Capital today. The number of times "God" was used, invoked, and the number of times "God" was alluded to was close to an old time tent revival. It seems as though the Capital God invaders have already arrived with an incontestable preemptive "win". It would be fair to say Trump was out Godded by his opposition.
ReplyDeletehelper-- "Old time tent revival"
ReplyDeleteA lot more God than Obama events--as I remember them.
Obama didn't need God. He had Jeremiah Wright until he was revealed.
DeleteDoes that huge bible compensate for something?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-20/biden-bible-swearing-in-inauguration-tradition
Must be the one used by Plugs daily.....cumbersome to carry around though. This is absolutely going to be a delightful four years.
Henry January 21, 2021 at 6:48 PM
DeleteYa got me again Henry. I drew a blank on the “Plugs” reference. Nice to have someone well versed in the conservative media ecosystem to teach the lingo. Thanks.
Tagging Biden with the moniker “Plugs”, as in hair plugs, the aptly named “Rush”, as in Limbaugh, I read licked up a lot of hydro- and oxycodone. Later on, Donnie Dollar’s promotion of hydroxy-chloroquine must have put a momentary twinkle in Rush’s high until ... shucks! On a lighter note when asked about being questioned by customs for some blue pills found in his luggage upon returning from a pleasurable trip to the Dominican Republic, Rush quipped he scored the Viagra at the Clinton Library. Pretty sure Billie didn’t need it. Limbaugh did land the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” the night after he announced his fight with advanced lung cancer. The Donald recognized him for making an “especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." That’s delightful.
Jon, “After Trump supporters have sulked a while we may well see it all return.”
ReplyDeleteFrom the link: “The myth became the basis for contesting the facts. A myth becomes reality through ritual, when its story is dramatized and its adherents brought to collective participation in it.”
To me those two sentences summarize the influence of myth on the conscience, it’s impact on religion, and by extension politics. Facts are extremely difficult to discern when immersed in a mythos where the real is not actual and the ideal is not abstract. Repetitive participation in dramatic ritual by accident or by design often leads to zealotry and ultimately collective fanaticism. “Fanaticism never sleeps ... it is never stopped by conscience; for it has pressed conscience into its service.", Jeremy Bentham.
Ardy B "reality through ritual"
DeleteIt will be curious to see if new rituals follow the Trump defeat. I heard a young man in Florida waiting to wave at the Trump motorcade was wearing spray-on tan makeup. Perhaps there will be gatherings of MAGA faithful and all will arrive wearing spray-on tan. Maybe they will hold hands and sing new patriotic songs with Trump in the lyrics.