Jeff Sharlet has spent two decades covering the intersection of extreme Christian nationalism and the far-right. In his new book, Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, he gives snapshots of a country rapidly devolving into a Christian fascism state. He captures the rage, the despair, the dislocation, the alienation, the aesthetic of violence, and the magical thinking that are the foundations of all fascist movements—forces that are now coalescing around the Trump-led Republican Party. The bizarre conspiracy theories and buffoonish quality of many who lead and embrace this movement, such as Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, make the use American fascists easy to ridicule and dismiss. But Sharlet implores us to take them seriously as an existential threat to what is left of our anemic democracy. Jeff Sharlet joins The Chris Hedges Report to discuss his new book and the rising tide of Christofascism threatening our democracy.
Turning into? Sure, if you asked this back in the 80s.
I appreciate that this has been happening for a long time, and it’s really steamrolling now, but the Satanic Temple is still recognized by the IRS and federal court system. We’re not at the endgame yet.
Yo! That’s really interesting! The idea of fascism as serving emotional needs isn’t something that I’ve thought of before. In contrast, where he says they’re being invited to inhabit a gnostic worldview, that’s how I understand fascism, as a type of rhetorical discourse. But the relationship between their emotional needs and the rhetoric that satisfies those needs…that connection I hadn’t made before.
Also, these people are fucking insane.
Yes, it’s scary to think what’s coming down the pipeline
Jeff Sharlet is a fucking milquetoast loser who, after doing all this research and coming to the conclusion that radical fascists are using velocity to crush freedom, INSISTS that liberals should continue to use slow, carefully considered quiet incrementalism and respect the free speech rights of Nazis. I heard an hour long interview with him about this work and he’s a fucking idiot. Pay no attention to that doormat clown
I think, no. But the ones who want that are really adamant. They’re super pissed at the nominal progress we’ve made and they’re lashing out in their death throes.
They’ll make life unbearable for a lot of people but then they’ll be gone and we’ll go back to the regular end game capitalism.They’re no more in their death throes than they were the last time they attempted a fascist coup. Smedly Butler exposed them then. January 6th they were so emboldened the broadcast and did it in the open. Only failing due to incompetence. The next time, and there will be one could be much sooner than you think. And might be successful.
🌎👩🚀🔫👩🚀
Is this a trick question?
Yes. Next.
These fuckers want their Gilead.
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