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•••

The extreme right has declared war
on America.
They call it the Culture War.

Here’s what they believe:
Civil liberties? Don’t need those. 
Separate church and state? Not us.
Protect the environment? Why? 
Tell the truth about our agenda? No thanks.
Rich pay taxes? No!
War in Iraq? Bring ‘em on!
More military spending? Can’t have enough weapons.

 

Yes, this is nuts!

But it won the election of 2004. Why?
Read this book to understand how the right wing agenda has taken control
of all 3 branches of government, and what we can do to build a better future for America.

•••

January 2005
Two new articles by Langdon Morris:

The End of an Era
January 2005
George W. Bush could be the last Republican president, as reality catches up with his agenda, and shows convincingly that his ideology and reality do not match. At least we can hope so ....

The Survival Guide for Democrats
January 2005
Having largely misunderstood the key political lessons of the last 25 years, the Democrats now find themselves in a new and unpleasant situation - firmly entrenched as the minority.   As they think about how rebuild their party, here are four survival tips to keep in mind over the next four tough years.

•••

Have you ever wondered why the left and the right fight with each other with such vicious intensity?  Why do they see the world so differently? 

Do you ever worry that ideological conflict is getting in the way of things that really need to be done?

Do you think about the huge challenges that America is facing today, and wonder what we really ought to be doing about them?

The War for America examines these important issues in detail, exposing the important and interesting patterns that are shaping the world of today and tomorrow.

•••

The Culture War

The culture war is not about armies or guns, tanks or missiles, it's about ideals, morals, and most of all ideologies.

Driven by a domineering moral philosophy, ideologues from the far right have launched an all-out attack for control of American society, and they've made significant gains over the last 25 years.  Their goal is to impose a narrow fundamentalist vision on the nation, and with their deep pockets, broad influence, and considerable political skill, they have moved from the periphery into the very centers of power.  Through clever use of the media they has defined the terms of political debate, and today they seek to consolidate their gains through continued domination of the political process.  Here's what the leaders of the right are saying:

 "... This is a civil war, that only one side will prevail, and that the other side will be relegated to history.  This war has to be fought with the scale and savagery that is only true of civil wars." Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives

"We are no longer working to preserve the status quo.  We are radicals, working to overturn the present power structure of the country." Paul Weyrich, founder of the Heritage Foundation

"It is a total war, basically a war of ideas, a war of minds."  Bo Hi Pack, President of the Washington Times newspaper.

It's a "war over American values." Richard Mellon Scaife, billionaire and political donor.

It's a "religious war for the soul of America." Pat Robertson, evangelist and former presidential candidate.

It's "not a civil war, but a culture war." Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The left, on the other hand, looks at the world in a much different way.  Although it lacks the unified message and the immense, monied influence of the right, liberal beliefs about the future of America and the moral system that underlies those beliefs are as sound and as meaningful as anything the right has to offer.  Of course the right would never admit to such heresy!

And the American populace sits in between, on the very front lines of a conflict that is being fought daily in the media, in the courts, and in Congress.  Americans are almost equally divided between these two contrasting moral and ideological systems, wondering which offers a better deal for the future.

Since the winning side will have increased political power to bring its vision to reality, this is really a war about which set of policies will guide the American government in the coming years.  It is, in other words, a war for the future. 

But like all wars, this one has a price, because as the war goes on the American political process has become deeply mired in ideological conflict.  The Congress and many legislatures (such as those in California and Texas) are no longer functioning effectively, and each year they seem less capable of handling critical issues.  Distracted from the important business of creating a better future, America finds itself deeper and deeper in crisis. 

And even as we're having such difficulty dealing with today's challenges, we wonder what's going to happen tomorrow.  Change is not slowing down, complexity is not diminishing, and the difficult problems are not getting any simpler.  It's obvious that our problems are not going to be solved in the way that we're going about it now, and something has to change.  But what?  What can we do to escape the ideological stalemate and shift our energies to building a better future for our nation and our world?

The War for America answers these questions, exploring a wide range of issues and topics and offering detailed and thoughtful analysis, ideas, and proposals to help us understand the changing world.

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