By now you've probably seen Donald Rumsfeld's top secret motivational Power Point presentations on how to wage Christian Jihad in Iraq.
None of this should shock you, since we've known about the intersections between evangelical Christianity and the U.S. military in the Bush administration's War on Terror for several years now. Plus, this is no surprise, because Christianity has been providing ideological cover to U.S. imperial machinations since manifest destiny. What is news is our old pal Rummy's role in organizing this ideological passion play from the top.
Remember Lt. General William Boykin and his Power Point presentations? As Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, he toured the nation's churches in full uniform providing updates on our war against Islam:
I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol . . . Our spiritual enemy . . . will only be defeated if we come against them in the name of Jesus.
Rummy and Boykin must have shared slides.
According to Boykin, you can blame God for selecting George W. Bush in 2000.
Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him . . . I tell you this morning that he’s in the White House because God put him there.
Another holy warrior, Lt Col. Gareth Brandl, rallied his troops before entering Fallujah in November 2004 saying:
The enemy has got a face, he's called Satan. He lives in Fallujah and we're going to destroy him!
Well then, I guess Satan has been dead for almost five years. I don't think anything survived the siege of Fallujah.
In 2003, Rumsfeld said he could not control rogue generals from making these sorts of comments because we are a "free people" who are allowed to say what we want. Wait - I thought freedom of speech didn't exist in the military. You only say what the chain of command wants you to say. Whatever.
Well, now we know that Rumseld not only gave the green light to the Christo-Fascist takeover of the Department of Defense, but also participated in the ideological justifications of the war.
I find it a little odd that a publication like GQ is presenting this re-examination of Rummy as opposed to a Sulzberger operated joint. On the GQ main page just below this story you'll find a link to video of a bikini-clad Megan Fox sucking on ice cubes. You won't get that at the New York Times!
Perhaps this is the future of investigative journalism marketing.
Lure readers in with sex, then tell them who and how fucked up their overlords are. It worked for Matt Taibbi's great article The Big Takeover, which was featured in Rolling Stone issue 1075 - the one with the gossip girls sharing a dripping ice cream cone on the cover.
As newspapers continue to fail, one can only hope to see investigate journalism fill the pages of Maxim and Complex. I'd love to read an article about the latest clusterfuck in Afghanistan sandwiched between an Adriana Lima photo shoot.
Men's magazines have a long tradition of that sort of thing. Few read Playboy solely for the articles, but they're good enough that it's at least plausible to say so.
Posted by: Hamilton-Lovecraft | May 18, 2009 at 10:29 AM
I hope you have something in mind for us female readers. Not sure who, though. At my age I tend to forget who's attractive. Actually, the president's easy on the eyes. A nice looking young man. No ice cubes necessary.
Not shocked about Rummy's Bible Quotes, but even more creeped out by him than before if that's possible.
Posted by: zenyenta | May 18, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Hamilton-Lovecraft: Never read it, so I wouldn't know.
zenyenta: But of course...once newspapers have completely vanished the only place left for print journalism will be Oprah magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, etc. I'm sure there will a big story in the next People's Sexiest Man Alive addition.
Posted by: Agi | May 18, 2009 at 12:45 PM
one can only hope to see investigate journalism fill the pages of Maxim and Complex
They do share a common ideological enemy- Bible spouting conservatives censors with access to weapons of mass destruction.
Posted by: LewScannon | May 18, 2009 at 02:58 PM
I'd freakin' devour that Megan Fox...wait what we're we talking about?
Posted by: Frederick | May 18, 2009 at 04:06 PM