Globalization, Globalization, Theocracy & the Theocracy & the New Fascism New Fascism Taking the Taking the Right- -Wing Wing Right Christian Christian Rise to Power Rise to Power Seriously Seriously Over one million Christian men ‘Promise Keepers’ March in DC
Some Conclusions Upfront: Some Conclusions Upfront: Why the Right is Growing Why the Right is Growing Impact of Globalization: Economic � Impact of Globalization: Economic � contraction and restructuring, and contraction and restructuring, and fundamentalist reaction to changed fundamentalist reaction to changed identity in the pluralist ‘ identity in the pluralist ‘Global Village. Global Village.’ ’ Race resentment and bigotry over Race resentment and bigotry over � � challenges to white privilege. challenges to white privilege. 2005 March in DC Against Women’s Right to Choose Backlash to antiwar protests and social � Backlash to antiwar protests and social � stress from rapid cultural change. stress from rapid cultural change. Old Wealth sees systemic threat: Creates Old Wealth sees systemic threat: Creates � � well- -funded infrastructure of new right funded infrastructure of new right- - well wing organizations and media and media wing organizations Religious backlash and resurgence Religious backlash and resurgence � � focused on challenged patriarchal, focused on challenged patriarchal, gender and reproductive issues gender and reproductive issues
Division & Shifts in the Ruling Class over 40 years: Division & Shifts in the Ruling Class over 40 years: From Corporate Liberalism to the New Conservative Right From Corporate Liberalism to the New Conservative Right � Liberal hegemony in Liberal hegemony in � 1960: Democrats are the 1960: Democrats are the majority party, the GOP is majority party, the GOP is the minority, and the new the minority, and the new conservative right is a conservative right is a minority within a minority. minority within a minority. JFK with labor rally in Detroit, 1960 � Today the GOP is the Today the GOP is the � majority party, with the majority party, with the conservative right in conservative right in control. Democrats are a control. Democrats are a minority, with it’ ’s liberal s liberal minority, with it component on the component on the defensive. defensive. Senate leader Frist with Bush & Speaker Hastert
Critical Factor: Impact of the 1960s Revolt Critical Factor: Impact of the 1960s Revolt Both Liberals and the Old Right Were Set Back Both Liberals and the Old Right Were Set Back Black gains in the South Black gains in the South � � defeated conservative defeated conservative segregationists, but also split segregationists, but also split the Democratic Party in the the Democratic Party in the South. South. The antiwar revolt, along with � � The antiwar revolt, along with corporate liberalism’ ’s defense s defense corporate liberalism of war, fractured the Democrats of war, fractured the Democrats in Chicago in 1968. in Chicago in 1968. Women’ ’s gains, especially s gains, especially � � Women reproductive rights, undermines reproductive rights, undermines male supremacy and expands male supremacy and expands democracy. But traditional democracy. But traditional families are stressed and families are stressed and change as women enter the change as women enter the workforce . . workforce
1968: A New Politics of Backlash & Resentment 1968: A New Politics of Backlash & Resentment Southern whites switch to the Southern whites switch to the � � GOP, making Republicans the GOP, making Republicans the new majority new majority Nixon’ ’s s ‘ ‘silent majority silent majority’ ’ wins wins Nixon � � White House with ‘ ‘Southern Southern White House with Strategy’ ’ and and ‘ ‘law and order law and order’ ’ Strategy campaign against mass campaign against mass protest. protest. Conservatives launch anti- - Conservatives launch anti � � feminist ‘ ‘right to life right to life’ ’ fight fight feminist against both liberals & against both liberals & moderates in both parties, moderates in both parties, launching ‘ ‘the new right. the new right.’ ’ launching 1968: ‘Blue Collar’ Wallace with rightwing Gen LeMay
The Post Sixties Dialectic: The Post Sixties Dialectic: Movement & Counter- -Movement Movement Movement & Counter � Civil Rights Civil Rights � No Affirmative No Affirmative � � Action Action � Pro Military Pro Military � � Antiwar Antiwar � � Antifeminist / Antifeminist / � � Women Women’ ’s s � Anti- -abortion abortion Anti Rights Rights � Antigay / Antigay / ‘ ‘Defense Defense � � Gay Rights Gay Rights � of Marriage’ ’ of Marriage � ‘ ‘Wise Use Wise Use’ ’ / anti / anti- - � � Ecology Ecology � ’Green Wackos Green Wackos’ ’ ’
The New Right of the 1970s: What is To Be Done? The New Right of the 1970s: What is To Be Done? Step One: Fund & Organize the Elites Step One: Fund & Organize the Elites Today’ ’s Right was launched in the s Right was launched in the Today 1970s. Many forces were involved, 1970s. Many forces were involved, but two men played a special role. but two men played a special role. They had the vision and skills to They had the vision and skills to organize a core of think tanks, organize a core of think tanks, policy groups and coalition efforts, policy groups and coalition efforts, organization builder Paul Weyrich organization builder Paul Weyrich and computer and computer- -direct mail expert, direct mail expert, Richard Viguerie. Richard Viguerie. Paul Weyrich They set up new think tanks to unite They set up new think tanks to unite the core groups and used the the core groups and used the ‘ ‘right right to life’ ’ movement to build a mass movement to build a mass to life base in conservative churches. base in conservative churches. The first political aim was to build The first political aim was to build up a right wing of the GOP and elect up a right wing of the GOP and elect Ronald Reagan to the White House Ronald Reagan to the White House in 1980. But these were only the in 1980. But these were only the first steps. first steps. Richard Viguerie
Theory: The Right’ ’s Strategy for Growth s Strategy for Growth Theory: The Right Identify the target: liberals and Identify the target: liberals and � � the left the left Build counter- Build counter -theory in think theory in think � � tanks tanks Build mass communications in Build mass communications in � � talk radio, religious media and talk radio, religious media and direct mail direct mail Built base communities in Built base communities in � � churches and grassroots churches and grassroots "Antonio Gramsci theorized that it would take a political caucuses political caucuses 'long march through the institutions' before Build wider anti- -liberal liberal Build wider anti � � socialism and relativism would be victorious alliances, the counter- - alliances, the counter ...Gramsci theorized that by capturing these key institutions and using their power, cultural hegemonic bloc hegemonic bloc values would be changed, traditional morals Take power by combining Take power by combining � � would be broken down, and the stage would be mass action, taking over and mass action, taking over and set for the political and economic power of the purging the GOP, and winning purging the GOP, and winning West to fall...Gramsci succeeded in defining a elections by any means elections by any means strategy for waging cultural warfare...Why don't we simply get in the game and start competing necessary necessary for control of these key cultural institutions? In other words, why not fight back?“ --Rush Limbaugh
Where Did Their Money Come From? Where Did Their Money Come From? � Scaife Foundations Scaife Foundations � � Coors / Castle Rock Coors / Castle Rock � Foundations Foundations � Bradley Foundation Bradley Foundation � � Smith Richardson Smith Richardson � Richard Mellon Scaife with Newt Gingrich at Heritage Foundation; Foundation Foundation George Bush at Heritage Lunch In Washington, DC � Olin Foundation Olin Foundation � Five of the right wing’s largest funders, with assets totaling nearly $2 billion
Where Did Their Where Did Their Money Go? Money Go? A Case in Point: Olin Foundation Founded in 1953 by Illinois industrialist John Merrill Olin, the Olin Foundation funds projects that "strengthen the economic, political and cultural institutions upon which the American heritage of constitutional government and private enterprise is based." Here are some of its grantees over the last 20 years. Notice that Olin funds a range of rightist views; Libertarian, Christian Nationalist, Christian Theocrat, NeoCon and PaleoCon, but the key groups that started the new right, Weyrich’s Free Congress Foundation and the Heritage Foundation, are supported.
The Lay of the Land 2002: The Lay of the Land 2002: Americans Self- -Defined by Faith Defined by Faith Americans Self
The Lay of the Land 2002: The Lay of the Land 2002: Relative Strength of the Religious Right Relative Strength of the Religious Right
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