Neocons - the Cult of Darkness

Bloggers burn through a lot of keyboards trying to define what the likes of Darth Cheney and a whole morbid host of Repugnicians are all about. The explanations run from mere social conservatives to outright fascists (or crypto-fascists if you like), but seldom have i heard them referred to as cult followers. That's exactly the term that was used on a Thom Hartman Show call-in a few weeks back and it certainly rang a bell (a liberty bell?) with this listener.

Checkout the indicators of a cult taken here from The Cult Information Centre (CIC). They define a cult as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit and indoctrinate potential members.

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds or recruit people.

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

Soooooo, does that sound mighty familiar to you: like are they describing the Bush regime? No? Well let's take a brief look:

1) The present state of the corporate media in the U.S., coupled with the din of belligerent jingoism constantly emanating from the right can easily be described as "psychological coercion to recruit and indoctrinate potential members". Here's Chomsky on the U.S. media:

"As we have stressed throughout this book, the US media do not function in the manner of the propaganda system of a totalitarian state. Rather, they permit -- indeed, encourage -- spirited debate, criticism, and dissent, as long as these remain faithfully within the system of presuppositions and principles that constitute an elite consensus, a system so powerful as to be internalized largely without awareness." ("Manufacturing Consent, "302) That was written years ago. I'd say in this, the dark heart of the Bush regime, such definitions are far too generous.

2)"An elitist totalitarian society" could be said to be on the near horizon here in the belly of the beast. If you doubt that you're not paying attention. The U.S. has been elitist for a very long time. As for totalitarian, define your terms. Again, in "Manufacturing Consent", published in 1988, Noam Chomsky described a non-totalitarian U.S. society, that one might compare to something Orwell imagined. But now we have the so-called Patriot Act; and the Bush cabal illegally spying on U.S. citizens; and the official sanctioning of torture; and on-the-shelf plans for martial law in the "Land of the Free".

3) George Bush, while not exactly self-appointed, (a majority on the Supreme Court appointed him) is certainly "dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma" (on the latter, at least for some people).

4) The Bush regime is all about 'the end justifies the means'.

5) "Its wealth does not benefit its members or society". Surprise!

So, welcome to the Cult of Darkness! Take off your coat and drop your copy of the Constitution at the door. What are we going to do about it? Well, the vote seems pretty well corrupted and this November may well confirm that notion. How about occupying the capitol!