It isn't pretty. His picture of how the U.S. rose to the status of superpower in two short centuries is convincing, if a little depressing. First, the invaders from the European continent wipe out the existing indigenous population through a deadly combination of war and infectious disease, and take over their land and agricultural techniques. Second, they institute a well-worn strategy of importing a ready-made workforce, otherwise known as slavery, to begin the process of building and profiting from this new world.
From this inauspicious start, a new country was borne with an impressive mandate - to create a land where the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness must prevail over all. The writers of the U.S. constitution meant to create a form of governance in which 'rational thought' would trump the inherent prejudice of a 'supernatural' belief system.
But this was easier said than done. Religious institutions dominated the nascent American culture, and some politicians were quick to exploit this predilection. Andrew Jackson was apparently the first populist president, but certainly not the last. He promulgated a platform that disparaged intellectuals and secularism, pandering to the extremists who actually supported theocratic rule.
This constant tension between rationality and religion continues to pervade the U.S. political systems - the present day split between right and left is starker than it has ever been. Wright goes so far as to posit that a group he labels the 'neo-cons' have taken over the Republican party, in large part by exploiting the religious beliefs of its core supporters even though these politicians are not all religious. According to Wright, they have an entirely different agenda. These neo-cons began their latest putsch in the Reagan era, recklessly cutting taxes and racking up huge deficits, despite their claims of fiscal prudence. Their goal was no less than to wreck the "New Deal" of FDR and the democrats, by rendering the government incapable of paying for these 'socialist' policies. Apparently, some of these people were adherents of Objectivism, pursuing the Randian ideal of a government responsible only for policing and national security.
I am always skeptical when claims are made of audacious conspiracies, when dogmatic incompetence or simple stupidity can adequately describe the obvious failures of policy. The Bush legacy of out-of-control spending, unimaginable debt and egregious failure is so out of proportion, perhaps there was a hidden agenda. A new world order unencumbered by any normal sense of ethical behavior or empathy for others.
Mission accomplished. Or not.
