Money, Lies, and God

Political polarization—according to some on the left—can be mostly attributed to “misunderstandings” and “lapses in civility.” If only we could more politely converse with each other, the thinking goes, then we’d all get along and mend our divisions.

This is misguided. As this book clearly demonstrates, there is no equal blame—the current threat to democracy is coming disproportionately from the antidemocratic right, as any sane reading of recent political history reveals.

The author, Katherine Stewart—who’s been reporting on the rise of religious nationalism and antidemocratic forces for decades—poignantly notes:

“I will venture that few who have familiarized themselves with this movement will be tempted to minimize the danger it represents to our collective well-being.”

By the end of the book, you’ll be forced to agree. Stewart describes in great detail how the hard-right (which has captured the Republican Party) is spreading political chaos and collective insanity through well-funded, well-organized channels skilled at propaganda, targeting a large segment of the American population most susceptible to such manipulation. You’ll meet the funders, thinkers, and influencers at the heart of this highly sophisticated campaign to spread disinformation, confusion, hatred, and doubt, all in the service of maintaining or exacerbating current levels of inequality.

Although what is labeled as “the right” in fact consists of a diverse group of sometimes competing interests, they are all, in fact, roughly united by a kind of “reactionary nihilism”—to use Stewart’s term—that seeks to tear down existing institutions—to be replaced with something only ever vaguely defined. But whatever it is, it certainly won’t be “American.”

The American experiment was rooted in the idea that everyone is equal and free to govern themselves in a pluralistic society—not to be governed by certain races or genders or forced to abide by the dictates of archaic religions. So if the campaign to destroy the American experiment (and democracy along with it) succeeds, as Stewart notes, you can count on one thing: that it will harm everyone—including, perhaps especially, those who mistakenly and brazenly support it.