Is "Theocracy" a good meme Albatross to hang on the Repukes?

[Zynx]

I think it conjures up nice images and lets you accuse the Republican of things he can't disavow without pissing off his base, but cannot agree with without horrifying independents and moderate Republicans.

[Langis]

1. It perfect! We need to hammer them with it.

Becasue it's true, and your right they can't win either way.

[Zynx]

2. "Mr. Candidate, do you think birth control should be illegal?"

:evilgrin:

Myself, I'm observant Catholic, but I recognize that one cannot impose religious beliefs as laws in this country.

[RobertSeattle]

3. NeoCon + TheoCon = Democracy Gone

[nickgutierrez]

4. I think it's a good one for the more extreme supporters.

For instance, "Focus on the Family" is a good one to attach this line to, and I'm glad Ken Salazar has decided the same. I'd rather it become attached to the party by proxy, by way of its supporters, rather than just trying to make it stick to the party itself. The right owns too much of the media for it to willingly allow such a harsh label to stick to the Republicans that easily.

[calimary]

20. "Focus on the Pharisees."

And Jacobin's "radical clerics" is also good.

And don't forget to throw in the words "mullahs" and "ayatollas" from time to time, when describing dr. james dobson, santorum, frist, delay, bush, bennett, falwell, robertson, and the rest of 'em.

"Family Research Council" should be renamed "Pharisee Research Council."

Any - repeat - ANY title or concept or group name that includes the word "family" - that word should be replaced with "Pharisee." Why mess around? Simple is MUCH MUCH better and gets the point across much more swiftly and efficiently and effectively. Let's just cut to the chase and call 'em what they ARE. At any rate, it's clever and easy to remember. And if it's viewed as clever, it's also therefore disarming, and you come off looking far more positive and upbeat than negative and downer and dreary. It's all in the psychology.

Among my own friends and other like-minded companions, "Christo-fascists" always gets a favorable reaction.

And if you're writing any of this rather than speaking it, go ahead and refer to "christians" as "X-tians" - because there's NOTHING Christ-like about them.

[nickgutierrez]

21. I like the "Pharisee" comparison

It's something that the average Christian can understand and latch onto, and it's easy enough to use that it can become a popular talking point.

[Jacobin]

5. I call their preachers 'radical clerics"

:-)

[fryguy]

6. theo-conservatives ("theocons") works better -IMHO

[GOPBasher]

7. Yes. That's what they want. n/t

[benddem]

8. wouldn't you just love to ask

one of those fundie preachers like Dobson why his life is so unlike Jesus teachings? Call it like it is. We are moving towards a theocracy. This is the society Orwell envisioned though it isn't communism it is religious zealotry.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Most people don't know what "theocracy" means

It may be better to be a little bit more round about and say, "They want us to have a government like Iran's, only with Christian fanatics instead of Islamic fanatics."

[rkc3]

10. I believe several people have pointed out that...

the bush admin is bending over backwards to prevent a theocracy in Iraq while doing the same in the US to create a theorcracy here.

[rman]

13. fortunately it's very simple to explain

Every frame needs some explanation. When the explanation is simple it can easily catch on, provided it can get enough air time (which is the main problem for progressives).

theocracy = no separation of church and state

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. But some people might interpret "no separation of church and state"

in a relatively benign manner, such as "You can have an official prayer before football games if the majority of the people in town are in favor of it." That sounds fine to a lot of people who haven't had much contact with non-Christian religions or with atheists.

They might interpret it as meaning something like the systems in certain Western European countries, which have an official state church but in which the state church doesn't directly influence laws, even though it gets government support. (I'm thinking of the Scandinavian countries, which are officially Lutheran but in which the Lutheran church has little or no control over people's everday lives.)

They don't understand the Dominionists' ambitions, which include everything up to recreating something like Puritan New England, with no freedom of expression, punishments for sexual "offenses," and really, really harsh punishments for other infractions. Maybe even compulsory affiliation with a religion, as when Japan in the 17th century required everyone to register with a Buddhist temple. (Perhaps non-fundamentalist religions would be banned or harrassed, as liberal Muslims, Zoroastrians, and other non-Shiites are in Iran) Books, movies, TV shows, music, newspapers, and magazines could be banned. Maybe there would be national dress codes. Maybe all anti-discrimination laws would be repealed. Maybe women would be limited to a narrow range of roles. Anyone who disagreed could be jailed or even killed.

That's the danger that people don't understand.

"Iran or Saudi Arabia, only with Christian fanatics in charge instead of Muslim fanatics."

I would foster the frame first by never referring to Iran or Saudi Arabia without a modifier like "theocratic" or "ruled by religious extremists."

Once that meme was throughly established, then I'd start extending it to the Dominionists.

[winga222]

11. Too big of a word for some people

Unfortunately some people would need it explained to them. May be worth a try, though. It's not by any measure too harsh.

Love the "radical clerics" line. Let's throw that around for a while. Bastards.

:dem:

[AntiCoup2K4]

12. This dominionist-fascist-theocracy agenda needs to be exposed NOW

And it needs to be stopped before this country becomes a slightly more modernized version of Iran. With the dominionists in charge of the world's "only superpower" and Opus Dei now in charge of the world's largest church, things are NOT looking good.

I don't believe the majority of Christians - protestant or Catholic - even most conservatives would agree with this theocratic fascist agenda, but they simply are not aware of it.

Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world, and when the time does come for His kingdom to be on this planet, then He will bring that about Himself. It cannot be done by mortal men, and anyone who believes it can is either a liar, a fool, or both.

[sweetheart]

14. Rather "corrupt"

It is more saleable. Theocracy will be rebuked and argued, whereas
corrupt is eminently visible across the spectrum... the most corrupt
administration EVER in american history.

[OneBlueSky]

15. I think it needs a modifier . . . something like . . .

pseudo-Christian theocracy . . .

just to make it perfectly clear that a) they're essentially excluding all non-Christian religions, and b) their version of Christianity is far, far removed from the teachings of Jesus . . .

[JHBowden]

16. Radical Clerics

Linking the Republicans to "radical clerics" really emphasizes how they want to turn America into Iran.

[bunkerbuster1]

17. I've always loved that term to describe SpongeDob, Falwell, et al.

If only we could get some mainstream Dems to slip it into a soundbite, if only...

[bunkerbuster1]

18. Sitting on the fence, here.

I suspect it's a tad over most Americans' heads. We've had some success with the term "religious extremism" in the past, I think we should probably stick to that.

Most people don't think of themselves as "religious extremists." Most people know what that means, even though (of course) they define it to suit their needs.

[KittyWampus]

22. Yes, Zynx. I Also Heard 'Religous McCarthyism'.

[Joebert]

23. Nope.

As long as people believe that their God knows what's best, and one party is deferring to him for answers, they'll win.

Theocracy is a bonus for a lot of people. They want that feeling of protection and belonging.

Somebody needs to come up with a good term that will show the abuse of religion that we're seeing.

None of what Delay, Frist or the other nuts are coming up with is based on religion, it's based on making people do what they want.

They don't believe any of it.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God"

That doesn't work so hot for them, does it?

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy"

Death penalty is good? What? Kill judges? Excuse me?

Theocracy doesn't work because it makes the people who think they need to prove their piety feel like they have to support that side. They can't support the godless opponent, he's not creating a government in God's way.

[kevsand]

24. "Zealots" works real well for me.

As in "right-wing zealots," or "extremist zealots." I like theocons, too, because it's short and easy to remember, and people will ask what the hell it means, so you get to explain it.

I would avoid actually using the word "Christian" anywhere, or even "pseudo-Christian" or "so-called Christian." It doesn't break as cleanly, and muddies the thought.

[FrenchieCat]

25. Couldn't vote

I was looking for "Facist"......or "corporatists".

[bonzotex]

26. Theocracy is a perfect label

Theres' no way they can turn it against Dems with the old standby Orwellian crap, i.e. "Oh yeah! y'all are so totally more Theocratic!"

If they adopt it and admit it, it rightfully scares people.

If they try to defend themselves against it, it makes them confront their Theocratic tendencies and moral hypocrisy in public.

It's lose-lose either way for the Repugs.

[Roland99]

27. Call the "Christian" ministers what they are: Radical Clerics

[funflower]

28. Our country is big enough for people of many faiths

Democrats stand for ALL the people.