[quote=afx114][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Afx: Actually, hold on a second there. There is a valid point to be made that Communism and National Socialism were a form of religion. Its been argued, and persuasively so, from authors ranging from historian Alan Bullock (“Hitler and Stalin” and “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny”) to Christopher Hitchens (“God is Not Great”).

There is no arguing in the destructive force of both movements, and the words, symbols, icons of both movements are intended to evoke a sense of righteous purpose, historicity and “faith” in the “teachings”.

Stalin had a better mustache than Hitler, though.[/quote]

I respect Hitchens, and haven’t read Bullock, but I agree that any political/economic/social theory can be considered a “religion.” If Communism can be a religion, so can Capitalism. Hell, your description above perfectly fits American Patriotism, something that has been a religion for a long time with our flags and our eagles and our war porn and our manifest destiny. I am religious about beer and ice hockey.

For the purpose of this discussion I understand “religion” to be a belief in a supernatural being.[/quote]

Afx: So we’re clear, I wasn’t trying to split hairs with you, but rather make the point that, if one wants to, one can justify all manner of heinous acts in the name of a deity, or national pride, or a political movement. I tend to think Lord Acton had the best handle on it with his dictum about power, which is what all of this shit really always comes down to.

And I would wholeheartedly agree that America is an extremely warlike nation, with a mythology that exalts our martial spirit. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Richard Slotkin’s “Gunfighter Nation” (part of his trilogy on the myth of the American frontier, that also includes “Regeneration Through Violence” and “The Fatal Environment”), but I think you’d find it fascinating, especially the strong connection between American nativism, racism and xenophobia and our culture of violence, which Slotkin argues harkens back to the original colonies.