This is an amazing commentary on our “current moment.” It might apply to most western democracies as well..maybe? In Christianity, it might be an analog for our propensity to worship idols by taking God’s good gifts and making them into ultimate allegiances. I believe it was Martin Luther who said that God and an idol can be defined in the same way.
I think the sociological trends are identified here are likely true of all “Western” countries. As for Ellul’s analysis: he thinks it’s essentially true of all modern states. Many thanks!
“Until at last, having educated himself into imbecility, and polluted and drugged himself into stupefaction, he keeled over--a weary, battered old brontosaurus--and became extinct.”
While I agree with much of what you wrote, I need to push back against the implied equivalency between the Trump and Biden Christmas tweets. First because you failed to post Biden's actual Christmas tweet which said, "This Christmas Eve, my wish for you and your family is that you take a few moments of quiet reflection and find that stillness that's at the center of the Christmas story. May you find peace in this silent night. And warmth from those surrounding you." You might also have mentioned his televised Christmas greeting which you can find at https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/12/22/biden-2022-christmas-address-entire-sot-vpx.cnn. What you posted had nothing to do with the season of Christmas, but rather was a secular New Year's greeting. Even so, I fail to see how it even subjectively calls for the murder of Republicans. Full disclosure for any who do not know me, I am a Christian pastor who understands political engagement, imperfect though it may be, as guiding the way we choose to live together in a mixed society. My personal goal is always that my faith and my understanding of the teachings of that faith will guide my politics and not the other way around. Alas, I feel I am in the minority.
Appreciate the comment Harry! You make some fair points, but I do think it’s worth reiterating what I point out in the piece—that for Catholics such as Biden January 1st is not only (or even principally) a “secular holiday.” It’s a feast day (that is to say, a holy day of obligation) dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It also falls within the Octave of Christmas and, for that reason, is very much a part of Christmastide—a liturgical *season* in the church (as you, of course, know). So, while Biden’s Christmas Eve tweet (which I myself didn’t see, but I’ll take your word for it) is certainly “preferable” to Trump’s Christmas Day vitriol, I would be loath to retract the basic argument of my essay—that both politicians (and their PR teams) are using religious holidays for the sake of political messaging.
Not disagreeing with your major premise about the shameless (and most often clueless) usurpation of religious symbols/seasons for political messaging. Suspect you agree that baseball is by far a more unifying medium that either religion or politics. Season starts here at UVa in less than three weeks.
I now understand an earlier statement you made, that you are completely uninvolved/ignorant in the political arena. I can scarcely comprehend that there could be an equivalency made between Joe Biden and the persistent fostering of violence of Donald Trump (who in Birmingham--if memory serves--offered to pay the legal expenses if attendees would beat up a protester; who has suggested that a military general (Milley) and others should be executed; who has called for violence "if you want to have a country" in an insurrection against our very means of government). I'm afraid you lost me with comparing Joe Biden to a mob boss, suggesting he was quietly suggesting eliminating American citizens.
"Let's finish the job" was mentioned in last year's State of the Union. Not once. Twelve times. It is a catch-phrase he has been using frequently in the last 12 months. In fact, it is the re-election campaign slogan. (Google it.) It seems cynical to a) attribute the quote to some subliminal message of the Biden campaign to kill all MAGA Republicans; and b) to tie in a New Year's Day message (that is clearly secular, with no imagery or reference to religion or saints) to a Catholic holiday, as if that is on par with a vitriolic, poisonous "truth" to wish us a Merry Christmas (ROT IN HELL!).
I thought FOR SURE you would pick up on the Messianic trend of Donald Trump's postings. On January 5, he "retruthed" a "God Made Trump" video, with narration in the AI-generated voice of Paul Harvey, paralleling Harvey's "God Made Farmers" speech long ago. And it's true: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/god-made-trump-video/
There have been a number of recent suggestions that Donald Trump is quite Messiah-like, (if not THE ONE). [See https://wapo.st/48TCL1J --no paywall] That would have fit with your thesis (politics has taken the place of religion)--with the conclusion I was hoping for, that "the counterfeit guarantees the real."
Chris, your words carry great weight. Did you hear or see something that suggested that Biden was playing such an evil game as to suggest that all the MAGA supporters should be assassinated, like some mob boss? The problem of MAGA is not the people who are blindly following a cult-like leader who uses fear to pre-empt reason--it is the ideas, and the manner in which they are presented, that prevent the inclusion of reason, of honest discussion, of reference to verifiable facts.
We are living in one of the most dangerous times in the history of our democracy. The ideas that Donald Trump is putting forth are directly threatening our freedoms and national heritage. Asked if he would be a dictator if re-elected, he responded "Not after the first day." How could that be? It's simple. On his first day in office, he would declare a national emergency and invoke his emergency powers under the law to do as he pleased, using the military against "unAmerican" citizens who protested in any way. (He came within one day of dismantling the Civil Service system, with a decree that would have enabled him to remove at will the senior 1/3 of staff in all government offices and replace them with his appointments. It had to be put out for comment for 60 days before enactment, and he left office on day 59.)
I would encourage you to follow a colleague/Substacker: Heather Cox Richardson (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/archive). She is an historian at Boston University who, four years ago, began daily postings that followed current events and tied them in to US history and democratic principles. (She has more than 2 million followers.) I believe if you read that for a month or two you will have a better perspective from which to enter the political dialogue with comparisons between Joseph Biden and Donald Trump. You can start with January 27, 2024--a lesser-known speech by Abraham Lincoln that resonates today.
Many thanks Charles, as always!.(For anyone browsing, Charles is one of my former professors, and I don’t take his opinions lightly!) I don’t disagree with your perspective on Trump, but, respectfully, I do think you misunderstood my point about Biden. Either way, I think Ellul’s analysis is food for thought and should be taken seriously, no matter one’s side of the political spectrum.
Thanks, Chris. Looks like Lincoln predated Ellul. In the excerpts quoted by Heather Cox Richardson (January 24) he said:
"As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor…. Let reverence for the laws…become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.”
This is an amazing commentary on our “current moment.” It might apply to most western democracies as well..maybe? In Christianity, it might be an analog for our propensity to worship idols by taking God’s good gifts and making them into ultimate allegiances. I believe it was Martin Luther who said that God and an idol can be defined in the same way.
I think the sociological trends are identified here are likely true of all “Western” countries. As for Ellul’s analysis: he thinks it’s essentially true of all modern states. Many thanks!
“Until at last, having educated himself into imbecility, and polluted and drugged himself into stupefaction, he keeled over--a weary, battered old brontosaurus--and became extinct.”
Malcolm Muggeridge
Maybe we’ve educated ourselves into imbecility.
While I agree with much of what you wrote, I need to push back against the implied equivalency between the Trump and Biden Christmas tweets. First because you failed to post Biden's actual Christmas tweet which said, "This Christmas Eve, my wish for you and your family is that you take a few moments of quiet reflection and find that stillness that's at the center of the Christmas story. May you find peace in this silent night. And warmth from those surrounding you." You might also have mentioned his televised Christmas greeting which you can find at https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/12/22/biden-2022-christmas-address-entire-sot-vpx.cnn. What you posted had nothing to do with the season of Christmas, but rather was a secular New Year's greeting. Even so, I fail to see how it even subjectively calls for the murder of Republicans. Full disclosure for any who do not know me, I am a Christian pastor who understands political engagement, imperfect though it may be, as guiding the way we choose to live together in a mixed society. My personal goal is always that my faith and my understanding of the teachings of that faith will guide my politics and not the other way around. Alas, I feel I am in the minority.
Appreciate the comment Harry! You make some fair points, but I do think it’s worth reiterating what I point out in the piece—that for Catholics such as Biden January 1st is not only (or even principally) a “secular holiday.” It’s a feast day (that is to say, a holy day of obligation) dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It also falls within the Octave of Christmas and, for that reason, is very much a part of Christmastide—a liturgical *season* in the church (as you, of course, know). So, while Biden’s Christmas Eve tweet (which I myself didn’t see, but I’ll take your word for it) is certainly “preferable” to Trump’s Christmas Day vitriol, I would be loath to retract the basic argument of my essay—that both politicians (and their PR teams) are using religious holidays for the sake of political messaging.
Not disagreeing with your major premise about the shameless (and most often clueless) usurpation of religious symbols/seasons for political messaging. Suspect you agree that baseball is by far a more unifying medium that either religion or politics. Season starts here at UVa in less than three weeks.
I now understand an earlier statement you made, that you are completely uninvolved/ignorant in the political arena. I can scarcely comprehend that there could be an equivalency made between Joe Biden and the persistent fostering of violence of Donald Trump (who in Birmingham--if memory serves--offered to pay the legal expenses if attendees would beat up a protester; who has suggested that a military general (Milley) and others should be executed; who has called for violence "if you want to have a country" in an insurrection against our very means of government). I'm afraid you lost me with comparing Joe Biden to a mob boss, suggesting he was quietly suggesting eliminating American citizens.
"Let's finish the job" was mentioned in last year's State of the Union. Not once. Twelve times. It is a catch-phrase he has been using frequently in the last 12 months. In fact, it is the re-election campaign slogan. (Google it.) It seems cynical to a) attribute the quote to some subliminal message of the Biden campaign to kill all MAGA Republicans; and b) to tie in a New Year's Day message (that is clearly secular, with no imagery or reference to religion or saints) to a Catholic holiday, as if that is on par with a vitriolic, poisonous "truth" to wish us a Merry Christmas (ROT IN HELL!).
I thought FOR SURE you would pick up on the Messianic trend of Donald Trump's postings. On January 5, he "retruthed" a "God Made Trump" video, with narration in the AI-generated voice of Paul Harvey, paralleling Harvey's "God Made Farmers" speech long ago. And it's true: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/god-made-trump-video/
There have been a number of recent suggestions that Donald Trump is quite Messiah-like, (if not THE ONE). [See https://wapo.st/48TCL1J --no paywall] That would have fit with your thesis (politics has taken the place of religion)--with the conclusion I was hoping for, that "the counterfeit guarantees the real."
Chris, your words carry great weight. Did you hear or see something that suggested that Biden was playing such an evil game as to suggest that all the MAGA supporters should be assassinated, like some mob boss? The problem of MAGA is not the people who are blindly following a cult-like leader who uses fear to pre-empt reason--it is the ideas, and the manner in which they are presented, that prevent the inclusion of reason, of honest discussion, of reference to verifiable facts.
We are living in one of the most dangerous times in the history of our democracy. The ideas that Donald Trump is putting forth are directly threatening our freedoms and national heritage. Asked if he would be a dictator if re-elected, he responded "Not after the first day." How could that be? It's simple. On his first day in office, he would declare a national emergency and invoke his emergency powers under the law to do as he pleased, using the military against "unAmerican" citizens who protested in any way. (He came within one day of dismantling the Civil Service system, with a decree that would have enabled him to remove at will the senior 1/3 of staff in all government offices and replace them with his appointments. It had to be put out for comment for 60 days before enactment, and he left office on day 59.)
I would encourage you to follow a colleague/Substacker: Heather Cox Richardson (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/archive). She is an historian at Boston University who, four years ago, began daily postings that followed current events and tied them in to US history and democratic principles. (She has more than 2 million followers.) I believe if you read that for a month or two you will have a better perspective from which to enter the political dialogue with comparisons between Joseph Biden and Donald Trump. You can start with January 27, 2024--a lesser-known speech by Abraham Lincoln that resonates today.
Many thanks Charles, as always!.(For anyone browsing, Charles is one of my former professors, and I don’t take his opinions lightly!) I don’t disagree with your perspective on Trump, but, respectfully, I do think you misunderstood my point about Biden. Either way, I think Ellul’s analysis is food for thought and should be taken seriously, no matter one’s side of the political spectrum.
Thanks, Chris. Looks like Lincoln predated Ellul. In the excerpts quoted by Heather Cox Richardson (January 24) he said:
"As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor…. Let reverence for the laws…become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.”