God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House, the 'War on Terror', and the Echoing Press
David Domke, God Prepared? Political Fundamentalism in the White Home, the 'War on Terror', and the Echoing Press. London and Ann Arbor, Ml: Pluto Press, 2004. 240 pp.
The relationship in between politics and media has constantly been a subject for vast researches. Nonetheless the use of religious discourse in addresses and speeches of politicians to back their policies is not a new concern. But what is performed in this book that makes is outstanding and diverse is an analysis of the interconnections amongst all these Three together. Therefore David Domke's book is ideally positioned to cut appropriate into the heart of debates about the modern day developments at the intersection of religion, politics and media inside the US. According to him, the foreign and domestic foreign developments in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had been not only (neo) conservative, but also firmly grounded in a (Christian) religious fundamentalism. Domke argues that the Bush administration has turned a religious worldview into political policy and has produced what Domke calls a 'political fundamentalism', defined as 'an intertwining of conservative religious faith, politics, and strategic communication' (p. 6). The book is also a critique of the Bush administration's disregard for democracy in the months right after the attack.
The introductory chapter of God Prepared? identifies 4 primary characteristics of the Bush administration's communication that have been grounded in a conservative religious worldview: (1) a binary idea of reality (apparent in the constant use of Two constructions: great vs. evil and security vs. peril); (2) an obsession with time and demands for instant action against terrorism(manifest in Two beliefs: that action in the here and now is crucial, and that one's commitment to a particular course of action, if perceived to be God inspired, ought to be of an enduring nature); (3) declarations about the will of god for the united states and the values of freedom and liberty; and finally (4) an intolerance for dissent(apparent in the administration's unified voice in public communication, its appeals for other political actors to act with political unity and its harsh criticisms of dissenters). In every of the chapters that follow, one of these characteristics is defined and discussed in detail, with evidence providing its constant presence in the public communications of the president in between 11 September 2001 and 1 could 2003.
In chapter 2 he examines the presence of Two binaries in the president's discourse and news coverage after September 11- very good versus evil and security versus peril- and argues that these conceptions of reality reflected and contributed to a sense of moral certitude amongst the bush administration that was applied to justify limits on civil liberties and main preemptive military action even though also helping to engender public support for the president and administration's "war on terror".
Chapter 3 delivers evidence of time fixations all through the administration's discourse and news coverage, and argues that they allowed the administration simultaneously to push for instant action on certain "war on terrorism" policies and to justify this wish as a requisite step in a extended-term, God- ordained approach. The implication was clear: to not act rapidly or to not endure in the campaign against terrorism was to threat an additional September 11.
In chapter 4 evidence is provided of how the universal gospel of freedom and liberty, provided by the president and echoed by the press, functioned as a central rationale for the administration's foreign policies, especially in justifying the new preemptive doctrine and the Iraq war.
Chapter five focuses on how the administration's emphasis upon political unity and harsh rebukes of those dissented worked together to encourage support for the administration, and to recommend that anybody who held opposing views was unpatriotic and potentially putting individuals in the United States at threat.
Chapter 6 reflects upon the collection of evidence, in Three central sections. Initial, it argues that the Bush administration provides an instructive case study of how political fundamentalism can gain wide support in the United States. The chapter's second section scrutinizes the role of news media in these processes, with the argument that in a nation-difficult context, commercial mass media are drawn to the discourses of political conservatives, especially those that are religiously grounded. The final section of the chapter explores how cultural leaders could craft a moral discourse that counters the predominance of political fundamentalism, and why it is imperative for U.S. citizens and other people that they do so.
Chapter 7 gives conclusions, focusing on implications of the administration's political fundamentalism for democracy, each in the United States and globally.
In the way the writer brings a rigorous analysis of a wide range of empirical material, David Domke's work is of very good value to study. Even so, to what extent his work can contribute to a greater understanding of the relationship in between religion, politics, and the media is a matter of question. Some scholars might uncover it the role of religion has been exaggerated. Some scholars may well question the way he has analyzed meaning formation and reception in media as it is a subjective matter. Even so, the book very properly clarifies how the actions of the Bush administration and the news media are straight counter to fundamental American democratic ideals and principles. It shows how civil religion is utilized to promote its political objectives and to justify self-interest. So "God Prepared" is a should-read for any person who cherishes American democracy, any person who feels uneasy about the Bush Administration's use of religious pictures, as properly as those who have concerns about the way the press assists Bush advance his agenda. Even so, the potential and necessity for additional discussion on the topic exists that can encourage other scholars.
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