Is U.S. foreign policy guided by Biblical prophesy? An article which argues that the dispensationalist strain of fundamentalist Christianity has a disturbingly strong influence on U.S. foreign policy, from the need to conquer Iraq ("Babylon") to tacit support for Israeli expansionism to contempt for the U.N. ("the Antichrist") and the European Union. Given that dispensationalism is all about fulfilling prophesies to bring about the battle of Armageddon and the end of the world, that cannot be a good thing.

Posted by: gjw | http://the-fix.org | Sun Feb 23 02:28:11 2003

People have been suggesting that this has been the driving force behind US foreign policy for about 20 years, starting with Reagan. Jello Biafra has a bit to say about it on one of his spoken word CDs - apparently the links between the top guys and hardcore fundamentalist dispensationalists are many and deep. It's not all good news for the Jews, though; the prophecy is that they'll have to be mass-converted to Christianity after Babylon has been conquered.

Posted by: acb | http://dev.null.org | Sun Feb 23 03:19:35 2003

Wasn't the imminence of Armageddon and the belief that they were the last generation on Earth part of the rationale for Reagan's abolition of environmental regulations?

Posted by: mitch | http:// | Sun Feb 23 09:30:39 2003

"We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at hand." "My responsibility is to follow the Scriptures which call upon us to occupy the land until Jesus returns." - James Watt (Interior Sec. under Reagan)... according to a zillion websites. I have yet to find an attribution of time and place, however; this could be as real as that popular quote in which Julius Caesar comes on like Goering at Nuremberg ("Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war...").

Posted by: Graham | http://grudnuk.com | Sun Feb 23 11:42:47 2003

Or the Hanoi Jane thing.

Posted by: gjw | http://the-fix.org | Sun Feb 23 22:48:37 2003

James Watt also allegedly brushed aside concerns about Ozone depletion - "People can just wear sunscreen" - he seemed to have forgotten about the animals we rely on for food and ecology; what are we supposed to do, coat our cows in zinc? More info on the "wise use" movement here: http://www.spiritone.com/~orsierra/rogue/classics/wiseuse.htm

Posted by: acb | http://dev.null.org | Mon Feb 24 01:50:10 2003

How about genetically modified cows whose skin cells synthesise SPF-1000 sunscreen?

Posted by: Graham | http://grudnuk.com | Mon Feb 24 07:53:23 2003

The weird thing is that the ozone layer has actually generated. I guess phasing out CFCs was a good idea after all.

Posted by: gjw | http://the-fix.org | Mon Feb 24 09:08:12 2003

Yeah the Ozone layer is regenerating faster than people expected - lots of catalyst activity going on up in the ionosphere or something.

Posted by: alex | http:// | Mon Feb 24 12:11:03 2003

Quick, Ronald, bring back them ozone-depletin' Bic Mac packets!

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