Eternal Hostility: Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy [Tapa blanda]

In this short and accessible work, Clarkson shows that there are important differences between conservatives who believe in constitutional democracy -- and the antidemocratic theocrats who advocate conservative social issues. The latter are all too often using issues like abortion and homosexuality for a broader purpose -- to destablize constitutional democracy. Real conservatives know the difference or ought to. So should everyone else. Practitioners of identity politics need to look beyond the blinders of such worthy concerns as race and gender and understand more clearly the nature of the threat. Whether you are a progressive engaged in issues of social justice, or a libertarian concerned about matters of personal liberty, the dangers of the Christian right will be more hair raisingly evident to you after reading this book than you might imagine.

Eternal Hostility should be on the required reading list of every American who still thinks religious and reproductive freedom, and constitutional democracy itself are worth preserving.

Have you ever heard a TV journalist use the word "theocracy" or "theocrat" when discussing the Christian Right? If they had read Eternal Hostility, they would know that the word theocrat is not an epithet, its a religious and political point of view held by many -- but certainly not all on the Christian Right.

Wouldn't it be helpful if Americans who think democracy and pluralism are good things, were informed that there are totalitarians in our midst and that they play important roles in influencing public life? Frederick Clarkson thinks so, and his very readable book is an excellent primer for the otherwise politically literate.

I was so glad to see that ABC's 20/20 recently had the good sense to feature his expertise in a segment about antiabortion terrorism. I hope we will hear more from him in the media.

I also I hope you will buy and read Eternal Hostility. If you do,you will never look at politics and political reporting the same way.