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WGBH Forum Network; American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt

03/22/2006

American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt Kevin Phillips, former Republican strategist In his two most recent New York Times bestselling books, American Dynasty and Wealth and Democracy, Kevin Phillips established himself as a powerful critic of the political and economic forces that are ruling, and imperiling, the United States. Now, Phillips takes an uncompromising view of the political coalition, led by radical religion, that is driving America to the brink of disaster. From Ancient Rome to the British Empire, Phillips demonstrates that every world dominating power has been brought down by a related set of causes: a lethal combination of global overreach, militant religion, resource problems, and ballooning debt. It is this same axis of ills that has come to define America's political and economic identity in the past decade. Military miscalculations in the Middle East, the surge of fundamentalist religion, the staggering national debt, the costs of US oil dependence together these factors are undermining our nation's security, solvency, and standing in the world. If left unchecked, the same forces will bring a debt-bloated, preachy, energy-starved America to its knees. With an eye on the past and a searing vision of the future, Phillips has written a book that no American can afford to ignore. Kevin Phillips, a former Republican strategist, has been a political and economic commentator for more than three decades. He is currently a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio and also writes for Harper's Magazine and Time. He has written twelve books, including New York Times bestsellers The Politics of Rich and Poor and Wealth and Democracy.

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Series

WGBH Forum Network

Program

American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt

Program Number

3039

Series Description

The WGBH Forum Network is an audio and video streaming Website dedicated to curating and serving live and on-demand lectures given by some of the world's foremost scholars, authors, artists, scientists, policy makers and community leaders. These events are hosted by world-class cultural and educational organizations in the Greater Boston area. Through this online service thousands of interested people across the world partake of these lectures from the comfort of their home or office at any time they choose. We are proud of the role we serve in our community, of protecting and projecting the public voice; and of informing and inspiring that public voice to foster deeper understanding of and civic engagement in important issues.

Program Description

AMERICAN THEOCRACY: RADICAL RELIGION, OIL, AND DEBT KEVIN PHILLIPS, FORMER REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST

IN HIS TWO MOST RECENT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOKS, AMERICAN DYNASTY AND WEALTH AND DEMOCRACY, KEVIN PHILLIPS ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A POWERFUL CRITIC OF THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FORCES THAT ARE RULING, AND IMPERILING, THE UNITED STATES. NOW, PHILLIPS TAKES AN UNCOMPROMISING VIEW OF THE POLITICAL COALITION, LED BY RADICAL RELIGION, THAT IS DRIVING AMERICA TO THE BRINK OF DISASTER.

FROM ANCIENT ROME TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE, PHILLIPS DEMONSTRATES THAT EVERY WORLD DOMINATING POWER HAS BEEN BROUGHT DOWN BY A RELATED SET OF CAUSES: A LETHAL COMBINATION OF GLOBAL OVERREACH, MILITANT RELIGION, RESOURCE PROBLEMS, AND BALLOONING DEBT. IT IS THIS SAME AXIS OF ILLS THAT HAS COME TO DEFINE AMERICA'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IDENTITY IN THE PAST DECADE. MILITARY MISCALCULATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE SURGE OF FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGION, THE STAGGERING NATIONAL DEBT, THE COSTS OF US OIL DEPENDENCE TOGETHER THESE FACTORS ARE UNDERMINING OUR NATION'S SECURITY, SOLVENCY, AND STANDING IN THE WORLD. IF LEFT UNCHECKED, THE SAME FORCES WILL BRING A DEBT-BLOATED, PREACHY, ENERGY-STARVED AMERICA TO ITS KNEES. WITH AN EYE ON THE PAST AND A SEARING VISION OF THE FUTURE, PHILLIPS HAS WRITTEN A BOOK THAT NO AMERICAN CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE.

KEVIN PHILLIPS, A FORMER REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, HAS BEEN A POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC COMMENTATOR FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. HE IS CURRENTLY A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES AND NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO AND ALSO WRITES FOR HARPER'S MAGAZINE AND TIME. HE HAS WRITTEN TWELVE BOOKS, INCLUDING NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS THE POLITICS OF RICH AND POOR AND WEALTH AND DEMOCRACY.

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

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Event Coverage

Citation

Chicago: “WGBH Forum Network; American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt,” 03/22/2006, GBH Archives, accessed March 20, 2023, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_2C6A52338DE04AB79B967DA14B799BD8.

MLA: “WGBH Forum Network; American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt.” 03/22/2006. GBH Archives. Web. March 20, 2023. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_2C6A52338DE04AB79B967DA14B799BD8>.

APA: WGBH Forum Network; American Theocracy: Radical Religion, Oil, and Debt. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_2C6A52338DE04AB79B967DA14B799BD8