This is from December but is interesting. I think we've discussed
Similar things on these threads before:
Sharon Furiosa
Sharon Furiosa @sfhater
I think a lot of people who wonder why more Republicans aren't standing up to tRump and Putin are missing the bigger picture.
Putin didn't create the move toward authoritarianism in the US. He took advantage of divisions and right-wing movements active for decades.
Populist and authoritarian movements have existed in the US throughout its history, most notably during and after Reconstruction.
The most current incarnation is an unholy trinity consisting of ultra-wealthy oligarchs, religious right, and white nationalists/populists.
Each of these groups has its own set of goals, and each has been working toward controlling US govt. since at least the 1970s.
What drove them to overlook differences and work together was election of a black president who attempted to pass health reform.
This is how it worked. In late 60s Republicans undertook Southern Strategy to co-opt bigoted white Democrats to Republican party.
They realized that even so they were losing information war and needed to put in place institutions/propaganda to legitimize their policies.
These goals were crystallized in the Powell Memo, which called for business to take America back and laid out the framework for doing so.
This memo resulted in a series of actions by business & the right: set up think tanks to legitimize views; undermine media fairness rules,
and form media companies to serve as propaganda arms, culminating with formation of Fox News and more recently, Breitbart.
At the same time, Evangelicals felt under siege due to the enormous social changes of 60s and 70s - civil rights, women's rights, etc.
Many of these organizations hopped on the corporate/Republican bandwagon and spread propaganda through religious media networks
So you had Pat Robertson's 700 Club, Christian radio networks, and a proliferation of televangelists spreading propaganda for Republicans.
As these religious groups gained more influence with Republicans, they influenced party policies and platforms.
Interestingly, the religious influence meshed with the corporate influence due to its embrace of "Prosperity Theology".
This is a sort of neo-Calvinist view that teaches wealth/success is a sign of god's blessing, and that poverty is the fault of the poor.
This belief has several negative outcomes. First, it makes poverty a personal problem rather than a systemic problem that govt. can solve.
Second, it prevents examination of the negative effects of income/wealth inequality and the systems that promote it.
It also leads poor to hold out hope that they're just "not rich yet" and to identify with the rich who rig the system for themselves.
The final leg in the unholy trinity is the white nationalists, who have also been known as populists, militia, Neo-Nazis, KKK, etc.
These groups have waxed and waned, but tend to revive whenever white men feel a particular threat to their entitlement (Obama/ Hillary).
Their interests overlap with religious right, which seeks a biblical rule (Christian Sharia Law if you will) that subordinates women to men.
Since Obama took office in 2008, this Unholy Trinity has worked full time to undermine Liberal Democracy and shift the Rep Party rightward.
Wealthy Oligarchs such as Kochs and Mercers funded training and campaigns for far-right candidates.
They also worked to undermine restrictions on soft money and influence of wealth on elections through such cases as Citizens United.
Corporate and religious right-wing media stoked a non-stop propaganda machine to gain support of white working class via racism/fear.
Putin's interests overlap with the Unholy Trinity (Christianity/Oligarchy/White Nationalism), and situation provided perfect opportunity.
'm done for now - but keep these things in mind when you wonder why Republicans don't stand up to Putin. They mostly agree with him.
END
FOR FURTHER READING:
See the the text of the Powell Memo, along with analysis of its content, here: t.co/5paXFGizxM?amp=1
For a good summary of Prosperity Theology, see this Wikipedia entry:
t.co/MptTMZkFfN?amp=1
This article explains Nixon's Southern Strategy and how it made Trump possible: t.co/D4hmZcw5yZ?amp=1
This post discusses many US Oligarchs and how they funded the nation's shift rightward: t.co/UbhfWIEm1X?amp=1