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02.13 Congress nearly eliminates funds for lead poisoning 02.10 LET’S REMAKE THE WAY WE MAKE THINGS 02.09 Cancer rates triple among New York police officers who responded to 9/11 02.08 The seed emergency: The threat to food and democracy 02.07 Bill Gates backs climate scientists lobbying for large-scale geoengineering 02.04 Your Day at the Beach Could Soon Lead to a Night at the Hospital 02.03 Obama Won't Touch Climate With a 10-Foot Pole 02.03 Komen reverses decision to cut Planned Parenthood funding 02.03 Reforming EU Deep-Sea Fisheries Management 02.02 By defunding Planned Parenthood, the Susan G Komen Foundation betrays women 02.02 Ohio Tries to Escape Fate as a Dumping Ground for Fracking Fluid Ref. Dollars for Doctors - How Industry Money Reaches Physicians Ref. 2010 Comparative Price Report Medical and Hospital Fees by Country - Graphics Ref. Health at a Glance 2011 - OECD Indicators Ref. : Why is Healthcare Absurdly Expensive in USA (Part 2) [Graphics] (Part 1 is here) Video Health Care Systems in Less Corrupt Countries “News” Media
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02.13 Bill Maher: Republicans Divide America - video 02.13 The right's stupidity spreads, enabled by a too-polite left 02.12 Even Critics of Safety Net Increasingly Depend on It - Interactive Map: Where Americans Most Depend on Government Benefits 02.12 CPAC attendees more focused on the economy than their right-wing leaders - video 02.10 The Cancer in Occupy 02.10 How Opus Dei Influenced Rick Santorum 02.10 People Are Not Leaving the Labor Force 02.09 Obama, Explained 02.09 OPED: The White Underclass 02.09 EDITORIAL: A Terrible Transportation Bill 02.09 THE OBAMA MEMOS 02.06 Are Conservatives More Fearful Than Liberals? 02.04 Soaking the Poor, State by State 02.04 Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian's Rosy Outlook On The Future of Politics 02.03 SUPERBOWL XLVI: Are You Ready for Some Football??? 02.03 Buffett rules: Sheldon Whitehouse introduces the Paying a Fair Share Act - video 02.02 Secrecy Shrouds ‘Super PAC’ Funds in Latest Filings 02.01 Rich Patrons Are Major Source of Romney’s Cash High Crimes?
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02.13 EDITORIAL: The Big Money Behind State Laws 02.10 This is no bailout for Main Street America 02.10 Why the Foreclosure Deal May Not Be So Hot After All 02.10 Matt Taibbi assesses the $26 billion settlement designed to aid victims of foreclosure fraud - video 02.10 Foreclosure Deal to Spur U.S. Home Seizures 02.09 S.E.C. Is Avoiding Tough Sanctions for Large Banks 02.08 Banks Paying Homeowners to Avoid Foreclosures 02.07 App Stores Create 500,000 U.S. Jobs 02.07 The Payroll Tax Fight 02.07 Obama super PAC decision: President blesses fundraising for Priorities USA Action 02.06 How Privatizing Government Shovels Cash to Parasitic Corporations and Undermines Democracy 02.05 We’re More Unequal Than You Think – Graphic: Unequal rise in income 02.03 PRIVATE INEQUITY 02.02 The New American Divide 02.02 American Airlines proposes to end all four pension plans 02.01 Economics 101 Ref. We’re More Unequal Than You Think – Graphic: Unequal rise in income International
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POLITICAL ANALYSIS:What Does Mike Huckabee Have to do With the Apocalypse?
Many evangelicals believe that two-thirds of the Earth's population will perish in an apocalyptic battle of good and evil while the "saved" are "raptured up" to heaven.
Recent polls show the previously little-known Mike Huckabee now running a close race with contenders Mitt Romney and John McCain. Huckabee, who won the key Iowa race, owes his rising star to a surge of support from evangelicals. Comprising about 25% of Americans, evangelicals have formed the core Republican voting bloc since the 1970s. While most Americans are aware of the "family values" domestic concerns of this group, fewer understand its foreign policy agenda, which is tied to the powerful yet little-understood phenomenon of Christian Zionism. Rooted in a literal interpretation of biblical "End Times" prophecy, this ideology carries profound implications for our role in the Middle East, and it is a crucial factor in the 2008 Republican race.
Christian Zionism has implications for the U.S. role in Israeli-Palestinian relations, a potential confrontation with Iran, and relations with the Muslim world.
While those outside of evangelical circles may dismiss such beliefs, they have played a critical role in influencing U.S. foreign policy, and they will continue to affect policy as long as the United States remains under Republican leadership that relies upon evangelical support. Christian Zionism has implications for the U.S. role in Israeli-Palestinian relations, a potential confrontation with Iran, and relations with the Muslim world.For Christian Zionists, belief in biblical prophecy means support for right-wing Israeli policies such as settlement expansion and opposition to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Against the opinion of most Israelis, Christian Zionists view relinquishing any part of biblical Israel--including what is now the West Bank--as an affront to Israel's prophetic destiny. Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor who once declared "I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers...the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ," vowing in another speech to "take this nation back for Christ," shares this view. He has written that "the Jews have the God-given right to reclaim land given to their ancestors and taken away from them." Regarding a future Palestinian state, Huckabee has stated that he supports a Palestinian state--and it should be formed far away from Israel, perhaps in Saudi Arabia. This view is a step away from advocating ethnic cleansing, as it is unlikely that the Palestinians would voluntarily leave.
Huckabee, who has said that Congressional approval is not necessary in going to war, argues that the U.S. must do "whatever it takes" to confront Iran.
Evangelical foreign policy extends far beyond Israel. Inspired by the "Iranian threat," evangelical pastor John Hagee formed Christians United for Israel, which promotes Christian Zionism and advocates a militant policy toward Iran. In his book Jerusalem Countown, Hagee predicts a nuclear showdown with Iran that could be "the beginning of the end." Huckabee, who has said that Congressional approval is not necessary in going to war, argues that the U.S. must do "whatever it takes" to confront Iran, including a military option. If elected, it is likely that his evangelical backers will pressure Huckabee to pursue this option.Like other evangelicals, Huckabee tends to view the "War on Terror" as a cataclysmic battle with apocalyptic connotations. "We need to understand that this is, in fact, World War III," he has said. "Unlike any other war we've ever fought, this one is one we cannot afford to lose." Whether or not Christian Zionists can predict the future, the human potential to create self-fulfilling prophesies is undeniable, and this is why Americans should pay attention to this ideology. Valerie Saturen received an M.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona. Her thesis addressed Christian Zionism and U.S. foreign policy. Contact her at saturnv82@yahoo.com.
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Republication or redistribution of Baltimore Chronicle content is expressly prohibited without their prior written consent. Baltimore News Network, Inc., sponsor of this web site, is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed in stories posted on this web site are the authors' own. This story was published on January 23, 2008. |
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