LOD: Cultural Wars for Hire

Here’s an assessment from the Guardian of how rightwing mega-millionaires are fueling cultural war in states like North Carolina to gain unusual political power and implement their economic goals (Art Pope is featured). Says the report, “It is no secret that if you want to get large numbers of lower-income people to support a rightwing fiscal agenda, social issues are a necessary distraction. There is, however, another factor at work, and it has to do with the machinery of American politics. Where do you find the army of activists necessary to push through a rightwing economic agenda? How do you motivate people to commit the time and energy to run for minor political offices? How do you mobilize campaign staffers and volunteers? That’s where the culture wars come in. Pushing complicated tax schemes to sustain oil companies in their riches won’t get a lot of state legislators and their supporters up in the morning. On the other hand, opposing abortion, stopping sodomy, and taking back the country for God will.”