From Koreagate to Bush 43 The Bush family/Moon relationship dates back "to the overlap between Bush's one-year tenure as CIA director (1976) and the arrival of in Washington of Moon, whose Unification Church was widely reported to be a front group for the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency [KCIA]," Phillips wrote in his bestselling book "American Dynasty -- Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush." During a time when the activities of the KCIA were the subject of a U.S. congressional investigation -- dubbed Koreagate -- Phillips pointed out that "within Washington councils, Bush was a powerful voice against any unnecessary crackdown on the U.S. activities of allied intelligence services." "One of George H.W. Bush's first tasks as director of the CIA was managing the 'Koreagate' scandal, in which the government of South Korea and its intelligence agents had waged espionage against the U.S, government," Fred Clarkson, a co-founder of Talk2Action and the author of "Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy" -- which includes a chapter on the Moon organization -- told me in an e-mail exchange. "Some of those agents were leading members of Moon's Unification church. Some members managed to infiltrate Congressional staffs -- primarily Democrats," he said. After the founding of Moon's Washington Times in the early 1980s, the newspaper consistently supported the Ronald Reagan-Bush team in its version of the events surrounding the Iran-Contra scandal. According to Clarkson, "the Moon organization was part of the private supply lines to the Nicaraguan contras, The Washington Times was given special access and provided consistently flattering coverage and the newspaper also set up a special fund for private funding of the contras." In 1996, the relationship became decidedly financial when the former president traveled to Latin America to help Moon launch Tiempos del Mundo (Times of the World). At the time Bush called Moon's flagship U.S. publication, the Washington Times, "an independent voice" and assured the crowd that "Tiempos del Mundo... [will be] the same thing." According to published reports Bush received at least 100,000 dollars for his participation in that event. More recently, Moon's Washington Times Foundation funneled a million dollars to Bush's presidential library through the Houston, Texas-based Greater Houston Community Foundation. Moon has also contributed to the financial wellbeing of other Bush family members. In 2005, Neil Bush, the former president's son and current president's brother, accompanied Moon on a few legs of the reverend's "World Peace King Bridge-Tunnel" tour, showing up at his side in the Philippines and Taiwan. Late last year, Business Week reported Neil Bush's Ignite! Inc. -- an educational software company featuring what it calls "curriculum on wheels," or COWs -- received a million dollars from "a foundation linked to the controversial Reverend Sun Myung Moon... for a COWs research project in Washington-area schools." But perhaps the most tangible aspect of the close relationship between the Bush family and Rev. Moon is the unbending support the Washington Times has given to George W. Bush since he announced he was running for the presidency. In recent years, the newspaper's editorial and opinion pages have consistently supported the president's "war on terror" and war in Iraq. In the House of Moon "The Rev. Moon is a monster in the laboratory of conservative politics; no one wants to think about him, yet in order to ensure his continued support they must periodically feed his appetite for tribute," John Gorenfeld, an investigative reporter and a longtime chronicler of Moon's activities, said in an e-mail. "One of Moon's paybacks at Times-sponsored events is to have his picture taken and rub shoulders with the politically powerful and well-connected." "Besides the gift of the support of the Washington Times, Bush and his son have accepted large amounts of money from Moon's church," said Gorenfeld, the author of a forthcoming book about the Rev. Moon and U.S. politics. "In the Clinton years, George and Barbara Bush toured Japan with Moon, as well as Argentina. He is believed to have taken over a million dollars. More recently, a Moon company funneled 250,000 dollars to the fund for George W. Bush's inauguration." Moon's enterprises extend far beyond the Unification Church, says Steve Hassan, an expert on cults and a licensed mental health counselor who was once a leader in the Moon organization. "There are a number of business and political fronts; it's a multi-billion-dollar international conglomerate headed by a demagogue who claims that he's the greatest guy in history, who wants to abolish democracy, end or destroy the United Nations and set up a theocracy for his heirs to rule," Hassan told me in a telephone interview. When the elder Bush takes to the podium next month, it would be surprising if the close relationship between the Bush family and Moon is scrutinized by the mainstream media, since it has been basically ignored or glossed over for decades, Hassan insists. "It infuriates me, as one who has been in the group and often heard Moon say that he wanted to destroy democracy and take over the world, that the mainstream media has not gotten this story right," he said. "While they have talked about corporate lobbying, they've neglected to discuss the lobbying and political influence of cults. Moon has been basically mainstreamed." Hassan also noted that Moon's operation in the U.S., which began with the "street recruiting" of members -- especially in university towns -- has shifted to lavish dinners and awards ceremonies where Moon is able to hobnob with powerful political figures and later claim their allegiance. "Having George H.W. Bush come and speak at the Washington Times anniversary event is definitely a coup," Hassan pointed out. "That George H.W. Bush has such a long term alliance with the theocratic Rev. Moon, who for all of his flag waving is on record as hating American constitutional democracy, is disturbing and will no doubt come to be seen as a defining aspect of Bush's political career, before, during and since his presidency," Fred Clarkson added. "Bush's headlining the Washington Times' 25th anniversary event couldn't be more appropriate, since the Rev. Moon and Bush's fortunes, political and otherwise have been closely intertwined for decades."
Bush Family in the House of Moon | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
Bush Family in the House of Moon | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
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Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series
on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)
Palin: "A Natural Choice" for Catholics?
The Catholic Right, Part Sixty-eight Is Governor Sarah Palin really "a natural choice" for Catholics as Fidelis's Brian Burch suggests? The answer is obviously,...... By Frank Cocozzelli (4 comments)
Major Christian Organization Endorses the Military Religious Freedom Foundation
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Palin's Church Promotes Gay Conversion
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Palin's Pastor: God "Is Gonna Strike Out His Hand Against... America
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Sarah Palin and the Servant Heart
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Short Takes: Sarah Palin Edition
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Palin's Churches and the Third Wave
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Palin's Churches and the Third Wave
Part One History and Theology of the Third Wave Sarah Palin has refused to acknowledge belonging to any specific denomination or any particular religious...... By Ruth (3 comments)
What is Dominionism? Palin, the Christian Right, & Theocracy
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EVENT CANCELLED Speaking in Philadelphia on September 27th
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Sarah Palin's Theocratic End Times - UPDATED
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Dobson and the Religious Right Rally for McCain/Palin
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At Palin Church, Jews For Jesus Head Says Terrorism vs Israel Is God's Punishment
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Theocrats to Pray for McCain's Death
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Rest Assured New Orleans, I'm Sure Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp is Praying for You
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Future links to upcoming documentaries on Palin's Churches
Will live here, at this URL address. ...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Sarah Palin used AK tax dollars to fund dominionist churches
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Palin Steals Hockey Mom Joke from John Hagee?
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The Irony of Sarah Palin's "Choice"
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New revelations re "stealth dominionist" Sarah Palin
A few days ago, I wrote one of the first articles out there regarding Sarah Palin's VP nomination as a "stealth dominionist"--a "stealther" with extensive Assemblies connections (and to particularly scary segments of the...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Sarah Palin: Dominionist Stalking Horse
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Richard Land Picks Republican Veep Candidate
Yesterday the media was all atwitter about Karl Rove's supposed Republican V.P. pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. However, it seems that instead SBC President Richard Land, well known among readers of Talk2Action for his...... By ulyankee (1 comment)
"Yes on 8" RSVP? Need your advice.
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Alabama PSC Cantidate Matt Chancey: His Views on Suffrage, Women, Marriage, etc.
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Jews and Christians Unite against the Empire of Neo-cons and 'Christian' Zionists
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Patriot Follows the Money and Exposes Foreign Agents
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The Alleged "Church of Liberalism"
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Hope Never Dies for Extremists
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Catholic religious right wing: Legion of Christ
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Prosyletization in Iraq: A threat to national security
As amazing as it sounds, dominionists may in fact be fomenting terrorism--not just the domestic terrorism like bombings of women's clinics we normally associate, but the very "Islamist terror bombings" that the GOP loves...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Proselytization in Iraq: A minor history
The recent incident where a Marine was recently found distributing "Bible coins" promoted by a fundamentalist "Bible church" is, sad to say, far from the first incident of overt prosyletisation in Iraq. The truth...... By dogemperor (1 comment)
Source of "Bible coins" distributed by USMC in Iraq discovered
In what is--sadly--yet another case of the extent of which blatant prosyletisation is tolerated in the modern US military, a recent incident where members of the US Marine Corps were handing out coins to...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
What Does the Religious Right Fear the Most?
A poll that one of the giants on the right, Coral Ridge Ministries, sent to their members gives a revealing insight into their world view. ...... By John McKay (3 comments)
UK Abortion Limit Stays at 24 Weeks Despite Washington Think Tank's Tactics
IN GOD'S NAME is a revealing documentary about how the Alliance Defense Fund is using its tactics to try to restrict abortion in Europe as well as in America. Watch this trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTfW8-dCNE ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
'Christians United For Israel' Joyfully Sing of Israel's Invasion and Destruction
An open letter, from Ray McGovern, a 27-year intelligence analyst with the CIA, to Admiral William J. Fallon, warns of an impending US attack on Iran. If such an event occurred, the resulting war...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
The Petrification of John McCain
We are very pleased to welcome Frederick Lane as a guest front pager. He is the author of several books,most recently, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme...... By Frederick_Lane (3 comments)
More Biblical Precedent for Allowing Abortion
This is a follow up to my most recent diary entry. ...... By TMurray (3 comments)
John Hagee Says God Made AIDS and Bird Flu But Lord will Protect Him Personally
John Hagee claims 1) that he knows with absolute certainty the will of God (as he told a BBC interviewer in 2003), is 2) sure that he, John Hagee, has a place in heaven...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Biblical support for abortion, who knew?
It turns out that our present legal understanding of when a life is entitled to legal protection is consistent with the Old Testament Biblical understanding of when a fetus becomes a 'life' warranting legal...... By TMurray (2 comments)
2001 John Hagee Film Shows Gangsterish Rabbi, Foppish Catholic Priest In League With anti-Christ
The following somewhat satirical video is built around a brief excerpt from Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee's 2001 55-minute film "Vanished", which followed the prophetic, premillennial plot line of Tim LaHaye's and Jerry Jenkin's...... By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
PBS "Carrier": A Mixed Blessing
Watching the PBS miniseries "Carrier" was a revelation, but not always a pleasant one... ...... By bughouse square (0 comments)
Will We Ever Learn?
Ever looked at something or did something which at the time seemed good and beneficial only to learn that it was not what you thought? If we could all have the opportunity to live...... By truthngrace (0 comments)
McCain-Endorser's Church Casts Out "Demon of Anal Fissures", Teaches Vomiting Evil Spirits
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Bush 41 salutes Sun Myung Moon's effort to subdue the planet.
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Advancing The Kingdom
Over the past four years, I've researched the darkest regions of the Christian right for the non-fiction film Silhouette City. The film tracks the movement of apocalyptic Christian nationalism from the margins of American...... By MichaelWWilson (2 comments) More Diaries... |
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