As Hitchens noted, religion poisons everything. But for Christians, especially Evangelical Christians, I have a special level of contempt. Their imaginary, invisible Jewish friend who died 2,000 years ago wants them not only to have what they have in their pockets, but what's in yours as well. This is just part of their deserved reward for being believers. It disgusts me. My old partner's father was a retired minister and he had some advice for us when we were in business together, "If you're dealing with a Christian, hold on to your wallet with both hands." So, at least one of the "believers" knows the score.

Christianity is a peculiarly greedy religion and has no place in the culture of America in which greed is to be admired and expanded upon at every turn. What makes Middle America "vote against their economic, health and cultural interests" is the idea, prevalent in most of them, that they're different. They deserve more. And one day, it will all be theirs. If not in this life, in the next.

Back in the 1980's I noted that the only common epithet that has no claimed owner is "White Trash." You can talk about White Trash to someone who most would consider to be a member of that group and they think, "Oh, he's not talking about me." We lionize individuality at the whole cost of a sense of community and examples of that are present everywhere. From John Wayne to the CIEFO class who rob the businesses and employees they work for of everything whilst sailing away in their golden parachutes. And the masses say, "One of these days that will be me."

I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that there is nothing to be done about this.