"The fact that Hegseth cast aside prudence in making his pugnacious prayer is testimony to how much of a true believer he is—not only in his particular brand of born-again Christianity but also in far-right identity politics. ...

The fact that Hegseth sees the world in Manichaean terms means he’ll not be willing to make deals with forces he sees as metaphysically and categorically evil."

~ Jeet Heer

#Hegseth #HolyWar #WhiteChristianNationalism #Iran
/1

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/pete-hegseth-iran-holy-war/

Pete Hegseth’s Holy War Is an Unholy Nightmare

The defense secretary is talking about Iran in bloodcurdling tones of religious extremism—and underscoring how much of a dangerous fanatic he is.

The Nation

"The war on Iran is wish fulfillment for an entire class of warmongers, including Hegseth. Within this world, Iran has become a bête noire, an all-consuming obsession that, for some, has a religious dimension. An Islamic regime like Iran is a spiritual foe, not just a security threat."

Sarah Jones

#Hegseth #HolyWar #WhiteChristianNationalism #Iran
/2

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/iran-pete-hegseth-holy-war.html

Iran Has Become Pete Hegseth’s Holy War

Hegseth has turned the war in Iran into a kind of religious Crusade in the name of power — and Trump.

Intelligencer

@wdlindsy

At this point, I'm ready to join Team Iran and cheer them on to defeat the US. 

@Babcia54 @wdlindsy strange times that the government of Iran is likely the more reasonable one at this stage. The governments of the US and Israel have totally gone off the rails.