Fortunately, this remarkable suborning of American Christianity is beginning to be written: see, for example, Kevin Phillips, American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century, or Craig Unger, The Fall of the House of Bush: The Untold Story of How a Band of True Believers Seized the Executive Branch, Started the Iraq War, and Still Imperils America's Future.
More directly to the essence of this excellent diary, I would draw attention to the works of 19th century German economist Friedrich List, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_List and 19th century American economist Henry Charles Carey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Charles_Carey Both can be seen as forerunners of an Institutionalist Political Economy.
You are really on a roll NBBooks. Been enjoying your posts on Kos as well.
Merry Christmas. "Remember the I35W bridge--who needs terrorists when there are Republicans"
