moonshine and its discontents

Obviously, one knows that a lot of politicians will do anything for money, but there are values of anything that never fail to surprise:

Moon had gone on to amass extraordinary political influence, building a vast network of powerful right-wing organizations and forging alliances with every Republican presidential administration since Ronald Reagan’s. In 2004, he and his wife even staged an elaborate coronation ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, which at least a dozen lawmakers attended. Republican Roscoe Bartlett bowed down before the couple, and Democrat Danny Davis carried in one of two golden crowns that were placed on their heads. Moon then informed the audience that “kings and presidents” had declared him “humanity’s savior” and that Jesus, Buddha, Hitler, and Stalin had been “reborn as new persons” through his teachings.

From an excellent profile of the rise and fall of the Moonies, which as well as the  cult standards of conspiratorialism, coup mongering, poluitician buying, intelligence agency cutout work, sexual exploitation and brute servitude contains an oddly large amount of spanking.

Since the old man shuffled off, the racket fell into the hands of the women of the family. The US version of the church is now called the Lovin' Life Ministry and Madam Moon has retired to Korea where she has created an imaginary state which she appears to rule as a matriarchy.

Comments

[dsquared]

Never trust those "vis" bastards, that's what we "vies" always say.

[ajay]

Makes even Opus Dei and the P2 look, well, quite normal.