Delusions of Grandeur
In the July 30 issue of The American Conservative, ex-Senator Rick Santorum takes a thumping in an article by Michael Brendan Dougherty titled “Santorum Against the World: The Ex-Senator Sets the Culture War Aside to Preach Paranoia in Our Time.”
Santorum is now working at the neocon Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he is directing the America’s Enemies Program — involving “Islamofascists,” Latin American populists, Russia, and the list goes on. Dougherty says, “In his post Senate speeches, Santorum has explained how he transformed from culture warrior to foreign policy warrior…. Now he is building support for regime change in Iran….”
In June 2006, when Santorum was in the Senate, he promoted a bill that would have brought the U.S. to the threshold of all-out war with Iran — i.e., regime change. Luckily, the Senate thwarted it.
Dougherty continues, “Like many evangelicals, [James] Dobson’s interests now include foreign policy. In May [on his Focus on the Family radio show], he dedicated two days of his show to broadcasting a Santorum stemwinder.” In the speech Dobson aired, Santorum says he is out “to conquer the world.” And he means it. Pope Benedict XVI cried out for an end to all wars, characterizing them as “useless slaughters” that bring Hell to earth (July 22, Angelus Address given in Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy). Santorum has delusions of grandeur.
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His split-mindedness is present at every point, recognized in his clear distinction between “the faith of Catholics” and “my faith.”
John Paul II wrote of political superpowers that all-consuming pursuit of profit and power are “forms of modern imperialism” and “real forms of idolatry.”
Let us not love America inordinately or unrealistically. It is enough to be Americans without also being vainglorious Americanists.