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Goliath vs. Iran
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Uriel238 [all pronouns] lemmy.blahaj.zone uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-25
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Disclaimer: I'm staunch atheist (naturalist), but every once in a while I'll dip a toe into mythology. And sometimes this includes the Christian Cinematic Universe. Or as the case may be, the larger Abrahamic Cinematic Universe

David and Goliath is already a part of biblical mythology. In the myth, David of the Israelites (in the story, a clever young lad skilled with a sling) defeats Goliath of the Philistines (a giant warrior). Implied in the story is the protocol that gods can duel each other by proxy, by having their champions fight on the field and seeing who wins.

Cut to modern day. The US attacks Iran.

But the US isn't acting as a secular nation as it has in prior theaters of war. The Trump administration is actively trying to turn the US into a theocratic state under the patronage of white Christian nationalism, a movement that intersects with a number of different Christian institutions.

Before the initial strikes on Iran, Hegseth made it very clear to the US armed forces and the US public that the United States is engaging in a holy war against Iran. Preaching and rituals happened. Blessings were administered. Troopers had to sit through uncomfortable hours of preaching.

And note that Iran is, itself, a far-right-wing theocratic government under Shia Islam.

And Iran has been holding its own under siege by the US' superior force. Early on they were able to close the Hormuz Strait to commercial shipping, decimating the global economy.

Months into the war, the US is depleted of munitions and Iran stands firm. The Hormuz strait is still closed to commerce. Moreover, hostilities are expanding as the Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict reignites. The Bab-el-Mandeb strait is now in play. And all that Trump and Hegseth can think to do is attack Iran some more, specifically, to attack civilian infrastructure (That's a war crime and, according to Sun Tzu, an act of desperation.)

The US is getting shellacked. Brought down like Goliath.

Can this be interpreted to mean that American Christianity is a false or lesser religious power than Persian Islam? More importantly, can the risk of this narrative playing out be used to sway US leadership to act sensibly (e.g. end the war or replace the command)?

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Maeve kbin.earth Maeve@kbin.earth
Joined: 2024-06-16
#2 · Quote Reply

No. It can be interpreted as an empire claiming divine right and manifest destiny to get evangelical nutjobs to support the boot on their and everyone else's neck, to establish and maintain dollar and military hegemony. Neocolonialism, in other words.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hePRA9yVdQE

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ruuster13 lemmy.zip ruuster13@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-07-09
#3 · Quote Reply

Your well-cited AI post is arguing that one religious power is greater than another. You threw in a little tidbit acknowledging Iran as a theocracy as a means to legitimize your argument. This is what modern propaganda looks like.

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Uriel238 [all pronouns] lemmy.blahaj.zone uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-25
#4 · Quote Reply

No. It can be interpreted as an empire claiming divine right and manifest destiny to get evangelical nutjobs to support the boot on their and everyone else's neck, to establish and maintain dollar and military hegemony. Neocolonialism, in other words. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hePRA9yVdQE

Except in this case, the empire is losing. And the empire's population is already suffering for it.

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Uriel238 [all pronouns] lemmy.blahaj.zone uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-25
#5 · Quote Reply

Your well-cited AI post is arguing that one religious power is greater than another. You threw in a little tidbit acknowledging Iran as a theocracy as a means to legitimize your argument. This is what modern propaganda looks like.

Are you claiming that I used AI to write this?

Actually I was asking, since the facts fit the myth, if the implications follow, and could the implication be used to motivate US officials to come to their senses.

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Cypher aussie.zone Cypher@aussie.zone
Joined: 2023-06-14
#6 · Quote Reply

I’m an atheist but complete nonsense

Yeah still nonsense and not the place for it.

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Rhynoplaz Moderator Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-07
#7 · Quote Reply

There are already PLENTY of well known contradictions in Christianity. I don't think this is the one that will finally get them to realize it's all nonsense.

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Maeve kbin.earth Maeve@kbin.earth
Joined: 2024-06-16
#8 · Quote Reply

Except in this case, the empire is losing. And the empire's population is already suffering for it.

The "right people" in the empire are winning. Everyone else are disposable, replaceable cogs in the machine built to accomplish the objective.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/04/16/The-US-is-not-a-democracy-but-an-oligarchy-study-concludes/2761397680051/

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Hawanja lemmy.world Hawanja@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-04-27
#9 · Quote Reply

Christians and Muslims worship the same God, so this would be God dueling with himself.

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Uriel238 [all pronouns] lemmy.blahaj.zone uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-25
#10 · Quote Reply

Christians and Muslims worship the same God, so this would be God dueling with himself.

Tell that to Christians and Muslims.

Heck, different ministries of Christianity assert that only their faith is to the one true God, and all others are illusions of the Devil.

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Uriel238 [all pronouns] lemmy.blahaj.zone uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2023-06-25
#11 · Quote Reply

The "right people" in the empire are winning. Everyone else are disposable, replaceable cogs in the machine built to accomplish the objective. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/04/16/The-US-is-not-a-democracy-but-an-oligarchy-study-concludes/2761397680051/

I'd argue that the empire itself is disposable. It's getting the private equity treatment, and once the ultra-wealthy are done exploiting the United States, they'll turn their eyes and greed to the rest of the industrialized world.

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Maeve kbin.earth Maeve@kbin.earth
Joined: 2024-06-16
#12 · Quote Reply

I'd argue that the empire itself is disposable. It's getting the private equity treatment, and once the ultra-wealthy are done exploiting the United States, they'll turn their eyes and greed to the rest of the industrialized world.

I can't disagree.

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Hawanja lemmy.world Hawanja@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-04-27
#13 · (edited) Quote Reply

Tell that to Christians and Muslims. Heck, different ministries of Christianity assert that only their faith is to the one true God, and all others are illusions of the Devil.

True, true.
But what I said is also true.

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