Theocratic interlude
I wrote about Biden’s visit to the pope for The Freethinker.
It’s appalling that it’s become some kind of normalized tradition that US presidents are supposed to drop in on the pope, even if they’re not Catholic. Trump did it and he’s not Catholic or Protestant or atheist or anything else, he’s just empty, but still he toddled along. Obama did it, and he even let the pope return the favor.
Not appropriate.
I see it as pragmatic.
Person X has many followers who will abandon any politician Person X doesn’t like.
Rumors spread that Person X and Politician Y don’t like each other.
Happy visit shows they DO like each other!
Followers vote for Politician Y.
I want to know what the fuck is going on with the women all wearing black and covering their heads with mantillas like it’s the days of the Latin mass.
I think it’s also pandering to the notion that the pope is a world leader.