Was Bush Policy Misguided Gnosticism?

This has got some play this week related to a discussion that going on between Damon Linker and Ross Douthat. I see that Vox Nova has picked it up today.

There was a discussion on this over at American Catholic on this yesterday that has all the relevant links.

Now the Paleo and Crunchy Con conservatives wings have gone with this and going SEE we told you as they try to connect Bush to something called moralistic therapeutic deism

I must say people like Douthat and Larison are much smarter than me but I find these arguments quite thin. In fact there seems to be precious little application of the Bush Policy to the world and other matters over the past 8 years to this claim

One just gets a sense that again this is all about Iraq.

I am glad I am not the only one that thinks that this claim seems not to be supported by much.

At the above American Catholic article I linked please see the comments by Darwin Catholic here and here which I think in just a few short paragraphs points out this claim appears mighty weak.

Was the Bush policy toward Africa, that was widely lauded a product of this. See Did you know Bush is still in Africa?, and especially Geldof on Bush: “he’s curious and quick.”

This major Foreign policy effort from the Bush administration does not seem to be noted. Maybe because it does fit with this Gnostic theme.

As to Latin American the Bush effort seemed to be mostly as to trade see CAFTA , The Colombia Free Trade Accord, etc also in areas such immigration reform. One suspects the Paleo and Crunchy Con wing does not mention this because well many hated immigration reform and have some problems with Free trade at times in their ranks. But how in heavens names does any of the above have to do with some Gnostic world view.

In Europe we saw Bush got very close with our Eastern European allies. Is Missile Defense a Gnostic thing?

Maybe they are right. But at some point they have to put a little bit more meat on the bones of their argument.