According to Talk to Action, Wilson's action group, YouTube has not responded to their question about what was "inappropriate" in the video -- after a stampede of over 160,000 people rushed to look at it.

Talk to Action is a blogging/activist group that was started by Wilson and others as an effort to inform Americans what the religious right is really up to. Talk to Action already had its impact on the Presidential campaign when it publicized pastor John Hagee's "God sent Hitler" sermon, compelling John McCain to reject Hagee's endorsement. Talk to Action says: "Judging from the churches Palin attends and from her public statements, we have to take very seriously the prospect of having a Vice President, a heartbeat away from the United States presidency, who holds such apocalyptic goals."

Another story that was just sucked away by the censorship vacuum cleaner was the one about African pastor Thomas Muthee, whom Palin credits with praying her to winning the governorship. Videos about Muthee and his ruthless witchcraft hunt in his native Kenya have swiftly disappeared from YouTube. Even Sarah Palin's church is nervous about the public looking at certain things now -- their website has evidently taken down a number of sermons given at the church by Muthee. European mainstream media have been quicker than U.S. major media to delve into this story.

A few days ago, I wrote about Sarah Palin as the latest figurehead for the extreme Protestant right. In fact, as I point out in my "Jerry Falwell With Lipstick" story, they have been open about their aims for over 30 years. But not enough people believed them then. Now here they are -- more numerous and stronger, with leverage at the polls... and still not enough Americans are taking them seriously.

As for "crusades" against witchcraft -- Wiccans won't be the only ones running for their lives if these folks take over. Catholics and Jews had better watch their backs. So far, the Christian Coalition and other Protestant-inspired groups have been making nice with Catholics and Jews, because they want other religions voting for their political causes. But all you have to do is read the hyper-conservatives' literature carefully, to realize that one of their big enemies is the "whore of Babylon," aka the Catholic Church, with its veneration of Mary, which super-conservative Protestants consider to be satanic goddess worship. That was the position in Luther's time, and the most conservative Protestants haven't changed their anti-Babylonism one bit. There is also a fierce anti-Semitic streak in dominionist groups. Soon enough, the velvet glove of "political ecumenism" will come off, and the time for making nice will be over.

Watching the emotional hysteria of Palin's fellow churchgoers, I'm reminded of the 14th century -- another time of widespread war and social disintegration and apocalyptic religious movements that worked themselves into a frenzy that same way. I harp on history a lot in my blog entries. But we just have to start looking at "the lessons of history"... the way these cycles of horror and oppression repeat themselves. Anybody who wants to know more can go to Amazon and find a copy of Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror." It's not a YouTube video, but it's vividly written and will really take you there...seven centuries back to a time that feels suspiciously, horribly, like our own.