Answer:
The passage you provided is taken from the book "Ronald Reagan, The Movie and Other Episodes in Political Demonology" by Michael Rogin, which explores the relationship between American politics and popular culture. In the book's introduction, Rogin discusses the historical and cultural roots of American political mythology, arguing that the American character has been shaped by a series of "political demonologies" that are rooted in a sense of "contaminated inheritance" and a belief in the inevitability of violent conflict.
The passage you provided specifically refers to the views of "Southerners like Bouldin," who Rogin suggests were among the many settlers who believed in the "unredeemed force" of white authority and the necessity of taking Native American land. These settlers, according to Rogin, understood their fate as being tied to a larger historical and cultural process of conquest and domination. They believed that the expansion of American power and the subjugation of other peoples was both necessary and inevitable.
Rogin's argument is that this sense of fate and inevitability has shaped the American character in profound ways. He suggests that Americans have long seen themselves as a chosen people, destined for greatness and willing to use whatever means necessary to achieve it. This belief in the righteousness of American power has led to a series of "political demonologies" that have justified everything from slavery and imperialism to the use of nuclear weapons.
Step-by-step explanation:
In summary, Rogin is arguing that the views of people like Bouldin and other settlers, who saw themselves as destined to conquer and dominate, helped to shape the American character and create a mythology of American exceptionalism that continues to influence American politics and culture today.