又中又英 | Slippery slope | 褚简宁
It is a slippery slope to mix religion with politics. There is always blowback for people who mix the two. A slippery slope describes a bad situation or habit that gets much worse after it starts. The word “blowback” means unintended negative reactions such as criticism. Religion has become a hot topic in the US after President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth mixed it with politics. Trump posted an AI picture of himself as Jesus on social media. He also started a war of words with Pope Leo.
Trump deleted the AI picture of himself as Jesus after blowback from Catholics and other Christian groups, including his right-wing Christian supporters. Hegseth quoted from the Bible several times in framing the US war with Iran as a holy war, saying God is on the side of the US military. He also faced blowback from Christians and non-Christian Americans. Both Trump and Hegseth found themselves on a slippery slope when they mixed religion with politics. Many right-wing social media influencers, or KOLs, who were loyal to Trump have now cut and run.
The expression “cut and run” used this way means to leave quickly to avoid trouble or danger. Those who have cut and run by no longer supporting Trump include Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly who both used to work for Fox News. Trump loyalists who have cut and run are using their social media shows to attack Trump for starting what they say was a war of choice against Iran. Trump has counter-attacked by calling his former allies stupid and losers.
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将宗教和政治混合在一起，会有滑坡效应（slippery slope）。那些将两者混合在一起的人，总会遭受反弹（blowback）。A slippery slope是形容一个坏的情况或恶习一旦开始，就每况越下，变得越来越差。Blowback一字则指一些意料之外的负面反应例如批评。在美国总统特朗普和国防部长赫格塞斯将宗教和政治混集在一起说之后，宗教就变成了美国的热门话题。特朗普在社交媒体上贴了他自己化身成耶稣的人工智能（AI）图片。他也跟教宗良十四世展开了口水战。
在天主教和其他基督教群体，包括他那些右翼基督教支持者的反弹（blowback）过后，特朗普删除了自己化身耶稣的AI图。赫格塞斯有好几次引述圣经经文，将美国与伊朗的战争构想成圣战，说上帝站在美军的一边。他也得面对基督徒与非基督徒美国人的反弹（blowback）。特朗普与赫格塞斯将宗教与政治混在一起时，都发现自己堕入了滑坡效应（slippery slope）。许多曾经对特朗普忠心耿耿的右翼社交媒体网红或KOL，现在都已cut and run。
习语cut and run在这里是指落跑以避开麻烦或危险。那些脱身逃跑（cut and run），不再支持特朗普的人包括塔克．卡尔森和梅根．凯利，他们都曾效力于霍士新闻。特朗普那些落荒而逃（cut and run）的忠实支持者，现正用他们的社交媒体节目，去攻击特朗普对伊朗开展了一场他们称为「选择之战」的战争。特朗普则反击，叫他的前盟友为愚蠢和失败者。
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻
