Socialism, too.
Pictures of President Obama with a Hitler mustache attend most Tea Bag Gatherings. In no stretch of the imagination is President Obama a fascist. But maybe the Right Wing philosophy is. Maybe Beck is channeling Double Speak to try to cover the GOP's dismal track record of social responsibility. I am open for this explanation. And, if so, can fascism come to America draped in a flag and carrying the Bible?
Beck University is rewriting history for his devoted followers, many who look as angry as this woman:
Is this who we want to rule our Congress? States? Towns?
Well, maybe Beck is on to something: Himself! Let's take a look at the components of fascism:
I'm going to be blatant, too. I think the GOP/Blue Dogs are willingly pandering to a growing protofascist movement in America. Power at any cost.
In order to become a protofascist, then fascist, success only one component is needed:
The Angry Mob, formerly referred to as Mobocracy. With the billionaire Kock Brothers' money, Fox News (and most news media outlets, sadly), and even the wife of a Supreme Court Judge, the Angry Mob is funded and growing in leaps and bounds.
The Nazi's called the mob the "Gemeinschaft -- the organic unity of a people, founded on identity of blood." Of course, anyone dissenting, blood or not, was swiftly dealt with. Disloyalty was not tolerated.
This is the best definition of fascism I found:
Fascism: A philosophy or system of goverment that advocates or exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with an ideology of beligerant nationalism. But you have to go to a dictionary older than 10 years, when the corporations merged the publishers they rewrote the defination.
No need to debate the definition. For the purposes herein, it is the marriage of state and corporations, represented by Corporaticians who we, supposedly, elect. My definition.
Have our State and Corporate leaderships merged? It appears they have and are even sanctioned by the Supreme Courts recent ruling, granting corporations personhood.
Are Beck, the monied interests behind the Tea Party, and Fox News ginning up their 'angry mobs' with a form of reverse psychology? or a rhetorical shell game?
Yes, they are. They are raising a Mobocracy to do their bidding.
I am amazed that, in fact, they are opening their playing hand for all to see; however, they are telling their omni-phobic, perpetually fearful and angry mobs that it is all the Democrats fault.
It's mind twisting, mind boggling, audacious, and the subtlety of this amoral approach is being missed. Have you caught on to this double speaking, dangerous tactic?
We are being told what they will do under the guise of their pretending it is what the Democrats are doing. Or so it seems clear to me.
The purpose of the government is to protect the people or, as Henry Waxman repeats over and over again in his Senate hearings, To Do No Harm
Have you felt unprotected by the government?
Have you or someone you know been harmed by corporate irresponsibility?
Do you feel like a sitting duck with no rights of recourse when poisoned by food, your income destroyed by reckless oil drilling, gas lines exploding and destroying your home, sickened by tainted ground beef, socked with a $2,000 medical bill even though you have insurance, the home you have faithfully paid the mortgage for decades taken because you lost your job, and the list could go on forever these days.
Sitting ducks. That is what a citizenry becomes when corporations run the country.
I read incessantly. Many books a month. I do so because there is NOTHING on TV worth watching anymore, imo. Well, I also enjoy learning.
Recently I read a book by a controversial author. He's a bit out there. He believes in UFOs for instance. I don't disbelieve but am unconvinced even though....
An Entertaining Aside: Actually, around 1965 I responded to a radio report at 11:00PM of several UFOs hovering over Portland Harbor, Maine. I asked her if we could go and she said "yes" and we went quickly, in our jammies and bathrobes (worn back then). Great mom. And, yes, there were five UFOs darting from place to place, in formation, for about a half hour before they disappeared. No one in the crowd said a word. That was odd. And we went home. Nothing was ever reported thereafter. Weird. Oh well.
But I deviate. Back to fascism.
The reason I mentioned that the author is considered a bit out there is because I don't want you to roll your eyes and move on.
I WANT YOU TO READ THE LIST OF THE THINGS IN COMMON that transpired prior to fascist and protofascist regimes of the past.
Specifically the regimes of Hitler's Germany, Italy, Franco's Spain, Salazar's Portugal, Papadopoulos' Greece, Pinochet's Chile, Argentina, and Suharto's Indonesia (there are many more. Mao's China for instance).
I found this list of fourteen (14) characteristics in Jim Marr's book, The Rise of the Fourth Reich. The list is posted at the end of the diary and is found all over the internet.
I wanted to share a few things to help you connect some dots first.
On the same level of appreciation that I have for Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine, I learned so much from Marr's book. Specifically, Marrs digs into and presents the corporate history for the period ranging from prior to WWI, WWII, and through present day. Equally important, there is a huge bibliography supporting the information Marrs presents. Lots of empirical evidence, not a conspiracy theory book, which some try to dismiss it as.
Marr's book shares an in-depth multi-national corporate history of WWII and beyond.
Many of the same corporations that financially supported the rise of the Third Reich still exist, although the names have been changed over time. It's all in Marrs book. I mention this because these same corporations, global/multi-national from the beginning of the 20th Century, have merged into behemoths today.
I ask: If they were not averse in profiting from the horrors that were WWII, not averse in conspiring with despots and demogogues for power and profit in country after country, and not averse to the pain and death that resulted, why would we think they would be averse to harming the good people of America for profit and power?
I think this is really important information: I want to share the documented history in Marr's book that most alarmed me. Specifically, hundreds, if not thousands, of Nazi Germany's intelligentia and scientists were immediately and discreetly imported to America to work for the Military Industrial Complex and throughout universities and corporations. Why waste brain power? And the Germans were far ahead of us in many areas.
Could it be that they brought with them the tenets of NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) which dominated, energized, and directed the Third Reich?
To better understand, in a concise form, how the members of the Third Reich were organized, I highly recommend this article written during WWII by
Lothrop Stoddard (1883-1950) was one of America's most influential writers. He earned a doctorate from Harvard, and was the author of 15 books, including the much-discussed 1920 work, The Rising Tide of Color.
During WWII, Stoddard travelled to Germany during the war, interviewed top level officials, and wrote about the Third Reich leadership and organizations.
According to Stoddard, here's is what he was told by the Director of Labor in answer to the question: What are the principles and how do they work? What's the difference between State and Party:
"Let's see how I'd best put it," he said finally. "As to our basic ideas, they are very simple. First of all, the principle of natural leadership. By this we mean the proved leader who by sheer merit has fought his way up from below to supreme command. This is best exemplified by Adolf Hitler, our Führer, whom we believe to be an inspired genius."
"Our second principle," he went on, "is absolute loyalty and obedience. So long as a plan is under discussion, it is carefully weighed from every angle. Once debate is closed and a decision is made, everyone gets behind it one hundred percent. But behind both those principles is a third which is even more fundamental. This is what we call the Gemeinschaft -- the organic unity of a people, founded on identity of blood. Germany is fortunate in being racially united. That is the ultimate secret of our harmonious strength."
http://www.ihr.org/...
It was divided into to parts: The State (Government) and the Party (GOP) per se
"Before I do that," Dr. Ley answered, "let me make clear what the Party and the State mean to each other. The National Socialist Party, as others have doubtless told you, may be likened to a motor which supplies the energy by which an elaborate machine is run. To change the simile, we may also compare the Party to the advance-guard of a column of marching troops. Its duty is to pioneer, investigate, make everything safe. The State, on the other hand, is the main body which occupies the ground won and puts everything in final order. One of the outstanding features of the Third Reich is that the Party can, and does, make all sorts of experiments which would be impossible for State officials, tied down as they are by legal regulations and red tape."
ibid.
I want to connect a dot here. You are most probably aware of Jeff Sharlett's expose of The Family. One point that caught my attention, but isnt' much focused on is that
Sharlett traces the rest of the Family’s history from there, documenting its dalliances with ex-Nazi businessmen after WWII and its embrace of some of the worst dictators of the late 20th century.
That is a HUGE understatement. Abram's, The Family's founder, was a key person involved in The Marshall Plan, behind the scenes of course.
Actually, it looks like you can read Jeff Sharlett's entire book, The Family, here.
http://books.google.com/...
If you scroll and read pages 151 and 152, your eyes will be opened. You will understand how we got to the place we are today. You will understand how the woman in the intro picture was conjured.
This, from the top of page 152, should send a chill up your spine. Remember, this is back in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Decades before they jumped onto the political stage as the Christian Coalition:
The role played by fundamentalists in refashioning the world's greatest fascist power into a democracy would go unnoticed. So, too, would the role of fascism - or, rather, that of fascism's ghost - in shaping the newly internationalist ambition of evangelical conservatives in the post-war era.
ibid, Sharlett
Sharlett shares the history of the grip of Christian Fundamentalism on the willing corporate elite and politicians which began in the early 1900's with such luminaries as Henry Ford. I think he built a house for the founder of The Family, which sponsors those annual National Prayer Meetings. Geesh!.
You really should read Sharlett's book. Of course Sharlett exposes the same global/multi-national billionaires/politicians that show up just as they do in Marr's and Klein's books.
Klein, Marrs, and Sharlett, when all read, connect the dots. So, now what?
Can we, the tens of millions of Americans, who truly care about the pain and suffering of others, who really want a fair society (not a pony), and who believe in the founding principles, stop the trajectory they have taken us on?
Are they so blatant, as in Beck and others feeling free to use the word fascism, because all the plans are in place for an upcoming takeover of all of our freedoms?
I think that is a distinct possibility, now that world leaders are all begging for life lines because of the economic disaster, so-called.
Will we stand idly by and let that happen?
Will we just write stern emails, make heart-felt phone calls, and work our buts off for pre-determined candidates who won't serve us?
I think not.
I think, slowly and painfully, progressives and independents are waking up.
I think Fox/Beck blundered. They let their Mob get a bit too ugly/angry a bit too often and on a few too many topics.
I think they have scared the crap out of normal (what's that) people.
But, the normal people aren't nearly as well organized, don't have their own TV station, and don't have billionaires and Supreme Court Justice's wives on their side.
Our side.
We.HAVE.to.push.back. LOUDLY and OFTEN. In a classy way, of course. We need a song we can all sing, or something..........And we are not naturally loud people. Can we be? And if not, will we win with our polite ways? I hope so. But I am practicing cheerleading in my back yard lately. So out of my comfort zone
But we don't have much time left (no pun).
I have done enough research to state that there is a world-wide effort to weaken, maybe remove, social safety nets. You see, in the world of fascism and The Family, you rise because of your strengths. If you are weak, you sink. It's all God's will in their world. It's crazy double speak in mine and, most likely, yours.
These are supposedly written by a Dr. Laurence W. Britt, a secular humanist, for Free Inquiry. I'd rather not debate the source. I found it in Marr's book, The Rise of the Fourth Reich and this list is all over the internet.
Do any of these seem familiar?
Analysis of these seven regimes reveals fourteen common threads that link them in recognizable patterns of national behavior and abuse of power. These basic characteristics are more prevalent and intense in some regimes than in others, but they all share at least some level of similarity.
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
Does any of this ring alarm bells? Of course not.
After all, this is America, officially a democracy with the rule of law, a constitution, a free press, honest elections, and a well-informed public constantly being put on guard against evils.
Historical comparisons like these are just exercises in verbal gymnastics.
Maybe, maybe not.
http://www.secularhumanism.org/...
SO
GET ON THE BUS
GET TO THE
10.2.10 March on Washington
Thereafter, please be prepared to add something to you to do list:
Join One Nation Working Together
Then help build a ONWT organization in your state/town.
WE MUST BECOME LARGER THAN THIS POWERFUL BLOCK that does not appreciate your views, values, or even your life. And that has planned for decades to bring a theocratic, totalitarian governance throughout the world, funded by multi-national corporations.
It's stark, dark, and quite possibly true. Look around at your friends? Which one of them would be considered "one of them" to the Theogarchy? Would they be safe?