Dear Mr. Allen West,
My name is Alec. Like you, I am a veteran of the Iraq War. Like you, I sacrificed for my country. I left my little girl when she was only six days old so I could serve. I know you were awarded a Bronze Star. I have one just like it too. We have so much in common, but that is not why I am trying to contact you. You see, last week you called me a communist.
Well, you didn't really call me a communist. That would have taken actual courage. The kind you seem to have left behind when you took the uniform off. When you said there were 81 communist Democrats, you refused to actually name them. You said it was a progressive ideology that made anyone a communist.
Mr. West, I have a progressive ideology. I have an ideology like our most popularly elected President, FDR. Was he a communist? Our greatest generation of amazing leaders chose FDR as their leader a record four times. Was our greatest generation communists Mr. West? It is funny that you claim to fight for a country that was built by folks you consider communists.
Mr. West, it is bad enough you called me, and so many other loyal Americans communists. You didn't even have the courage to name them. I do not lack that courage, Mr. West. Until you actually name your list of communists, I have no choice but to address you as coward.
Furthermore, if we believed your definition of communist, it would mean that we live in a communist country. I cannot accept your assertion Mr. West. This country had great progressives from Teddy Roosevelt to FDR to JFK to our current progressive caucus. You are a rhetorical bombing throwing terrorist Mr. West. You hide behind cute phrases and cowardly generalities. Stand up and name names.
Finally, my country is not communist. Our great leaders were not communist. Our greatest generation was not communist. They were simply progressive. However, Mr. West, you do match almost all of the defining characteristics of a fascist. Therefore, I will call you by name, both fascist and coward. Until such time as you step up and name names for your cowardly accusations.
After the break, you can see your classification as fascist.
Cross posted at MNProgressive Project
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Check. I would refer you to Mr. West's campaign site. I don't really want to provide a link. It is quite easy to find and speaks for itself.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Check. Mr. West was actually punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, UCMJ, for what, in essence was an abuse of a defenseless prisoner.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Check. This is what this letter, and his entire career in Congress has been about.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
Um, check.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
Check. Mr. West's staffers have literally had to reassure constituents that he does not, in fact, hate women.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Check. West's response to WikiLeaks: “And I think that we also should be censoring the American news agencies which enabled him to do this and also supported him and applauding him for the efforts. So that’s kind of aiding and abetting of a serious crime.”
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Check. Just one example, he wants to warn us about the terrible Muslims and our great risk of cultural suicide vis a vi the Muslims
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
Check. Separation of church and state does not exist, according to West. Period.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Check. West says Obama tax rates are weapons of mass destruction. The tax rates that are lower than Ronald Reagan's, but still. Little corporate pandering and fear mongering. A fascist double play!
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
Check. In his 2009 campaign, West tried to link now defunct ACORN with labor unions as one big ball of evil. The kind of evil that lobby's for the poor and for workers because they are apparently over-represented in the free market of the amazing invisible hand.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
He seems to value education, so I will not give this one a check.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forgo civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
Check. I would say the actions for which he was punished in the military pretty much exemplify his do whatever you want to get the bad guy mentality.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
I am not sure he has been around long enough to develop cronies. I'll give him a pass on this for now.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Check. Voting rights and abilities are being demolished and hindered at every turn. This is a huge check
So, Allen West meets 12/14 standards for being a fascist.
Democratic Progressive Caucus meets the standards of our most popularly elected president of all time.
Who is more American?
Mr. West, when you name names the coward tag will be removed.
Good Day.