Yesterday, I had
a little tiff with Armando after he brought up the so-called
Godwin's Law, but that was very useful because it's helped me focus on the feelings of frustration that I've been experiencing towards the Democrats in general and some Kos writers in particular.
A little bit of self-analysis never hurts.
My frustration apears to stem from three facts:
(1) some folks don't seem to recognize the Fascist Beast for what it truly is,
(2) they then express shock and outrage when the Beast behaves as its nature dictates,
(3) and finally, they believe that somehow the Beast can be fought through ordinary means.
More (where else?) under the fold
Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:
There's been a gazillion diaries exhibiting genuine outrage at the nomination of Gonzales and, more generally, the present regime's endorsement of torture. Or Tom DeLay threatening judges. Why? What is so surprising about this? These are the heirs to the people who installed Pinochet. Par for the course, I'd say. No surprise there.
As for the fighting back, when they come for us, as they came for Brandon Mayfield, that poor lawyer in Oregon after the Madrid bombing, I'm sure that pulling out our little laminated version of the Constitution from our pocket and exhibiting outrage all the way to Gitmo will sure show them.
I finally hit upon the analogy that best sums up my thoughts:
This is the face of the enemy.
I feel the folks I mentioned above are like the good people who tried repeatedly and always in vain to negotiate with the Martians in Tim Burton's MARS ATTACKS -- only to get zapped.
They thought they could talk to the Martians. Zap! They thought the Martians were reasonable. Zap! They thoughts one could negotiate with the Martians. Zap!
It is incredibly naive to not recognize the Martians for what they are (zap!) and think you can negotiate with them (zap!). Martians do what Martians do (zap!), it's in their nature (zap!)
Same goes for fascists. You cannot negotiate with fascists because they wqant it ALL.
So what alternatives do I offer?
I think there are basically three:
- Leave the country (mentioned for the record only as clearly 49% of Americans cannot suddenly pack up and leave.)
- Destroy the enemy. I mean it. Money. Lawsuits. Blackmail. Sex. Drugs. Intimidation. Thuggery. Look at what weapons the fascists have used since (and before) Day #1 of Bill Clinton's election. Had the tables been turned in the 2004 elections, who here believe that the fascists would have been as compliant as our side was? George Soros is no Richard Scaife and we're hopelessly outgunned in that department.
Leaving aside any moral issues about becoming as evil and ruthless as the enemy, I don't think we're capable of doing it. The fact is that
the Right-Wing Conspiracy (so-called) exists and we're no match for it.
So in my mind if you can't negotiate with the Martians (zap!) and you can't fight them effectively, that leaves only one option:
3) Wait.
Yes, wait. All fascist regimes have ultimately collapsed due to their own military and/or economic mismanagement, their corruption, their infighting, etc. (or in the case of Martians, Earth germs).
That is the point when the majority of the population, no longer quite as fearful or intimidated, wakes up, as if from a long nightmare. This is when new and principled leadership can rise up and rally democratic elements.
I think we should be long past the point of shock and outrage (zap!) -- if you don't see the Martians for what they are now, you'll eventually end up in a Gitmo-like place -- and accept that the regimne is not going to be stopped until it collapses.
What we should be doing is preparing for the bad times ahead, ensure our own personal safety (get rid of debt, downsize, diverify your holdings, etc) and prepare for the inevitable transition, hoping for a soft one (e.g. Spain after Franco, Chile) rather than a bloody one (Rumania).
