FASCISM - a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. --Merriam Webster
Sound familiar at all?
The Gunslinger
To me, this is a laughable as calling Bush a Nazi/Fascist.
ReplyDeleteI don't see that we have a nation that in any sense that matters, "exalts nation above the individual," is "headed by a dictatorial leader," or that has "severe economic and social regimentation," or "forcible suppression of opposition," except that last one we had a bit of at the RNC this election season... of course they aren't a government body.
Guess we'll see,come January.Veneer of "civilization" is pretty thin.Now-gone relatives from Europe told me how surprised they were at the swiftness of Nazis,once they got foot in the door."Our neighbors who knew us turned into screaming mobs shouting 'kill them!'.Go to youtube for Castro/San Francisco vid of Gays being bullies.It turns quick...surreal.
ReplyDeleteFascism is really just a label, another name for collectivism--Mussolini picked it up from fasces, "a bundle of rods bound about an ax with projecting blade, carried before ancient Roman magistrates as a symbol of authority."
ReplyDeleteHe told the Italian people that it symbolized how much stronger they were collectively--an individual stick is easily broken.
So while "fascist" is a historically loaded word, I must say that it describes the tendencies of the American Left. Let's not forget that economic hardship is the engine that sends the masses rushing into the arms of smiling collectivist dictators...
Stay tuned.
Jag, when THE STATE tells bar owners that they are forbidden to allow people to smoke in their privately owned businesses, it is exalting the STATE above the rights of the smoker and the bar owner...individuals.
ReplyDeleteWhen THE STATE tells parents that they are not allowed to home-school their children, it is exalting the STATE above the rights of both the children and the parents.
When THE STATE tells restaurant owners they are not allowed to cook with trans-fats, it is exalting the STATE above the rights of the owner, the cook and the customers.
When THE STATE tells individuals they cannot run an ad before an election, they cannot smoke in their apartment, they cannot drive without a seatbelt, they cannot ride a bike without a helmet, they cannot buy an incandescent light bulb, they cannot buy more than one handgun a month (California)...
...it is exalting the STATE above the individual.
There is almost nothing you can do in America today that is not circumbscribed, limited and regulated by the State.
Just because we are "used" to it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.
wahrheit...Welcome. And right you are. People always mistake fascism as an extreme extension of the Right, not realizing that the extreme Right Wing is, in fact, anarchy...no government at all!
GS, I guess I see those as a far cry from infringement that matters. Most of those things are state decisions (as in the 50). I think they're stupid but they don't scare me. What scares me is things like video cameras everywhere, etc.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're wrong! It's certainly something to be concerned about. I don't think the sky is falling though. Are we more or less Fascist than during the Prohibition?
Always good to talk to you.
-J
Same here, Jag.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of suggestions if you're up for it. Read Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg, and then let's talk.
Also read Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism by Ronald J. Pestritto;
Neither are weird talk-show host type rants. Just real information and history.
Problem: we don't learn true history anymore. And so, we don't learn from the past, and therefore are destined to repeat it.
Which sucks.
I will keep those in mind, though I have to admit that I am an engineer and so have a little trouble maintaining my patience while reading long narratives ;)
ReplyDelete