American Fascism.

[mtmynd]

Monday night I was purusing commondreams-dot-org when I read this article, Reclaiming The Issues: Islamic Or Republican Fascism? written by Thom Hartmann.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0828-23.htm

I found the article to be very clear regarding America Fascism and it's (apparent) rise in our country today.

I was reminded of the word, fascist, in this passage (underlines and bolds by me) -

"...the classic definition of the word "fascist" - the definition Mussolini had in mind when he claimed to have invented the word. (It was actually Italian philosopher Giovanni Gentile who wrote the entry in the Encyclopedia Italiana that said: "Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." Mussolini, however, affixed his name to the entry, and claimed credit for it.)

As the 1983 American Heritage Dictionary noted, fascism is: "A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism." (The US dictionary definition has gotten somewhat squishier since then, as all the larger dictionary companies have been bought up by multinational corporations.)

...and there is much more in the article, well written and informative that should be read and understood by every voter in this country. I think it's that important.

Comments welcomed.

[firsty]

yo, thank you so much for that article.

i have been thinking a lot lately about capitalism and socialism and, via other groups, have gotten to know a bit about libertarianism, mutualism, etc etc etc. trying to connect these dots, trying to be able to read one idea while contemplating another, trying to find common problems they address differently, trying to find problems that none address, etc.

this article, for me, sums it up very well. i had no idea that facism was created expressly for that reason - to not only link corporations and govt, but to assign control of govt to the corporations.

it's been my stance that govt and corporations share the blame for our current corporate government. money corrupts, power corrupts. those who seek either money or power are prone to corruption, even if corruption wasnt their initial goal (which it still, sometimes, is).

what i've learned from the article is precisely how the govt enables itself to be taken over; at this point in our america, govt hasnt ceded control to businesses, or vice versa. but rather, as i suspected but as the article was able to shape for me, govt is willingly merging with corporations, and vice versa.

the lie comes from both, in the form of information from the govt, and in the form of dissemination of that information, via the corporate media.

and you're absolutely right. this is the kind of article which, 200 years ago, would have started as a pamphlet and then read by all americans. i wonder if the author is open to that kind of distribution.

thanks again, m. good stuff.

[mnaz]

I heard him talk about this on his radio show. Razor-sharp and to the point, as is most of his commentary and research.

Right now, it is the task of Bush & Co's fascist crew to divert attention from their own train wreck of an Administration and their own fascism by inventing new buzz-phrases such as "Islamic fascism". I swear, there seems to be nothing these people won't stoop to.

[firsty]

have you ever watched "the corporation"? it's a documentary being shown on the sundance channel these days. pretty eye-opening. capitalism will not work left alone, just like any other kind of human structure won't work all by itself. i forget which - but a south american country had to actually riot in the streets, leaving dead and wounded, in order to fight the privatization of RAIN WATER.

it also talked about how IBM supplied and serviced its punch card machines for the nazis, during the war, that they used to categorize and carry out executions on its concentration camp prisoners.

capitalism only works as long as the SERVICE or PRODUCT is the main driver. but thats not what we have. the COMPANY is the main driver. the govt doesnt protect SERVICES or PRODUCTS, it protects the COMPANY, as if the company was a living human being.

this fundamental disconnect, i believe, is what is killing america. i commented on another forum that the only form of socialism that is in effect and working in america is that between big business and the government. i guess what that really is, is fascism.

people really need to understand this. we are ruled by the dollar, not by personal rights. the govt protects the business, not the rights of the individual to participate in a free market.

one of the most cynical points of view i could have had about the aftermath of katrina is that the only reason the govt would assist those people affected by the storm is in order to keep them in the workforce.

but even that most cynical of expectations was shattered by the worse reality - the govt doesnt care about those wage workers, because corporations can get labor wherever they want.

it's the only reason the republicans arent staging an all-out racist battle on illegal immigration, tho. in that case, the govt is protecting big business.

i feel sick. what happened?

[e_dog]

check out "Changes in the Structure of Political Compromise" an essay by Otto Kirchheimer in the Essential Frankfurt School Reader.

also, if you can get the DVD version of The Corporation, the film firsty mentioned, it has tons of bonus footage, extra interviews with many of the persons interviewed in the main body of the documentary.

[e_dog]

check out "Changes in the Structure of Political Compromise" an essay by Otto Kirchheimer in the Essential Frankfurt School Reader.

also, if you can get the DVD version of The Corporation, the film firsty mentioned, it has tons of bonus footage, extra interviews with many of the persons interviewed in the main body of the documentary.

[mtmynd]

Firsty... you seem to be just as surprised as me on this amazingly clear and informative essay by old Thom.

Even tho I've seen the evidence of our corporate structure grow larger and larger, it's lobbyists (bribers) buying what they want from our Congress with no stopping in view, (today I heard the U.S. pharma-corporation makes $556 million profit daily! yes, DAILY), I never connected these activities as being 'fascist'... that is something I still 'see' in my mind's eye as Mussolini strutting around in full military regalia performing like a puppet of Hitler. That's about it.

Hartmann's article is an eye-opener for me and one that connects the dots very well.... that and his insights of the Islamic Fundamentalists... we are being attacked by two fronts which proposes an even greater threat - who do we arm ourselves against? Either one is an evil to a true democracy and that is what our country has fought for throughout it's short 230 year life.

These are times that one could very well call the times of Arm-ageddon without exaggeration for Democracy as we know it... and yet the BNush Regime continues spouting the word 'democracy' to continue his battle against our public.

[e_dog]

Amazing how these Bush admnistartion fools bandy about the term "fascism" and such. Today on the news Rumsfeld was saying how those who criticize Bush are like those who appease Hitler! it's outrageous. Either You're with us or your with Hitler.

but now the media has no excuse for ignoring or shunning those who call Bush a Nazi. They (Bush's team) have clearly entered the fray of accusations of fascism and Nazism so it should be no surprise that they are themselves compared to such groups.

[mtmynd]

I just saw a clip of Rumsfeld stating what e_dog mentioned. Cheney also had some nonsense to say this same day, but I was busy and didn't catch it all. Probably just as good... it gets me so friggin riled up seeing what this country is enduring.

Since the subject is up for thought and discussion, remember the amazing 'generosity' of Warren Buffet (the 2d wealthiest man in America)... his giving billions to the Gates Foundation?
If this article is true, and nobody I know yet has refuted it, this was a scam to keep their money tax-free.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0823-26.htm

The bullshit keeps piling up on Americans... although an article from May 2005, it's more realization of what's going down.

http://www.freepress.net/news/8183

(in part)

“One of the reasons Americans have fewer choices is the trend towards media ownership consolidation,” said U.S. Rep. Diane Watson, a Democrat from California whose district includes Hollywood.

“With about 75 percent of the primetime network programming and 80 percent of the cable programming controlled by six media conglomerates,” Watson said, “there is really no difference between having 600 channels or six channels, as programming decisions are made by the same executives and original programs are replaced by syndicated reruns.”

Amazing that the percentages, 75% and 80%, of all TV and cable programming is controlled by just (6) Six MEDIA CONGLOMERATES. (and that could be even more one year later) How much truth do we really see and hear?

[stilltrucking]

plenty

[firsty]

i think when mtmynd asks that question, he means the collective "we" - the american public. we, specifically, those who thru no fault of their own are compelled by internal psychological conflict, curiousity and intelligence, to find out the truth, get lots of truth.

most americans get their news from the local paper and the cable news networks: cnn, msnbc and fox (not necessarily in that order). in that regard, seeing as the cable companies are indeed owned and manipulated by media conglomerates, combined with the fact that most american newspapers are owned by 1 of 2 major newspaper companies, means that most americans have no fucking idea what is going on.

this isnt necessarily because the news isnt contained in those pages, but rather because it's constantly being spun for the reader/viewer. like we've said, any child reading the paper can realize what is really going on. thats because children (just like smart adults) read things for what they are. the normal reader is sucked into the vortex of stupidity expressed by columnists, pundits and letters to the editor.

those are the people who not only elected bush, but who, thru passive denial and ignorant opinion, have allowed our nation to be consumed by the corporate structure of real american fascism.

[firsty]

and lets not let it go unsaid that the biggest real human threat posed by american fascism is the death toll on innocents who dont have access to even the pretend democracy that we have.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/40962/

when war comes, corporations make so much of a profit, that we must be extraordinarily confident in saying that big business has an expressed role in the decision making of our CEO, who also happens to control the world's most deadly military force.



anyone not on the board of directors or in the CEO/CFO/etc land of american profiteers is seen by those controlling profiteers as one of these:

cheap labor
ignorant consumers
pliable voters
pawns of war

this isnt just about the rights of US citizens.

we used to talk (when i was a kid) about how lucky we were to be born into this free nation of america.

with that fortune (that is quickly eroding), we have a responsibility to the world to make sure that our deadly force is not being used for sheer profit, power, warmongering, greedheads, etc.

this nation is shifting. by allowing our govt to do what it is doing, we are NO DIFFERENT from the german citizens of the 1930s. we are ALLOWING our govt to engage in strictly immoral, illegal, greedy, racist and ethnocentric actions. we are allowing the world to be dominated by religious fundamentalism, corporate oligarchy.

this is US doing this. this is the immorality of AMERICANS.

[stilltrucking]

I have no doubt that I was fortunate to be born here.

[firsty]

nor do i.

but we may be within a generation (or less) of having all american children born into a nation that doesnt afford them that lucky status.

you live in a fascist nation. how does it feel?

do you feel lucky, punk?

[stilltrucking]

I only wish I was a punk