Fascist America, in ten easy steps

I just read a bone-chilling article by Naomi Wolf (which I found linked on Political Irony) called Fascist America, in 10 easy steps. And she’s spot on. Every American needs to read this article, because the country we know and love is being shattered behind us while we’re watching TV. If Wolf is right, and I believe she is, and if things don’t change in a big way, America will cease to be a democracy. Goodbye to the land of the free and the home of the brave.

On the face of it, yes, it sounds crazy. But just read the article. It’s real. We’re on the verge of the death of American democracy — and hardly anybody’s noticing. Whoever’s masterminding this is pretty darn brilliant, I have to say. And apparently pretty evil as well.

Now, the real question is how to push back the tide before it’s too late…

Very interesting article, I say. Although, I felt like her style was a little too forced (not sure if that is the best term), so as I read it, I kept feeling pushed into hating Bush and his administration. That was interesting to me because I already didn’t like Bush et. al. to begin with! Anyway, I think her style is rather pushy which would cause lots of Bush supporters to read the first few paragraphs and say, “Liberal political rhetoric. I’ll stick to my right-wing stuff instead.” And they’d completely miss the main idea of the article. In summary, the article is so politically heated, it will turn a lot of people off, and they won’t be able to learn about the destruction of democracy that we are witnessing.

I did enjoy the article, and Wolf made some really good points. However, just to get perspective from one of her critics, you should read this: http://www.reason.com/news/show/127429.html .

Sadly, yes, American democracy is dying. What’s even sadder is that the Republic died long ago.

The Guardian? Tut tut, Ben.

Having recently returned from the UK, I know to be a bit wary of the Guardian. The paper is also famous for running an article last year which called the European Union “a caucus of neo-fascists and Holocaust deniers” because Romania and Bulgaria were permitted to join.

The paper leans very far left, and every day on the Tube heading into the city, the Guardian afforded me with bountiful evidence that the US is on a one-way ticket to hell. So I guess my two cents is: consider the source.

Agreed Connor.

If you want to turn back the tide, I recommend reading “The 5000 Year Leap”. I have a copy that I checked out of the library at my desk. I am returning it today. Understanding our form of self government will help you know where to focus your efforts to preserver what liberties we have left, like open access to the internet without gov’t regulation, etc.

I have to admit that Elise’s article is more convincing than Wolf’s. I agree that Bush has overstepped his bounds on several occasions and, at the very least, has proven to have a poor sense of judgment. However, Wolf seems to dwell too much on inconsequential details without examining the broader scope. She also appeals to pathos a little more often than I am comfortable in a discussion that deserves to be made in a more reasonable and cool-headed manner.

In any case, Bush will be gone in 6 months, and I think that he will struggle to overturn the constitution and destroy American freedom in that time. :)

Thanks for the Wolfe and Moynihan article links.

One thing that I think is important to point out in the Moynihan article against Wolfe’s categorization of fascist attributes:

“Several of these steps aren’t particularly “fascist” at all. Non-fascist authoritarian states such as China, Cuba, and Vietnam are known to “establish secret prisons,” “target key individuals,” and “subvert the rule of law,” for example. Nor does Wolf seriously consider the fact that many of her steps—carefully selected to hew close to the controversies of the Bush years—would also apply to previous American presidents, including the liberal titans Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Abraham Lincoln.”

Precisely so. This has been going on far longer than simply Bush and extends far wider than just his policies.

I’ve actually been reading about and researching this idea for a while now. I’ve found that Eisenhower warned about the same thing back in 1961, only he referred to it as the military industrial complex (military, government, and corporations forming an elite global ruling class at the cost of democracy for the people). You can read his presidential farewell address here: http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html

I’ve also found that people call the same phenomenon a lot of different things: fascism, soft fascism, military-industrial complex, corporatocracy, to name a few.

Interestingly, a US congressman from Texas (Ron Paul) who ran for president in the current election season is also particularly concerned about this political-military-industrial complex as a threat to democracy. I find it interesting that a politician, someone who actually *works* in the government is admitting it is a problem and has essentially run his entire campaign on it, garnering quite a bit of support from young people who are getting excited about making a difference in politics in their country and preserving American freedoms. Here is a link to a short interview in which he discusses this as well as the constitutional changes during this administration that have undermined basic freedoms:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=5&entry_id=18533

Lastly, my neighbor who we rent from works for the CIA. Knowing my interest in this topic, he recommended a book saying, “he isn’t that great of a writer, but I tell you, he makes a lot of good, accurate points.” The author used to work as an “economic hit man” in what he calls the coporatocracy, at unspeakable detriment to developing countries. Wracked by a guilty conscience for his heinous misdeeds, he has tried to come clean by publishing the truth behind corporate-government-military complexes in which he took part and make amends by working alone and with NGOs to repair what he can:
John Perkins “The Secret of History of the American Empire: the Truth about Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World.”

Anyhow, just some more interesting reads if you feel strongly about the topic , which I hope is the case. . .

Ben,

It’s good to see you blogging about such issues. Our constitutional liberties are being eroded at the speed of light. Even if people don’t agree with the article, it is important to balance our input so that our output is not too heavily leveraged toward one way of thinking.

A global perspective of history and current events leads to rational thought, dialog and action. I appreciate the other links in the comments here.

I do hope that you write more posts along this line:)

I agree with the general tone of the comments here. Constitutional liberties are being eroded. There are many other problems and factors besides those discussed rather confrontationally by Wolf. And it has been going on far longer than under Bush.

I found the article very interesting. Coming into it as a preconditioned Bush-disliker (and as someone fascinated with dystopian-type stuff in general), even I thought it was rather conspiracy-theory-ish.

I was particularly alarmed by the lack of sources. She talks of the government’s deliberate muddying of facts in the press, but I wonder about the accuracy of her own facts. Many of the specific instances she mentions are rumors I have heard but cannot remember the actual source of, or just merely sound plausible because of the other rumors I have heard.

I do recognize that our government is headed down a dangerous path with regards to things like Guantanamo Bay. I’d just like to see some footnotes before I go out picketing.

p.s. I’d also like to see background behind some of the stories. When taken out of context they sound horrible and frightening, when in reality there could be a reasonable explanation.

I’ll just leave this one as-is. :)