America: From the Road of Freedom to the Streets of Fascism
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.”
―
Sinclair Lewis
“If there is ever a fascist takeover in America, it will come not
in the form of storm troopers kicking down doors but with lawyers and
social workers saying. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help.”
― Jonah Goldberg
It's taken us almost 240 years on our trip from the small town of Freedom to the big city of Fascism! Starting out as a journey to let surrounding regions know how great our town was, and to encourage them to adopt some of its guiding principles and improve their way of life we strayed down so many detours and dead-ends that we lost our sense of direction and are unable to find our way back home. Along the way we sped past some other dead-end municipalities, such as Communism and Socialism (though we did actually cross over into the outskirts of that town and some say we never really left), making sure during our travels to warn others about their dangers. Funny thing, though, the further away we got from Freedom the more everyone then wanted the cabbie to tell us what we should do!
Just over a decade ago we passed the city limits of Fascism when those behind the 'wheel' said that others who had heard about our beautiful town of Freedom attacked us out of envy - so they had to take over more control in order to 'protect' us - while early on this year those we entrusted with the driver's seat - who now seem unable to find their way back to Freedom - made up new rules so that anyone who complained about our getting further and further away from the beautiful town we once knew could now be silenced (permanently - if necessary) and the rest could have all their belongings (along with their labor) forcibly abrogated by the 'cab company' whenever they deemed it necessary. Although the cabbie-in-chief never announced it, I think we just entered the city center of Fascism!
Will we ever find our way back to that quaint old town we left so long ago with such fond memories? Every time someone asks that question they are warned by the cab company about the new rules, so that they should just sit back and trust the cabbie to do the driving - and that, if we have a problem with the one behind the wheel, then we are free to choose any replacement we wish - so long as it is from one of the only two cab companies approved in Freedom - or perhaps, that should be Fascism!
Meanwhile some of the passengers claim to know of a way to get out of the big city of Fascism that 'don't look so good any more' and to find their way back to Freedom. But their traveling companions don't seem very interested, telling them they should just 'Shush, the cabbie knows where he's going - and if he gets lost we can just get a replacement from the cab company across town. Anyway - both companies say we need them to protect us from perils outside city limits. "Fascism - get used to it."!
But in spite of attempts by both cab companies to keep their passengers in a perpetual state of fear and reliant upon the false choice of either they or their crosstown rivals, there are safe destinations such as that of Anarchism - actually a non-violent, non-coercive city based on voluntary cooperation!
Read more about real alternatives to the various systems of Collectivism - the false notion that any group of people can decide what's best for the collective good - the real reason cities fail in the end! When we do leave Fascism (after untold human suffering) the driver must be told where to go next!
Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled ProgrammingMonday, March 26, 2012
14 defining characteristics of fascism: The U.S. in 2012
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross. -- Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here. (1935)
Gregory Patin
Dees Illustration
Activist Post
In the spring of 2003, ex-corporate executive and political scientist Lawrence W. Britt published an essay in Free Inquiry magazine entitled “Fascism Anyone?” In his work, Britt examined the traits of the two governments that formed the original historical model for fascism, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, and five other protofascist regimes that imitated that model, Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Portugal, Papadopoulos’s Greece, Pinochet’s Chile, and Suharto’s Indonesia. He identified 14 characteristics that were common to all of them.
These traits have since been widely accepted as the 14 defining characteristics of fascism.
Nearly three generations removed from the horrors of Nazi Germany, all of these regimes have been overthrown, but fascism’s principles can still be found in many nations. History tends to repeat itself because many leaders and nations fail to learn from history, or they draw the wrong conclusions. Sadly, historical amnesia is the norm in the world today.
In the U.S., leaders, teachers, media and citizens proudly claim that America is a democratic society with certain freedoms and rights guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution, Bill of Rights and rule of law. But is that really the case?
A close look at the 14 characteristics of fascism in light of what has changed in America in the past few years may raise some questions as to whether or not Americans truly live in a democratic society.
No comments:
Post a Comment