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Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
If Naomi Wolf's "Steps" to Fascism in America Don't Offend You, You're an Idiot.
The United States is nothing like a fascist country --- not even close, and not headed toward it.
It's strange that I'm compelled to put that in writing to remind people what kind of state we truly live under but the internet is awash with crap opinions from people who think the US is headed for a dark dystopia.
Take, for example, a recent book by Naomi Wolf where she lays out 10 steps toward a fascist America. The book has 10 doomsaying scenarios --- "steps" --- which try and convince us to be afraid of the government and to be prepared for some kind of 3rd World military takeover.
Wouldn't it be nice if complicated human relations --- not to mention huge institutions like the government, media and private corporations --- could be reduced to "10 Steps"? I suppose that's why it appeals to the media and is getting any attention.
Here are the "Steps" that I will break down to show their ridiculousness:
"#1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy."
Democratic governments have been doing this forever without authoritarian takeovers of anything. Unlike a country like Thailand, the US has no real history of military takeovers and no real suspension of civil rights. Here's some world politics 101: when thinking of the possibility of a coup, ask yourself: has it happened before and often? If yes, then yes, it's likely to happen again.
"#2. Create a gulag."
This is so offensive to the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent people who died under Joseph Stalin for decades in REAL Gulags that I can easily call Godwin's Law on this whore, Naomi Wolf.
"#3. Develop a thug caste."
Naomi Wolf:
Fuck it. I'm already too pissed to dispute the rest of Naomi Wolf's alarmist crap. Judge for yourself here.
It's strange that I'm compelled to put that in writing to remind people what kind of state we truly live under but the internet is awash with crap opinions from people who think the US is headed for a dark dystopia.
Take, for example, a recent book by Naomi Wolf where she lays out 10 steps toward a fascist America. The book has 10 doomsaying scenarios --- "steps" --- which try and convince us to be afraid of the government and to be prepared for some kind of 3rd World military takeover.
Wouldn't it be nice if complicated human relations --- not to mention huge institutions like the government, media and private corporations --- could be reduced to "10 Steps"? I suppose that's why it appeals to the media and is getting any attention.
Here are the "Steps" that I will break down to show their ridiculousness:
"#1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy."
Democratic governments have been doing this forever without authoritarian takeovers of anything. Unlike a country like Thailand, the US has no real history of military takeovers and no real suspension of civil rights. Here's some world politics 101: when thinking of the possibility of a coup, ask yourself: has it happened before and often? If yes, then yes, it's likely to happen again.
"#2. Create a gulag."
This is so offensive to the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent people who died under Joseph Stalin for decades in REAL Gulags that I can easily call Godwin's Law on this whore, Naomi Wolf.
"#3. Develop a thug caste."
Naomi Wolf:
"When leaders who seek what I call a 'fascist shift' want to close down an open society, they send paramilitary groups of scary young men out to terrorise citizens. The Blackshirts roamed the Italian countryside beating up communists; the Brownshirts staged violent rallies throughout Germany.Wolf compares military contracts in Iraq to the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent people who died by the hands of Adolf Hitler's thugs.
"The years following 9/11 have proved a bonanza for America's security contractors, with the Bush administration outsourcing areas of work that traditionally fell to the US military ... "
Fuck it. I'm already too pissed to dispute the rest of Naomi Wolf's alarmist crap. Judge for yourself here.
Comments:
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I agree that on the surface it does seem bombastic but if you look a little deeper we have been moving in that direction.
President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been pushing for more and more executive powers.
Even Republicans in the House and Senate have pushed back. If the President can ignore any law passed by congress by a signing order then do we live in a republic?
President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been pushing for more and more executive powers.
Even Republicans in the House and Senate have pushed back. If the President can ignore any law passed by congress by a signing order then do we live in a republic?
I haven't read Wolf's work, so I won't comment on it, but it sounds like she's not comparing military contracts to the people who died under Hitler's thugs...she's probably comparing the military contractors to Hitler's thugs OR she's comparing the people dying in Iraq from the military contracting thugs to the people dying in Europe from Hitler's thugs.
At any rate, there are varying degrees of fascist repression, and it's pretty clear that the Bush Administration is invoking at least a few, such as convening secret meetings open only to business leaders to set political policy (see Cheney's "Energy Policy" for example).
At any rate, there are varying degrees of fascist repression, and it's pretty clear that the Bush Administration is invoking at least a few, such as convening secret meetings open only to business leaders to set political policy (see Cheney's "Energy Policy" for example).
Keep your blogs scathing in mind, But maybe the conspiracy theorists are correct, There has been a rather disturbing trend over the last 20 years or so of the populaces general intelligence decreasing. Such a decrease is counter to being able to detect subversion form a gov't, group, etc..
There are several examples you can see in society, #1 intelligent design, which has been noted on this site several times, Ever since I stopped working in the lab I realized how few people actually understand evolution(I mean understand not believe, there is a difference). There is this constant voice of insanity streaming for the religious portion of the country that continues to hold sway on most people. #2 Conservatism (Liberal is a dirty word) I still do not fully inderstand this one but it hits right to the heart of greed, You do not have to know anything, just have everything. #3 Culture: Why has it become fashion to be dumb? Look at our idles, Brittany, Charlize theron, Hilton, Any reality show, the emergence of ebonics, teh E! Channel, When I was a kid I wanted to be Jaque Cousteau, Now kids want to be Paris Hilton #4 Propaganda, my best example is the usual saturday protest in Olney, One side of the street has "Support the troops stay in Iraq" the other has "Support the troops bring them home" The backbone of any movement is gone. Recent elections saw, swift boat capts. The "McCain calls", Florida, Barrack is a Moslem, Homeland security (BTW why does no one stand up to Bush?)
I am not sure where I am going with this so here it is: In the past the age before mass media it was easier to control the populace, run a gulag, control a fanatical group etc.. Today Control must be more subtle. People evolved to beat out the old methods but do not underestimate those how intend to subvert, What better way to get rid of an opposition then to make them uncaring, jaded idiots. I belive that is the motto of christianity, If you can't beat 'em, brain wash 'em!! In the end we will not fall to a miltary Coup, We will be wisked away and not even no it until it is to late, Maybe it already is. Or maybe i am an idiot.
Please fell free to add comments on my poorly written thoey, I am in a constant state of evolution!!
There are several examples you can see in society, #1 intelligent design, which has been noted on this site several times, Ever since I stopped working in the lab I realized how few people actually understand evolution(I mean understand not believe, there is a difference). There is this constant voice of insanity streaming for the religious portion of the country that continues to hold sway on most people. #2 Conservatism (Liberal is a dirty word) I still do not fully inderstand this one but it hits right to the heart of greed, You do not have to know anything, just have everything. #3 Culture: Why has it become fashion to be dumb? Look at our idles, Brittany, Charlize theron, Hilton, Any reality show, the emergence of ebonics, teh E! Channel, When I was a kid I wanted to be Jaque Cousteau, Now kids want to be Paris Hilton #4 Propaganda, my best example is the usual saturday protest in Olney, One side of the street has "Support the troops stay in Iraq" the other has "Support the troops bring them home" The backbone of any movement is gone. Recent elections saw, swift boat capts. The "McCain calls", Florida, Barrack is a Moslem, Homeland security (BTW why does no one stand up to Bush?)
I am not sure where I am going with this so here it is: In the past the age before mass media it was easier to control the populace, run a gulag, control a fanatical group etc.. Today Control must be more subtle. People evolved to beat out the old methods but do not underestimate those how intend to subvert, What better way to get rid of an opposition then to make them uncaring, jaded idiots. I belive that is the motto of christianity, If you can't beat 'em, brain wash 'em!! In the end we will not fall to a miltary Coup, We will be wisked away and not even no it until it is to late, Maybe it already is. Or maybe i am an idiot.
Please fell free to add comments on my poorly written thoey, I am in a constant state of evolution!!
All:
This is not a copout, but I don't have the time or desire to properly discuss this in this forum, desipte the fact that I would love to have a sit-down discussion with all of you on this topic.
However, I will refer you to an excellent article published in Harper's Magazine back in 2006. The article is titled "American coup d'etat: Military thinkers discuss the unthinkable". It's a long transcript of high-ranking and highly respected military leaders discussing the possibility for a coup in the US.
My take is that their conclusion is "very probably not".
This is not a copout, but I don't have the time or desire to properly discuss this in this forum, desipte the fact that I would love to have a sit-down discussion with all of you on this topic.
However, I will refer you to an excellent article published in Harper's Magazine back in 2006. The article is titled "American coup d'etat: Military thinkers discuss the unthinkable". It's a long transcript of high-ranking and highly respected military leaders discussing the possibility for a coup in the US.
My take is that their conclusion is "very probably not".
I don't think fascism will come to the US through a military coup by the career military leaders. But it could come through an arrogant executive branch ignoring the checks and balances in the constitution.
That's why we must be vigilant to protect our democracy from those who seek to make the executive branch of the federal government all powerful by some of the techniques in Wolf's article.
After all Hitler didn't take power through a military coup. He was a popularly elected leader who then abused his position to take ultimate dictatorial powers.
That's why we must be vigilant to protect our democracy from those who seek to make the executive branch of the federal government all powerful by some of the techniques in Wolf's article.
After all Hitler didn't take power through a military coup. He was a popularly elected leader who then abused his position to take ultimate dictatorial powers.
# posted by 
: 4:21 PM
: 4:21 PM
You may have a point, we do not know what is like, However projecting anger is not productive either, I am supposed to have lived in a despotic state in order to talk or debate one? Interesting point of view.
Keep in mind we Americans have paid a lot in blood, It may have been our ancestors but it lives with us none-the-less. The reason we debate such things is to maintain the power to better ourselves and the world, Unfortunately we are the vocal minority, but we are working on it
Keep in mind we Americans have paid a lot in blood, It may have been our ancestors but it lives with us none-the-less. The reason we debate such things is to maintain the power to better ourselves and the world, Unfortunately we are the vocal minority, but we are working on it
your blog is going on my favorites. from the ten posts i've read i think you're close to being "hero" material. of course i may read more and retract that comment, but so far i like you...
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