The Rev. Dr. Davidson Loehr says fascism has come to America

[StellaBlue]

The new F-word?
The Rev. Dr. Davidson Loehr says fascism has come to America
From UU World
By Charles Derber
October 24, 2005
On the Sunday after Election Day 2004, the Rev. Dr. Davidson Loehr took to his pulpit at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Texas, and delivered a sermon entitled “Living Under Fascism.”

“I mean to persuade you,” he told his parishioners, “that the style of governing into which America has slid is most accurately described as fascism, and that the necessary implications of this fact are rightly regarded as terrifying.”

(snip)

The greedy corporatism we have—and “corporatism” is the word Mussolini used as a synonym for fascism—should be opposed because it’s unethical, immoral, unfair, brutal, a mortal enemy of our greater humanity. Those are the kind of terms I think we should be using. Too often, people in religion are so desperate for any feeling that they might, after all, be relevant that they jump on the fundamentalist wagon and try to say that America really is a religious nation—just a liberal religious nation. That’s dangerous nonsense. The conservatives have framed the word “religion,” and liberals lack the numbers, the clout, or the moral significance to effectively reframe it.

[BiggJawn]

1. Take the test and decide for yourselves...

The 14 (count 'em!) 14 Characteristics of Fascism:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
(flags, flags, everywhere flags! tattered, faded, neglected, but they were all there by Sept. 13)

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
(Long incarcerations, like Gitmo, Il Douche's reluctance to ban torture)

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
("I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." Herbert Walker Bush)


4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
($3,000 a second for Bushler's war, yet food stamps and All Childs Left Behind get funding cuts...)

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution. (Harriet Miers was a "token". "Oh, so you didn't like my woman judge? Here, have a clone of Scalia instead...")

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
(Wolf Blitzer, Juan Williams, Cokie Roberts, Chris Matthews, all of FAUX NOOZ, Jim Guckert)

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
(What's today's colour-code level?)

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed
to the government's policies or actions.
{"Mr. Bush, Pastor Robertson on One, Dr. Dobson is holding on Four...")

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
(Gotta have a law PROTECTING drug companies from lawsuits when their shoddy "vaccines" kill people)

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed. (Delphi workers offered $9. Take it or GFY. Ray-Guns killed PATCO, Hate Radio blowhards create resentment for Union members among the unskilled, minimum-wage majority)

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
(remember the art galleries the FBI visited after the first Selection? "What's that poster? What does it mean? Do you own a gun?" "We got troops over there dieing for your freedoms, so STFU!")

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations. (Il Douche would be SO happy if that pesky Posse Commitatus law would go away...)

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.(Mike Chertoff, Mike Brown, Tom Ridge, Mitch Danniel, need I go on?)

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
(Can you say DIEBOLD, boys and girls? Sure, sure you can, I LIKE the way you say DIEBOLD here in the Neighbourhood. Now let's go to the Land of Make Believe until this bunch burns themselves out...)

I Rest My Case.

[StellaBlue]

2. Thanks!

That's great and useful.

[funflower]

4. I don't get the bit about the FBI at an art gallery. Clue me in?

[BiggJawn]

5. After Il Douche got selected the FIRST time...

The FBI (or perhaps it was the SS) visited a few galleries with anti-Caligula artwork on display. And I see from a quick "Googling" that it's still going on.

Publish a picture of Il Douche with nooses in the background and see who expresses interst.....

[NMMNG]

3. This is not breaking news

We've known this for many years.