discardia

Is it just me, or are we are starting to see more and more on fascism in America? I swear I am seeing a growth in fascist related accusatory articles in the wild wilds of the journo world as of late. Sure we may have a slightly off kilter president, a silly imperial mindset, and suffering from pretty much every dystopian meme you can shake a stick at… but I don’t quite think we are Nazi Germany yet.

Now I know fascism requires the centralization of power, and that would appear to be the opposite of citizen journalism. But think of dark historic times such as the Salem witch trials or Hitler’s rise to power.

They both started with the rantings of individuals, but somehow those individuals became “thought leaders,” and around them coalesced a central organization made up of like-minded individuals.

Article from here.

Contrast that to the following article(from here). A bit of a stretch here and there, but still an interesting read, comparing the recent events in the US as they relate to a formation of a fascist state.

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens’ groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law

I think the number 9 in that article is very pertinent with the whole “infallible president/government/support our troops” rot we have been shovel fed for the last couple years. (As a sidenote: All those stickers/magnet things that say “Support our Troops” have to be the stupidest thing ever. Who doesn’t support the people in the front lines of the armed forces? I mean seriously. And answer me this: Did one penny of all those sticker/magnet sales get anywhere near the troops? I highly doubt it.)

In a Mike Myers Koffee Klatch impersonation: “Discuss amongst yourselves.”