Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps

[Slaughtermeyer]

Last autumn, there was a military coup in Thailand. The leaders of the coup took a number of steps, rather systematically, as if they had a shopping list. In a sense, they did. Within a matter of days, democracy had been closed down: the coup leaders declared martial law, sent armed soldiers into residential areas, took over radio and TV stations, issued restrictions on the press, tightened some limits on travel, and took certain activists into custody.

They were not figuring these things out as they went along. If you look at history, you can see that there is essentially a blueprint for turning an open society into a dictatorship. That blueprint has been used again and again in more and less bloody, more and less terrifying ways. But it is always effective. It is very difficult and arduous to create and sustain a democracy - but history shows that closing one down is much simpler. You simply have to be willing to take the 10 steps.

As difficult as this is to contemplate, it is clear, if you are willing to look, that each of these 10 steps has already been initiated today in the United States by the Bush administration.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2063979,00.html

If it happened in the land of Kant and Beethoven, why can't it happen here?

[Kuciwalker]

Unbelievable!

[Jaguar]

Unbelievable!

[Whoha]

Re: Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps

the SA thread on this was fairly interesting, everyone should read that instead and just not post here

[Victor Galis]

Re: Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps

Originally posted by Slaughtermeyer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2063979,00.html

If it happened in the land of Kant and Beethoven, why can't it happen here?

Because Bush and co. managed to start an unpopular war, and are now fairly hated by the populace. The scenario would have been more plausible pre-Iraq when Bush's approval ratings were super high.

[-Jrabbit]

Still, it's an interesting read. I don't think of it as an organized conspiracy, but more an opportunistic reaction to a terrible tragedy. The stripping of individual rights, the ability to wage an undeclared war "off the books" of budgetary restraint, and the demonization of protest look pretty ugly when documented according to this "recipe for fascism."

The biggest irony would be looking at the US in 20 years and seeing it has become the same sort of repressive theocracy that today we view as the prime source of Islamic terrorism.

[Victor Galis]

Ok, some of that article is overly alarmist, but:

The John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 gave the president new powers over the national guard. This means that in a national emergency - which the president now has enhanced powers to declare - he can send Michigan's militia to enforce a state of emergency that he has declared in Oregon, over the objections of the state's governor and its citizens.

WTF? (Insert argument about states' rights here...)

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
The biggest irony would be looking at the US in 20 years and seeing it has become the same sort of repressive theocracy that today we view as the prime source of Islamic terrorism.

The US would never bother becoming a theocracy. Theocracy is used where religious belief is uniform enough and deep enough to reduce dissidence rather than aggravate it. It would be almost impossible to use any religion in this way in the US.

[Alexander I]

I bet most Romans didn't think their glorious republic would ever become an empire, either.

Fascism

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Alexander I
I bet most Romans didn't think their glorious republic would ever become an empire, either.

Fascism

Well given how nobody expects that within 20 years the european union will transform into the fourth reich and finish exterminating the jews it's clear that such an outcome deserves serious consideration.


Seriously, theocracy is not a path that leadership of the US usurping democracy would choose. They would be far more likely to choose some flavor of orwellian state with a very mixed bag of propaganda. A purely religious bent would be counterproductive to them keeping power.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Ok, some of that article is overly alarmist, but:

WTF? (Insert argument about states' rights here...)

Think Katrina.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by Geronimo

Well given how nobody expects that within 20 years the european union will transform into the fourth reich and finish exterminating the jews it's clear that such an outcome deserves serious consideration.

Ever read Orson Scott Card's Empire? Not that I expect the future will turn out to be anything like it...

[Kuciwalker]

I saw that on Amazon and it looked absolutely retarded.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Alexander I


Ever read Orson Scott Card's Empire? Not that I expect the future will turn out to be anything like it...

no. If it describes the creation of a theocracy in a modern western democracy then I won't give it the time of day.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by Geronimo

no. If it describes the creation of a theocracy in a western state then I won't give it the time of day.

I never said anything about any theocracy. I'm just talking plain, unadulterated empire.