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Glenn Beck And The Yearning For Fascism
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Mon Sep 6, 2010 @ 2:22pm |
 Coolness: 106250 | by Matthew Rothschild
Glenn Beck’s got me worried again about fascism in America. His so-called restoring honor rally last weekend assumed that somehow America has been dishonored, and that is a classic trope of fascists. Nor was I comforted by all talk from Beck about “America today begins to turn back to God.” Nor was I comforted by the full-throated and repeated chants of “USA, USA.” Nor by Sarah Palin having the gall to claim “we feel the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King,” this just 10 days after she told Dr. Laura to “reload,” after the talk show host said the N word 11 times in five minutes. As if the rally wasn’t enough, Beck continued on his crusade during the week. Check this comment out: Beck said, “There are a lot of universities that are as dangerous with the indoctrination of the children as terrorists are in Iran or North Korea.” The irony is that Ahmadinejad has actually denounced the universities in Iran with similar disdain. One year into his first term, he asked scornfully “why liberal and secular university lecturers are present in the universities." He and Beck see eye to eye on that one. Beck made a fool of himself also when he said, later in the week, that a flock of geese that appeared in the sky “was God’s flyover,” taking the place of an Air Force flyover he was not able to arrange. All of Beck’s references to “divine providence” and doing the work of God reminded me of a quote from W. S. Merwin, our new poet laureate, who once wrote: “The president of lies quotes the voices of God.” I’ve been taking seriously the warnings of Noam Chomsky [ www.progressive.org ] who says he senses “the dark clouds of fascism” gathering here at home. I also take seriously the writings of Chris Hedges, the former New York Times reporter and author of several great books, including “War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning.” A couple years ago, Hedges wrote another book called “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America.” And back in March, Hedges elaborated on the theme: “The language of violence always presages violence. When someone like Palin posts a map with cross hairs on the districts of Democrats, when she says “Don’t Retreat, Instead—RELOAD!” there are desperate people cleaning their weapons who listen. When Christian fascists stand in the pulpits of megachurches and denounce Barack Obama as the Antichrist, there are messianic believers who listen. . . .These movements are not yet full-blown fascist movements. They do not openly call for the extermination of ethnic or religious groups. They do not openly advocate violence. But, as I was told by Fritz Stern, a scholar of fascism who has written about the origins of Nazism, ‘In Germany there was a yearning for fascism before fascism was invented.’ It is the yearning that we now see, and it is dangerous. If we do not immediately reincorporate the unemployed and the poor back into the economy, giving them jobs and relief from crippling debt, then the nascent racism and violence that are leaping up around the edges of American society will become a full-blown conflagration. Left unchecked, the hatred for radical Islam will transform itself into a hatred for Muslims. The hatred for undocumented workers will become a hatred for Mexicans and Central Americans. The hatred for those not defined by this largely white movement as American patriots will become a hatred for African-Americans. The hatred for liberals will morph into a hatred for all democratic institutions, from universities to government agencies to the press.” Hedges was prescient here, anticipating the anti-immigrant wave and the anti-Muslim wave—and even Beck’s swipe at the universities. Hedges also talked about the urgent need to give people jobs lest more people succumb to the lure of fascism. Another intellectual I greatly admire, Walden Bello, just echoed Hedges’s warning about the economic crisis feeding into fascism. In his article “Can You Say, Fascism? The Political Consequences of Stagnation,” Bellow writes: “The common failure of both market fundamentalists and technocratic Keynesians so far to address the fears of the unemployed, the about-to-be unemployed, and the vast numbers of economically insecure people will most likely produce social forces that would tackle their fears and problems head-on. A failure of the left to innovatively fill this space will inevitably spawn a reinvigorated right with fewer apprehensions about state intervention, one that could combine technocratic Keynesian initiatives with a populist but reactionary social and cultural program. There is a term for such a regime: fascist. . . . Fascism in the United States? It's not as far-fetched as you might think.” Consider yourself forewarned. © 2010 The Progressive [ www.commondreams.org ] |
| I'm feeling open minded right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DynV replied on Tue Sep 7, 2010 @ 9:02pm |
 Coolness: 108940 | For most other nations I'd be worried but I wouldn't mind at all there would be civil war in a nation which contribute to so much human pain and suffering, for once it would likely reroute money for Israel into itself (USA) and would recall some, if not all, agencies spreading American imperialism (into other nations).
On the other hand, other powerful nations could step in and help them but I dearly hope they just sit and watch ; economy would most likely dictate others decision. This is just a dream, it's quite unlikely that a civil war would ever happen in a nation so rich ; when its plutocracy become discontent, they'll simply inject some of "their" money in the system. |
| I'm feeling <3 sexi_babe_69 right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» basdini replied on Wed Sep 8, 2010 @ 3:47pm |
 Coolness: 145335 | anyone who is not a leftist is a fascist,
brilliant. |
| I'm feeling surly right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Fri Sep 10, 2010 @ 11:49am |
| Coolness: 106250 | You know, by turning every issue into a left vs. right debate, you effectivly evacuates all nuances from the discussion.
Through out history, both the left and the right have been responsible for fascist regimes. The mechanisms behind fascism can spring forth from the most technologically advanced of nations. So you can overlook the warning signs if you like, but it wont prevent history from repeting itself, quite the opposite. |
| I'm feeling filterbanks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» JojoBizarre replied on Fri Sep 10, 2010 @ 12:14pm |
 Coolness: 295110 | Originally Posted By DATABOY
You know, by turning every issue into a left vs. right debate, you effectivly evacuates all nuances from the discussion. Just look at the US :D |
| I'm feeling cool story bro right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DynV replied on Fri Sep 10, 2010 @ 5:25pm |
| Coolness: 108940 | Originally Posted By DATABOY
The mechanisms behind fascism can spring forth from the most technologically advanced of nations. So you can overlook the warning signs if you like, but it wont prevent history from repeting itself, quite the opposite. Indeed! A fascist chat-room with thousands of people can leave quite an impression on an influenceable mind. Or creating fascist video games helping indoctrinate youth. Although... why did you bring up technology in this?  |
| I'm feeling <3 sexi_babe_69 right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Fri Sep 10, 2010 @ 7:07pm |
| Coolness: 106250 | Was more in the sense that backwards and barbaric ideas don't always come from some far away jungle. |
| I'm feeling filterbanks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Psykotropik replied on Sat Sep 11, 2010 @ 3:47am |
 Coolness: 38030 | Glenn Beck is one of those people who anger me just by talking. In the style of Ann Coulter, he can hardly say anything without being ridiculous about it - as seen in this article with his university quote.
That said, I don't think that the Tea Party movement et al are heading into straight-up fascism... I'm sure that a lot of individual wingnuts and holy rollers would love it, but as a whole I don't think it will happen. The moderate-radicals don't want to be labelled extremists. *** First post BTW, hello fellow Montrealers (Montrealites? I dunno, I just moved here...)! :P |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Sat Sep 11, 2010 @ 9:42am |
| Coolness: 106250 | I hope you're right... but what's a "moderate radical"? those terms contradict each other.
The moderates, I think its safe to assume, never want to be governed by a fascist system of gouvernment, yet it happens anyways. The Jews in Germany where a quite important community, yet the holocaust happened anyways. Welcome to [ rave.ca ] :) |
| I'm feeling filterbanks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Psykotropik replied on Sat Sep 11, 2010 @ 6:27pm |
| Coolness: 38030 | Originally Posted By DATABOY
I hope you're right... but what's a "moderate radical"? those terms contradict each other. It was a bit of a facetious term... what I meant by it is people who hold somewhat radical views, but still want to fit in with and take part in mainstream society. Unlike, say, members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who are socially ostracized due to their completely extreme behaviour and views. Thanks! :) |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» databoy replied on Sat Sep 11, 2010 @ 9:33pm |
| Coolness: 106250 | Originally Posted By PSYKOTROPIK
It was a bit of a facetious term... what I meant by it is people who hold somewhat radical views, but still want to fit in with and take part in mainstream society. Like racists? |
| I'm feeling filterbanks right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Psykotropik replied on Sat Sep 11, 2010 @ 10:03pm |
| Coolness: 38030 | Originally Posted By DATABOY
Like racists? Most racists would fit into that category, yeah. |
Glenn Beck And The Yearning For Fascism
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