David Michael Green: My 1933 Nightmare

[RamboLiberal]

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And this is, at the end of the day, the scariest aspect of all concerning the current political moment. America now possesses a massive cohort of people who have simply transcended rational discourse – the sine qua non of democracy, and the real deity worshiped by Enlightenment figures like those who founded the country. Two-and-a-half centuries later, and we’re moving rapidly backwards, toward the seventeenth century, and away from democracy, rule of law and the marketplace of ideas, debated and thoughtfully considered.

Everybody talks about fascism nowadays, not least those on the right who remarkably manage to call Barack Obama a fascist in the same breath as they label him a socialist. The term has been beaten into near meaninglessness from ubiquitousness of application. (Could this be another extremely clever semantics ploy of the right-wing marketing machine, taking the term out of use now that it is legitimately applicable, by over- and ab-using it? Damn, these guys are good.)

Still, I’ve seen the video clips from the congressional constituent meetings last week. I saw the ones from the Sarah Palin rallies in 2008. I remember the 2000 Brooks Brothers riot, one of the most despicable acts in American history, which resulted – because of one of the most cowardly acts in American history – in shutting down vote-counting in Miami. I saw at least two purple-hearted American war heros turned into national security threats by a team of cowards who avoided war when it was their turn. None of the rabble on the right could make the Grand Canyon size leap to see that for what it plainly was. Today I see the incoherent rage, the senseless foaming at the mouth that not only doesn’t fit reality, but in fact runs completely contrary to it. I see the current attempts to intimidate the government and to shut down the discussion of issues.

And I have to ask, do those people not resemble Brown Shirts more than anything else one can bring to mind?

And is our current political moment not beginning to stink of Berlin, 1933?

http://www.regressiveantidote.net/Articles/My_1933_Nightmare.html

[AntiFascist]

1. K&R...

this precisely why we need to study the roots of Nazism, and understand how (Prescott Bush brand) fascism never really went away.

[Gman2]

4. On other forums, I have for months been arguing with wingers about

Hitler being left. Stalin being left. All the monsters of history all were the fault of the left. Faacism and commies are jsut bedfellows that agree to gov intrusion. There is a new fascism, that has no name. They are scrubbing their fingerprints off history and are poised to repeat it. I will die before this happens. And now, I think WE should have a show of force to put the fear of GOD into these creeps now. Before they get real uppity. They think they can sway the military to turn on Obama. These guys are talking Armed insurrection NOW. They feel that liberals are creampuffs, that will cower and shrink. We need to kick the fuck outta a few that get outta line. Or, we face their long provisioned for race/class WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. It aint far. Wake up pansyasses. Time for heroes.

[AntiFascist]

5. The people making most of this noise are really just a minority....

there's little chance that they could get all of the military to "turn on Obama". The Brooks Brothers rioters consisted of various highly placed Republicans. The best thing we can do is expose them for what they are, and don't allow them to re-write history as far as fascism is concerned.

[bertman]

2. It doesn't get any better-stated than this, any wittier, any pithier, any more relevant

than what he's saying in this piece.

This is a must-read for every Democrat. Or, better yet, for any citizen who actually believes in democracy.

Recommend highly.

[AwakeAtLast]

3. AM K & R

:kick: