Fighting the 5 Fascisms in Wisconsin and Ohio

[Joanne98]

by Harvey Wasserman and Bob Fitrakis

The escalating confrontations in Wisconsin and Ohio are ultimately about preventing the United States from becoming a full-on fascist state.

The stakes could not be higher---or more clear.

As defined by its inventor, Benito Mussolini, fascism is "corporate control of the state." There are ways to beat around the Bush---Paul Krugman has recently written about "oligarchy"---but it's time to end all illusions and call what we now confront by its true name.

The fights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and in numerous other states are about saving the last shreds of American democracy. They burn down to five basic realities:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/02/21-8

[swilton]

1. K&R & bookmarked

A fascist state requires centralized control of energy resources (i.e., nuclear, oil, coal, gas) - why there is massive opposition to solar, wind, high speed rail - as well as 'communal' forms of mass transit....

The budget short-falls which the article identifies as a direct result of our war economy - I see as only starting and will be present in other states as well. When you spend all of your resources on the war economy - directly through soldiers and indirectly through research and development, little is left for programs that directly benefit societies and communities (infrastructure, education, etc.)

[ShockediSay]

2. fascism {or crypto-fascism>>seeWikipedia} involved the following in 20th century:

Right Wing
Super Wealthy Funded
Corporation
Controlled
Media
Persistent Propaganda Pumping
w/ Scapegoating

[Locrian]

3. looks like we got facism

yep....

(x) - Right Wing
(x) - Super Wealthy Funded
(x) - Corporation
(x) - Controlled Media
(x) - Persistent Propaganda Pumping
(x) - w/ Scapegoating

[RainDog]

4. just b/c it doesn't wear a uniform and look like a b&w newsreel...

doesn't mean it isn't fascism.

The current Republican party wants to entirely dismantle the New Deal - and this was the goal of American fascist supporters when the New Deal was enacted, as well.

They were willing to go so far as a coup against a popularly-elected president.

They have no morals and no shame and their goal is the destruction of democracy -whether they realize it or not - b/c the greatest predictor of a strong democracy is a strong middle class.

The U.S. created a strong middle class via unions, education and the opportunities they provided.

It's really that basic. So, which side are you on is still a question to ask.

[jtuck004]

5. Hey, we could do a "From Brown Shirts to Blue Suits: Fashion Trends

in 20th Century Fascism".


I think the one's in the suits are the more dangerous, however.

[provis99]

6. Mussolini didn't mean corporation control of the state.

This is where most people misunderstand fascism. By corporate control, he meant society organized into corporate bodies (such as guilds or common cause associations), and not control by corporations, because ultimately the leader, the Duce, was in control of the country.