10 steps to fascism

[arguchik]

ganked from writerpunk:

in which naomi wolf discusses how to close down an open society in 10 easy steps, and argues that the bush administration has already initiated all 10...

red flags, anyone? pick one up on your way into hiding.

p.s. not crazy about what she says in step 1, though... she essentially validates the bush administration's pet threat, from "global islamist terrorism," which is ridiculously reductionist and racist. does she really need to say this? no. i don't think so...it's cheap, formulaic, stereotypical rhetoric. the real threat is from the bush administration. focus on that.

Comments

[rojonoir.livejournal.com]

Call me a cynic, but predictions of imminent fascist state from the left are getting old. It reminds me of cheesy action movies where there's a bomb that's going to go off in 20 seconds, yet there's at least a couple minutes of movie before the timer ticks down to 1 second.

That's not to say that we aren't in dangerous times, but Bush hasn't checked off the 10 steps to fascism yet. He's got two pretty solidly (invoking the enemy, and setting up a surveillance system), but the rest are a stretch.

And it's telling that despite Bush and co's best efforts, two loyal republican congressmen are in prison with more likely to follow. Not to mention the major electoral upset last year. What kind of fascist allows opposition candidates to be elected?

As for the "thug caste," they had it with the militias back in the early 90's. Unfortunately for republicans, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 massively overplayed their hand resulting in the destruction of the movement. Imagine if militias were as powerful in 2001 as they were in 1995. Now, *that* would have been scary - it would have been easy for Bush to rush through some sort of "temporary" special powers for deputized citizen militias. Yow!

My main reaction to the piece is that I think she's putting short-term tactical needs ahead of long-term strategy. What is the main effect of the piece?

People who aren't on the left have their view of "crazy leftists" reinforced. People on the left get the message that only a few elite people are standing up to the impending fascist state. Actually standing up and doing something will result in arrest and being sent to Guantanamo, so don't do that. But you can send money to her pet organization - and if you don't, that makes you one of the lowlifes that is "tuned to internet shopping and American Idol". This is a recipe for passivity - "tuning to" some left-leaning lobby group vs. getting off the couch and doing something.

I'd argue that we need to show that the vast majority are against Bush, that a large number of people are actively working to fight his agenda, and there is little if any risk for those that do so. I'd also focus on a positive vision and work more on showing people how that vision is achievable vs. trying to spook people with the fascist bogieman.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

yeah, the piece has problems for sure. it seems a couple of years behind the times, actually--it should have come out before all the shit started hitting the fan for all the corrupt republican fatcats.

i really appreciate your commentary--i hadn't thought about most of the stuff you pointed out. you're right, especially, that a positive vision will ultimately be more effective than a negative one. (right now i think i'd settle for any real vision in the white house...)

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

What kind of fascist allows opposition candidates to be elected?

there were opposition candidates?

[rojonoir.livejournal.com]

there were opposition candidates?

Heh. :)

I guess you could say that fascism is an olympic runner running towards the finish line of the destruction of democratic rights - and our political system has two parties running a three-legged race towards the same goal.

Not to stretch the analogy too far, but what we need is something like on American Gladiator, where The People man guns shooting tennis balls of justice at them. Or maybe a giant sumo wrestler of revolution knocking them out of the ring once and for all?