Is The GOP Becoming a Party of Fascists?

[tecelote]

Giovanni Gentile, the “philosopher of fascism” and ghostwriter for Mussolini, said of the definition of fascism in the Encyclopedia of Italiana: “Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” This definition may very well fit the GOP ideology: a kind of corporate fascism, where large corporations have the ultimate power; where the politicians spew a hateful, intolerant ideology based on “traditional” values, on a platform funded by corporate interests, elected by the people to serve those very corporate interests; and deny environmental degradation because it would be unprofitable for the funders to do anything about it, using the anti-intellectual hostility to convince the people that it is nothing more than a left-wing conspiracy.

http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2015/07/is-the-gop-becoming-a-party-of-fascists/

---

This election cycle seems to be: Fascists vs. Socialists

What matters in this country? People vs. Business

Since we all have the opportunity to vote, it would seem that the people would win easily but I am always amazed at how the masses are scared in to voting against their own self interest.

[hobbit709]

1. Becoming?

[tecelote]

2. Good Point!

[sarge43]

5. Right

They always have been. They're just more vocal and honest about it now.

[Mbrow]

8. Took the words

out of my mouth. Isn't that a song by Meatloaf?

[Adrahil]

9. Was gonna type that, so +1! nt

[daleanime]

11. +1

[EEO]

14. Hear, Hear.

I had that exact comment ready when I saw the link to this thread.

[gregcrawford]

20. Took the words right out of my mouth!

"Becoming," indeed!

When a cabal of bankers and businessmen attempted to enlist Medal of Honor winner, Marine Major General Smedley Butler to assist in a coup against FDR in 1933, advocates of fascism were already firmly entrenched in American business and politics. There were many high-profile celebrities who believed that the malignant "philosophy" of Mussolini and Hitler was just swell. Charles Lindberg and Ezra Pound come to mind.

Incidentally, Butler dropped a dime on those assholes, but they already had a stranglehold on the media and Congress, so the investigation went nowhere, and Dubya's grandpappy, Prescott Bush, among others, breathed a great sigh of relief.

The point being, the money-lenders in the temple of democracy have been fascists since before the word was even invented. But, having learned some hard lessons, the evil ones have refined their methods and strategies, and abandoned the silly uniforms in favor of Armani.

But make no mistake, the collusion of business and government in this country - which is the very definition of fascism - is now more brazen and open than ever before. And it's power will increase by several orders of magnitude if that ultimate cancer, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is allowed to become a reality. Then we can kiss democracy goodbye forever.

Have a happy Monday.

[hifiguy]

50. This is history that should be shouted from the rooftops

and never forgotten.

[Bettie]

23. That was my first thought

They are far past that "becoming" stage.

[RKP5637]

3. The GOP has always been a group of fascist bullies. Sadly, far too many people in America are so

severely propagandized and they just don't get it, and will defend and vote for those doing them in. America is a very weird culture, like really weird.

[joshdawg]

26. Make that the GOTTTP party.

Otherwise known as the Greedy Old Tea-Baggin' Theocratic Totalitarian Party.
Anyone voting for them is not too bright.

[RKP5637]

27. Yep!!! n/t

[blackspade]

4. Past tense....

[malaise]

6. Fascism and neo-liberalism are one and the same

and it is being promoted by many ReTHUGs, Democrats and others across the globe. It is naive and dangerous to believe that only ReTHUGs are promoting neo-Fascism.

[Fuddnik]

18. My sentiments, exactly.

But, you risk getting your ass handed to you in a bucket posting that simple truth.

[malaise]

25. Thankfully I don't care

[Enthusiast]

19. +1 an entire shit load.

[yurbud]

32. I have to disagree. The fascists were better at propaganda and had better fashion sense

other wise, you are correct.

[yurbud]

34. if it is fascists vs. socialists, we have a grim future like Indonesia or the Spanish Civil War

Fascists do not take losing lightly and they will not surrender their economic and literal weapons.

[Oilwellian]

39. Thank you, malaise

I totally agree.

[SamKnause]

7. The GOP

and the Tea Party want a Corporate Theocracy.

That are insane by any definition.

They deny science.

They consult 'God' before making political decisions.

They welcome the rapture.

They believe the rights of corporations are more important

than the rights of people.

[KittyWampus]

10. I think totalitarian describes it more accurately. At least the direction the Republicans

are trying to drag us.

Want a look at how the USA would be if the Republicans got their way?

See:

Saudi Arabia
Russia
China

[MynameisBlarney]

12. I have been saying this for YEARS!

To friends and family. And mostly I was either dismissed out of hand as a lefty kook with Bush Derangement Syndrome, or told that both parties are the same and that this country is fucked no matter what.

I don't buy into that.

We can still change it for the better.

[yurbud]

33. Howard Zinn gave the most realistic assessment of the differences between the two parties

With the Democrats, we have a tiny edge to hold onto and we can maybe change course a few degrees on issues that don't disturb the financial elite too much.

With the Republicans, we have no chance at all.

That is increasingly becoming not enough.

[Utopian Leftist]

43. I have come to appreciate Ralph Nader's line:

"The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is the velocity with which they go down on their knees for their corporate masters."

[GoneFishin]

13. That ship sailed, crossed, docked, and the captain is now home and in his jammies.

[heaven05]

15. becoming fascists? Has been, for years

no doubt.

[restorefreedom]

16. um,i am gonna go with

yes.

[Enthusiast]

17. Duh

[raouldukelives]

21. Our politicians have whatever values the corporations demand.

Our corporations have whatever values the shareholders demand. Shareholders demand money, corporations get it any way they can.

While it may be horribly destructive to democracy, our natural world and attempts at justice, it does profit anyone with money in the hands of Wall St.

In the end, no matter the pontificating or the gesticulations, the true face of any liberal can be measured in corporate profits and the villains to basic human rights they fund, labor and fight for.

[Fred Sanders]

22. "Fascist" is not "Nazi", but because all of the American media wasteland thinks so, and because

it is just TOO painful to believe, no one will say so. Until maybe it is too late. See: Italy, circa 1930; Germany, circa 1934 for examples.

But it is far from far too late to out the nascent and creeping fascism and squash it dead.

[Moostache]

24. The question to me is how do we "De-Foxify" the population...

After WWII, there was an enormous effort at "de-Nazification" of the German population, who in addition to having been beaten in a devastating war, had also been victims of massive propaganda efforts.

I look at some of the headlines and statements that are used to rev up the "base" in this clown circus GOP primary race and cringe. They are catering to people who have become warped human beings. Its beyond simple political disagreements and into the realm of needing a serious and sustained intervention just to return to sanity, THEN we can discuss rational solutions to the myriad of problems we still have (and way worse on the horizon)...

[hifiguy]

49. I've wondered the same thing.

The problem is enormous and possibly insurmountable.

Idiot religion and well-crafted saturation propaganda have always been the perfect tools to control, program, and manipulate the low-info/low-mental horsepower masses, and the psyops have been refined to a remarkable degree of sophistication over the last 30-40 years.

I can't see this country holding together for another 50 years half batshit insane and half sane.

[azurnoir]

28. becoming? just now?

[liberal N proud]

29. It happened a very long time ago

The transition started somewhere about the time Reagan was ordained as the god of republicanism and quickly transformed through the Clinton years demonstrating itself in government shutdowns and impeachment.

Once bush gained power, the transformation was complete, they stole an election and declared war on the American public while starting wars to satisfy their hungry suitors wallets. While they did this, they transformed the greatest propaganda system in the world and called a liberal media.

From there we get to 8 years of hate and blocking everything they can while taking what they can away from the American people (Obamacare, Medicaid and attacks on Social Security).

Now the clowns are bold and out there in our faces with their tactics.

[Paladin]

30. More so now than ever. They don't even bother disguising it. (nt)

[yurbud]

31. I think the Supreme Court crossed that bridge for us in 2000

[GOLGO 13]

35. While not every Republican is a racist...

Every racist I have ever known about is also a Republican. Funny how that works out.

[Doctor_J]

36. rhetorical question alert

They've been fascist since limpballs took over the party

[Dawson Leery]

37. Nothing new for the right flank of the GOP (the hard right sided with Hitler during WWII).

The first turn for the entire party ccepting unregulated corporatism was the most unfortunate election of Reagan.

The party made a strong turn towards Fascism during the tenure of Bush the Unelected.

[TheKentuckian]

38. No, it is barely viable in the rearview, they are now skipping eagerly toward dark age feudalism

and it is we who are becoming the party of the merger of corporation and state but for the benefit and power strengthening of corporations rather than the state but it all spends the same.

[hifiguy]

48. They're not skipping, they are combining or fusing

together something new, and only possible with modern technology:

Feudal economics combined with a high-tech fascist political/surveillance system. Stasi with better technology.

[TheKentuckian]

53. Oh they are skipping as in skip, skip, skip to my loo. Call it frolicking or step dancing but they

do it with eager glee and love every moment of it.

[JEB]

40. Blue dog, third way appeasers of fascism are also

slipping way over the waterfall.

[hifiguy]

47. Damn straight. They still have the mask on,

but they're not fooling anyone with half a brain anymore.

What they are is obvious.

[tblue37]

41. Becoming? nt.

[B Calm]

42. Becoming, LOL they wrote the book on fascism!

[bvar22]

44. Better question: WHEN did the Republican Party become Fascist?

The Republicans of the 50s weren't Fascist".
In fact, the Republicans of the 50s and early 60s were to The Left of today's Democratic Party:

[libodem]

45. God, Yes

[hifiguy]

46. It has been a fundamentally fascist party since

the christers joined up with the plutocracy back in the late 1970s. They are now brave enough to take off the mask and let us see them for what they have always been.

[awoke_in_2003]

51. Becoming?

I think you are using the wrong tense. That ship sailed years ago

[AngryOldDem]

52. Becoming? It's been there for awhile, in my opinion. n/t