The GOP is far closer to fascism than the DNC is to socialism

[MajorChode]

Yet I don't remember a single instance where any DNC official or elected representative openly accused the GOP of fascism. Perhaps it happened and I missed it, but I'm quite sure there were no chorus of voices doing so.

Now perhaps these charges of socialism help to charge up the mouthbreathing Republican base, but I'm sure glad those dipshits haven't figured out they can't win elections on their base alone.

[HopeHoops]

1. The GOP is as close to fascism as America has ever seen!

And FOX is leading the charge.

[midnight]

2. Brilliant.

[DBoon]

3. the US right wing openly admires Pinochet and Francisco Franco

Nation Review was a Francisco Franco admiration society from the 1950's up to the dictator's death

Augusto Pinochet is considered a hero for saving Chile from the "Marxists"

It really isn't a stretch to call US conservatives "Fascist"

[MajorChode]

6. There are countless other examples

The Bush administration's attempts at illegally consolidating power in the executive branch. Extreme nationalism to the point of accusing dissenters of treason. Imperialistic foreign policy. Opposition to homosexuality and other cultural purity endeavors. The merging of business and government (AKA corporatism). Indoctrination of the media and schools. On and on it goes. The parallels are quite striking. With few exceptions the Bush administration followed Mussolini's playbook to the letter.

[tom_paine]

4. Unquestionably. K & R (for the big #5!)

n/t

[chill_wind]

5. How quickly the revelations about the OLC torture memos-

and the open admission by some in media/legal analysts (like Jack Balkin, John Dean) that we were essentially living under a quasi-dictatorship under Bush/Cheney- how quickly the stark brazen facts of all of that have faded from the public dialogue already.

K & R.

[Canuckistanian]

7. The PATRIOT Act

Was the closest we've seen to the German "Enabling Act" of 1933.

The Enabling Act (German: Ermächtigungsgesetz) was passed by Germany's Reichstag and signed by President Paul von Hindenburg on March 23, 1933. It was the second major step, after the Reichstag Fire Decree, through which Chancellor Adolf Hitler legally obtained plenary powers and became Führer. The Act granted the Cabinet the authority to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag for four years.

The formal name of the Enabling Act was Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich (English: "Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Nation").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act_of_1933

[Chulanowa]

8. If the Democrats WERE socialists, we'd all be a lot better off

Unfortunately we've still got about 20 years before the term loses its stigma

[MajorChode]

9. I'm not sure I would wholeheartedly agree with that, but...

I'll take a socialist over a fascist any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[gordianot]

10. The GOP is much closer to Fascism even though the Fox idiot Glen Beck is confused.

He actually accused Democrats because of the tail side of the Roosevelt dime. By the Mussolini, German model the GOP is very close they just miss having any members assertive enough to be Brown shirts. Can you imagine Karl Rove, Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh in a street brawl? Too many chickenhawks in the GOP.

[defendandprotect]

13. WHY are you watching Glen Beck?

[MajorChode]

15. Comic relief

The guy is a riot. I used to think he was actually a Democrat and was just pretending to be dumber-than-dogshit Republican, but I've since realized that nobody is that good of an actor.

[troubledamerican]

18. Then why don't WE accuse them of socialism, the way Beck accuses us of fascism?

Because the U.S. "left" refuses to acknowledge how serious their opponents are.

The only reason your opponents aren't rounding-up & exterminating you in baseball stadiums -- yet -- is because D.C. Conventional Wisdom hasn't given them permission yet.

And now, proceed with your snark and ridicule, proving my point exactly.

[gordianot]

19. Anyone who claims to have a political movement operating in cells should be taken seriously.

Hannity's poll was for real. As to be rounded up I would not make it as far as the baseball stadium. After the last 8 years there is not a lot left to fear or consider in the realm of possibility. It pays to watch Fox from time to time to see what is being planned. Like Fascist of another era they are advertising their plans Beck and Chuck Norris cells do seem a little melodramatic.

[troubledamerican]

20. Yes. Did you know Hitler was a figure of ridicule & derision in Germany? Link.

http://otium.uchicago.edu/articles/hitler_humorist.html

Snark doesn't work. Because evil is banal, and fascists render redundant all parody thereof.

[gordianot]

21. I am well aware of the disdain Hitler generated in Germany.

During the election I had a conversation on the phone bank with a lady who lectured me in detail on how America reminds her today of Germany in the 1940's. She was a child in the 1930's. She escaped East Germany in the 1950's and explained how modern day Republicans reminded her of both Nazi's and Communists. As for me I ridicule Republicans to their face, one prime example my brother in law no longer associates with us and has good reason to fear me.

[troubledamerican]

23. You're my kind of DUer. That's a short list.

[G_j]

11. well I'm pretty sure they are also calling us all fascists

too late, maybe we should call them for they are, (sorry) Nazis..

[defendandprotect]

12. If Single Payer is "socialism" ... I say "Bring it on---!!" . . .

And I also agree that the GOP/Grand Old Patriarchy has moved itself far asunder

from it's usual sexist, racist and homophobic grounding and is deep in fascist

authoritarianism.

[MajorChode]

14. sexist, racist and homophobic grounding is already deep rooted in fascism

In the strictest terms, socialism refers to the government ownership of the means of production. Certainly the US has moved more towards a service based economy, but if one is going to consider the nationalization of tertiary services like the financing of healthcare as "socialism", then one must also consider other services like police, fire, transportation, etc., also. So if that is their definition, they needn't worry, because the US has already been a socialist nation for over a century.

[defendandprotect]

17. Agree, agree . . . but our Constitution embraced gender inquality . ..

slavery/racial inequality . . .

and Bibble, of course, long used to support all of this -- sexism, racism, homophobia!

So -- yes, USA has a long history of fascism -- and

Christianity, itself, is fascism!!

:(

[old mark]

16. The GOPers act very insulted if you apply the "F" word to them -

but they are copying Hitler's political tactics more closely all the time.

mark

[abq e streeter]

22. We don't call them fascists because we ( our "leadership") always plays nicely and politely

and then are surprised and shocked when the repubes don't act in a similarly civilized ( translation: spineless) manner.

[MajorChode]

24. That's not a bad idea, really

Extreme language (even if it's accurate) doesn't do much more than invigorate the base at the cost of alienating those in the middle. Actions speak louder than words in the long term.

I don't think it's a great idea for politicians to use labels. They simply allow people to turn off their brains and judge based on the label, regardless if it's accurate or not. Just because the GOP uses such tactics, doesn't mean the Democrats should reciprocate. Sometimes acting nicely and politely is just the smart thing to do.

[abq e streeter]

28. respectfully disagree with you, although your point is well taken

but sometimes you just have to step up and call hate and racism hate and racism...and to call fascism fascism. If the entire Democratic party had stood forcefully together since the dark days really started in earnest with Ronnie Ray-guns, and called these people and their agenda what it really was, I don't think they would have been able to advance their vile agenda to the extent they have, including by being allowed to define the terminology. Just my opinion, and I could be dead wrong, and you may very well be completely right.

[MajorChode]

30. Hate, racism and bigotry is a different matter

They should always be identified and a bright light should always be cast that direction. Cockroaches always scatter in the light. But that has little to do with political ideology even though there are certainly those who will try and use political ideology to further their bigotry just as some will use religion for the same reasons.

Conservative ideology will always be closer to fascism, just as liberal ideology will always be closer to socialism. That doesn't mean they ARE fascism or socialism even though there will always be extremists on both sides that will advocate for the extreme. Labeling ideas as "fascism" or "socialism" is simply a pathetic dirty trick designed to prevent intellectual debate by conjuring images of Stalinist Russia or Fascist Germany. They have no place in intelligent political discourse.

[Echo In Light]

25. Institutional collusion is a given. The dem party is basically a phony "oppositional" party

...or, is often used as such. Over and over, time after time, they play directly into the Right's aims/goals. To suggest coincidence is to overlook the obvious.

[abq e streeter]

29. I agree, certainly not a coincidence; the only thing I question is why

sometimes I still want to give them the benefit of the doubt and attribute it to spinelessness ( why also sets up another "why?), or even flat-out blackmail /threats (" gee, it'd be a darn shame if you were to have one of those unfortunate accidents like poor Senator Wellstone").....other times, more and more as time goes by, I think your take on it is the way it really is; just the less fascist faction of the single corporate party... So yes, the collusion is a given; I just still waver back and forth as to the reason.......great quote by Parenti ,by the way...depressing as hell, but right on the money ( which is of course why its depressing).

[joeybee12]

26. The GOP is not closer to Fascism...it is Fascism...

...always has been, they had McCarthy the last time they held all three branches, and now they have Gitmo, torture, and all the lies and deceit that got us into Iraq.

[blm]

27. And the DLC's leaders are closer to GOP's fascism than they are to the Dem party.

.