Warning: Elements of Fascism starting to appear in US Government

[ck4829]

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of State and corporate power." - Mussolini

Corporate Lobbyists must be stopped.

They are the umbilical cord between Corporations and the State, and it must be severed.

We now see more elements of Fascism too.

Bush has allowed for 'disruptors' to be arrested and according to Kos, political protesters could be arrested in the near future too.

It's happening folks, the US is drifting toward fascism. We must do something about the Corporate and Self-Serving Lobbyists if we want to stop it.

[dogman]

1. It's been established for some time. N/T

[Eric J in MN]

2. Mussolini didn't really say that.

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2005/10/fascism-two-hoary-myths.html

[firefox]

10. You know what, that is not the big point.

You know there is a great lesson in that statement. We should call it corporatism because in America it is the term that will stick. I for one have tried to make a point of using the word fascism for the Reich we call America Inc.

Now that we have everyone's attention though, it would be more appropriate to call the American brand of fascism corporatism, just like suggested in that quote or non-quote.

[lvx35]

11. Corporatism can/does equal corporate control in the modern sense

I just got in an started researching that. The source of the original quote seems to be an italian encyclopedia, though nobody can hunt it down now it seems. But there doesn't seem to be a debate about corporatism being a major aspect of the fascist state, yet some people say that doesn't include corporations, but it does: Wikipedia:

Political scientists may also use the term corporatism to describe a practice whereby an authoritarian state, through the process of licensing and regulating officially-incorporated social, religious, economic, or popular organizations, effectively co-opts their leadership or circumscribes their ability to challenge state authority by establishing the state as the source of their legitimacy. This usage is particularly common in the area of East Asia studies, and is sometimes also referred to as state corporatism.

If certain corporations (either definition of the word) become integrated into the state to the point where they derive legitimacy, economic or otherwise from their relationship with the state, its corporatism. If Halliburton, Verizon etc gain a level of legitimacy greater than their competitors through no-bid, non-competitive arrangements with the state, integration with state intelligence agencies, etc, its corporatism. Only if the state is dealing with them in a free market setting, without preferencial treatment, is it not corporatism.

[punpirate]

12. Let's not venture too far from the truth...

... in dispelling myth. Note Mussolini's reference to "national syndicalism."

This is the pertinent quote: "It may be objected that this program implies a return to the guilds (corporazioni). No matter!... I therefore hope this assembly will accept the economic claims advanced by national syndicalism."

The guilds were labor organizations. The national syndicalism Mussolini spoke of was a cooperation between the producing firms and the state (this is borne out by how Mussolini's government actually operated--as did Hitler's). Read in context, what Mussolini is saying is: some think his programs imply a return to official recognition of labor unions. They can think that, but it's not true. His government intends to make Italy more economically powerful by the alignment of the syndicates (what we would then, in the `20s, have called "trusts," and what we now refer to in this country as corporations) with the state.

In fact, both Mussolini and Hitler attracted the support of the large banks and manufacturers by attacking labor (in Italian, the corporazioni) and by structuring their governments to work with big business. Hitler, for example, built up his war-making capacity by promising manufacturers good profits and prompt payment (which, incidentally, further exacerbated Germany's inflation problems) on what we would now call no-bid, non-competitive contracts. The manufacturers became complicit with the government for the purposes of profit, exactly as both Mussolini and Hitler intended.

Cheers.

[Cleita]

3. If they actually enforce this, not allowing dissent and protests,

then we are truly effed. This would force dissidents underground. Hello, home grown terrorists.

[1620rock]

6. ...I lived through the 60's, ...same shit, different date. n/t

[Cults4Bush]

16. Except for technology brings them an edge they didnt have before.

if nothing else that in fact does change playing field a bit...

[justabob]

4. No doubt

There was an article posted last night (I think) that was really good comparing fascist Germany's economy and ours. It was a good read. Does anyone remember the one I am talking about? It would be good in this thread.

[uppityperson]

5. You are much more optimistic than I am

forget "starting", unless you mean more people are starting to notice.

[radio4progressives]

7. It isn't "Starting" .. It 's been "Upon Us" for Quite Some time Now..

gosh... people really don't know it when it's staring at them in the face and has been for at least 5 full years, some argue much longer.

[ck4829]

9. It's to get people's attention

I wouldn't get people's attention if I said "We've been Fascist for a while now".

As we head into 06, we will also see this Fascism start to heat up. (More than it already has)

[savemefromdumbya]

8. The rise of the Reich

wake up and smell the fascism (an old fashioned quote)

[populistdriven]

13. the constitution gives the power to the PEOPLE!

[Individualist]

14. "starting" to appear?

Where have you been for the last five years?

[Octafish]

15. Starting?

Tradition!