Thursday, March 13, 2008

Facist States

According to Wikipedia the definition of fascism states include the following:

Some of the governments and parties most often considered to have been fascist include Fascist Italy under Mussolini, Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, Spain's Falange, Portugal's New State, Hungary's Arrow Cross Party, Japan's Imperial Way Faction, Romania's Iron Guard, Iraq's Party of National Brotherhood, South Africa under the National Party and the United States under George W. Bush.

It does cause one pause for thought that Bush's U.S. is listed with Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy?! Coincidently enough at the same time I read that a news brief on the radio mentioned that Justice Gomery (of Gomery Inquiry fame) has been critical that the Canadian Government under Stephen Harper has not implimented any of the recommendations from the lengthy and expensive inquiry.

So if a fascist state oppresses individual rights over the rights of the state (government protection of itself for its own sake)... can Canada be far behind in that list of self-serving government states? Harper has upgraded/degraded Canadians role from Peacekeeper to full out military command. He ignores the recommendation of independent inquiries into government affairs. In fact Gomery suggests that "Failure to decentralize PMO power poses danger to democracy"

My advice to Harper is to refrain from wearing those military fatigues he has been known to don. And don't grow a mustache - your colours are beginning to show.

2 comments:

Geoff Meeker said...

I followed the link but that text is not there. It was probably posted by a prankster and then deleted by one of the monitors. I did see this quote:

"Fascism uses explicit populist rhetoric; calls for a heroic mass effort to restore past greatness; and demands loyalty to a single leader, leading to a cult of personality and unquestioned obedience to orders."

and this:

"the cult of tradition, rejection of modernism, cult of action for action's sake, life is lived for struggle, fear of difference, rejection of disagreement, contempt for the weak, cult of masculinity and machismo, qualitative populism, appeal to a frustrated majority, obsession with a plot, illicitly wealthy enemies, education to become a hero, and speaking Newspeak…”

BornandBred said...

I didn't expect that would stay long on Wikipedia. Sounds like the new Wiki editor has his own take on things though.

I love that word "facist" it has such a strongly insulting jab to it without ever being definitive. A favorite of the Dylan and Lennon set.

The context of the quotes you picked certainly have a familiarity about it though eh :)