The Fascist Symbol Means "Stronger Together." Sound Familiar?

The symbols on the left are called "fasces."  Fasces are a bundle of sticks bound together with an ax blade sticking out.

This is the original symbol of fascism, which derives its name from the fasces.  One stick is easily broken, but when they are combined in a bundle, they support each other and become much more difficult to break.

Yep.  The fascist symbol means "stronger together."  No wonder Hillary chose that slogan as her campaign motto.

My German Helmet and the Nazi Invasion of Russia In 1941

Reproduction German Helmet of WW II

My reproduction German helmet arrived this week.  The color is perfect, a kind of gray-green.  It is heavier than my uncle's German police helmet.  I tried it on, and was immediately aware of the weight.  No doubt German soldiers developed strong neck muscles wearing these.  Holding the helmet, I am aware of the cold steel, the heavy weight, and the smell of the leather liner.

Okay, so now I have a German helmet.  What do I do now, invade Poland?

Nah, I'll just keep it as a historical reference as I study the history of World War II, one of my interests.

I have been watching a documentary series from 1974, "The Unknown War," narrated by Burt Lancaster.  It is all about the Nazi invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa, which began in 1941.  According to the series narration, Hitler intended to destroy the Soviet Union and exterminate its populations, and then incorporate the lands into Germany.  The Russians had ample reason to fight like fanatics, as surrender was not an option.

The series covers great battles such as the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad, Leningrad and Kursk.  Due to Nazi encirclement of major Russian cities, millions of Russians starved to death rather than surrender.  Around 20 million Russians died, of war wounds, starvation and freezing in the bitter winters.  Nevertheless, the Nazi invasion failed.  Hitler all but exhausted his military resources in his obsessive desire to destroy Russia.  Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers died or surrendered, and many thousands of tanks and aircraft were lost in Hitler's vain effort.  There's no telling how WWII might have turned out, had Hitler not invaded Russia, and wasted so many German lives and assets, instead of directing those assets against the allied forces.  Russia had a formal peace agreement with Germany and would not have fought with the allies, absent the 1941 invasion.

Earlier this week, I watched "Escape From Sobibor," based on the true story of 600 Jewish prisoners in a Nazi extermination camp, who rebelled against their captors, killing eleven German guards and officers before opening the gates and fleeing, in mass, into the nearby forest.  About half survived the surrounding mine field and machine gun fire, and most of those were later captured and executed.  About 50 of the prisoners eluded capture and survived the war.

There is no escaping the fact that the Nazis were entirely evil.  If ever there was a just and necessary war, it was the allied war on the fascist powers of World War II.  It is instructional to study the depths of depravity to which men and nations can descend.  The goal, as always, is to learn how we might prevent such tyranny from happening again.

Taking Stock of the New Fascist America

I haven't blogged for an entire week.  To be honest, I have had a feeling of futility in the fight to preserve our freedoms.  We have lost major battles recently, if not the war.  Leftist "progressivism" is ascendant and Obama's goal to "transform America" into a socialist nation appears well on the way to success.

Americans are under heavy surveillance by our new fascist masters (and I use the term "fascist" as an actual and accurate description of Obama and the Democrats, and not as a gratuitous insult).  The "progressives" (the new and modern word for fascist) think they know better than the rest of us what is good for us, what should be legal or illegal, what should be mandatory and what should be allowed.  We, the rest of society, are merely a huge lump of clay for these progressive "artistes" to fashion as they may, sculpting us into a new regimented, indoctrinated and submissive peonage that lives only to support the new "utopia."  You know, the utopia of Chicago and Detroit, or of western Europe, which is busily committing ritual hara kiri with an Islamic scimitar.

As for the surveillance, I have to wonder at the websites that have been scouring every post on this blog since the beginning -- what are they looking for?  I find myself suspicious of every email from a stranger.

Meanwhile, I am sick to death of the left's many "isms" that they use as whips to control aberrant thought,  racism and sexism being the foremost.  Those who have drank deeply of the fascist Kool-aid are becoming increasingly impatient with those of us who refuse the cup, furious at our political apostasy for denying the new secular religion.

Can America be saved from its "progressive" transformation?  With the Republican Party now acting like a spanked lap dog of the left, acquiescing in "immigration reform" that will add millions of new voters to Democrat rolls, I am not optimistic.  Again, secession seems to be the only viable solution.  We can only hope that Texas, great Texas, will show us the way.

Obama and Fascism

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about fascism, debunking a liberal's phony article about the "14 attributes of fascism."  The liberal's article was really a disguised attempt to link conservative traits to fascism; in other words, it was propaganda, not an honest discussion.

I have been studying fascism and have become convinced that Obama's administration shows some real traits of this form of government.  However, there are some differences as well.

There is no precise definition of fascism.  Neither Mussolini nor Franco sat down and made a list for what fascism must include.  (Hitler, by the way, was more than a fascist, he was a genocidal meglomaniac, and not the best example of fascism.)

From my readings, here is a loose list of fascist traits:

1.  Fascism is a near-worship of the State, a kind of secular religion where God is replaced by the State.
2.  Every aspect of life is within the purview of the State and nothing is outside of it.  Fascism is totalitarian.
3.  The State knows best and can regulate all aspects of the lives of its citizens, relying on committees of experts for policy decisions rather than democratic elections.  The State is not limited by a Constitution or Bill of Rights.  Individualism is suppressed, and all personal ambition and individual interests are subordinated to the State.  The purpose of the individual is to serve the State, and anything that he does or accomplishes must be judged by this one criterion.
4.  The citizenry are kept in a constant state of mobilization and militarization, similar to wartime conditions.  The State's goals are best carried out by a motivated citizenry who strongly believe in State goals and have a sense of urgency in their achievement.  Fascist leaders (and their progeny) are constantly looking for a new crisis to keep this motivation going, to find what has been called "the moral equivalent of war."  This motivating force may be from either an internal or external threat, real or imagined.
5. Fascist states are socialist, but this does not imply that all socialist states are fascist.  Fascist states generally direct the economy through both force and economic incentives, forcing government, corporations and labor unions to work together under terms dictated by the State.  Labor unions cannot strike.
6.  Fascist states are nationalistic rather than internationalist, and this is a key difference between fascism and Soviet communism.  (This is also, in my opinion, a point of departure for the Obama Administration, which tends to be internationalist or globalist.)
7.  Fascist states seek to change human nature so it is more amenable to the dictates of the State.  This is accomplished through indoctrination, particularly of children and young people through education early on, and by weakening the bonds of the nuclear family so that old beliefs will not be passed to new generations through the parent.  Indoctrination is also widely achieved by mass media that are loyal to the State.  Competing views are suppressed or prohibited altogether.
8.  Citizens who refuse to cooperate in the goals and programs of the State are ostracized and punished, and this punishment may be extreme.  This ostracism and punishment are carried out by agencies of the State, not limited to police and military agencies (e.g. during the fascistic Wilson Administration, the Post Office would refuse to deliver newsletters and magazines that opposed Administration policies).  Obama's recent flap, with the IRS denying equal service to citizens based on their political support or opposition, was entirely fascist in nature.
9.  Fascist states tend to oppose religion because religious beliefs often contradict state policies and offer a competing view of reality, morals and behavior, all of which may weaken loyalty to the State and to State dogmas.  Religion is hated simply because it is a form of competition for the loyalties of the citizenry.

Note:  Fascism does not require ethnic hatreds like those of the Nazis.  Hitler's antisemitism was peculiar to German fascism and not followed by either Mussolini or Franco.  However, in the search for the "moral equivalent of war," ethnic hatred may be a useful tool for motivating the masses, and therefore always a possible tactic in the Fascist lexicon.

Fascist states may or may not be expansionist.  Both the German and Japanese governments of the 1930's and 1940's were motivated by conquest, i.e. the desire to obtain additional territory and resources by force, which included using conquered peoples as slaves.  Sometimes the greatest "moral equivalent of war" is war itself -- Mussolini invaded Ethiopia as a tactic to strengthen his political power when Italians began to tire of fascism.

The "Fourteen Attributes of Fascism": A Highly Self Serving Definition by a Liberal Writer

It's difficult to find an objective definition of fascism on the web.  Most are self-serving, usually leftist screeds, designed to incorporate conservative or Republican attributes into the definition.  For example, see this rather blatant example at this link.  This website, and others, make use of a dubious list of 14 attributes of fascism.

Liberal websites rely on a fraudulent list of "fourteen attributes of fascism" that was written by a Democrat, one Laurence Britt, during the 2004 election cycle. It was never intended to be a scholarly analysis of fascism, but only a partisan political argument against the Bush Administration.  (Read more about it here.)  Nevertheless, this phony and biased "list" is widely disseminated even today by leftists and liberal writers and bloggers, as if it were real and accurate.  They usually describe it this way:

Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, published research on fascism in which he examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State.

Note that Laurence Britt (note proper spelling) was neither a doctor nor a political scientist, and his list was not derived from any analysis of past fascistic regimes.  Here are his 14 phony attributes (with my comments in red):

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.  [So if you are patriotic and fly the flag, you might be a fascist.  According to this definition, the former Soviet Union, Red China and North Korea are fascists too.]

2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc.  [Waterboarding is allegedly torture, therefore Bush was a fascist because he used it on captured terrorists. The "long incarceration of prisoners" is probably a dig at Gitmo and its residents.]

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.  [So any concerns over an external threat like radical Islam or Communist aggression makes you a fascist.  However, a "frenzy" over the non-existent threat of domestic, right-wing terrorists is okay, even supported by Big Sis of Homeland Security.  How about the "unifying cause" of non-existent global warming and its pending destruction of the human race?]

4. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized.  [That's why we fascist Republicans want a strong military instead of spending all that dough on transforming the ghettos into the City of Oz.]

5. Rampant sexism – The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.  [The last sentence describes key liberal agendas and makes the bias of the author transparently obvious.  Quite a few of the Nazi regime were blatant homosexuals (see here).  As for abortion, Although the Nazis banned abortion for Aryan women, they enthusiastically peddled and promoted abortion for non-Aryans. In fact, the Nazis mandated legalized abortion in several European countries where it had never been legal before (see here). It is utter nonsense to assert that if you oppose abortion, i.e. the extermination of the helpless unborn, you are a fascist.]

6. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.  [Hmm, I agree with this one.  It clearly describes the mainstream media and their slavish support of Democrats and Barack Obama.  As for "censorship in wartime," FDR did plenty of that and I don't disagree with it.]

7. Obsession with National security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.  [You mean like fear of the Tea Party?  Fear of "racists" (see the Southern Poverty Law Center)?  Fear of non-existent "right wing" domestic terrorists?]

8. Religion and Government are intertwined – Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.  [This is B.S., another obvious play to the liberal bias against religious conservatives.  The French Jacobins, fascists in the true sense of the word, hated religion and executed priests.  Hitler hated Christianity and Nazis were pagans, vegetarians and occultists.  Benito Mussolini was an atheist.]

9. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.  [This is almost accurate.  In fascism, there is a strong partnership between the government and major corporations, but it is false to say the latter put the former into power.  Labor Unions probably have more power to effect elections than corporations today.  Government grants benefits and power to those corporations who support its goals, shields those corporations from competition or gives those corporations monopolies over various economic activity.  In turn, the corporations require their employees to also support government goals, memes and beliefs.  See the Wilson Administration, e.g. "We do our part."] 

10. Labor Power is suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted.  [Another self-serving but inaccurate definition.  Hitler didn't banish labor unions, as the left has disingenuously asserted; he brought them into the Nazi movement by creating the German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF), which was comprised of two primary entities, the National Socialist Factory Organization and the National Socialist Trade and Industry Organization. Benito Mussolini, leader of fascist Italy, was a union activist who was expelled from Trentino province for his union activities.]

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.  [Brazen nonsense.  Hitler originally aspired to be an artist, and the Nazis stole great art from the nations they conquered.  They used artistic displays and statuary to glorify Aryan man.  Mussolini celebrated and supported Italian artists.  It would be more accurate to say that fascism loves art, especially art that justifies, glorifies and rationalizes its political goals.  As for education, higher and otherwise, fascists supported education, particularly as a means of indoctrinating students in its goals and philosophy, much as is the case on leftist controlled campuses today.]

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.  [The first sentence is accurate, the second is liberal propaganda.  Under fascist regimes, the people do not have the option to "forego civil liberties" since they aren't given that as a choice.]

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.  [I know of no historical examples that would make cronyism a trait limited to fascists.  It is true of any and all governments, including that of Barack Obama.  As for massive governmental theft, I know of no better example than our system of taxation and "redistribution of wealth."]

14. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.  [This was probably a reference to Bush's alleged theft of the 2000 election, when the Supreme Court ruled against the Democratic Party of Florida.  In actuality, the left now controls the mainstream media to an extreme degree, and Democrat judges often overturn the results of elections that they do not approve of -- like those outlawing Sharia law or prohibiting gay marriage.]

In a later post I will attempt to provide a more concise and accurate description of what fascism really was and is.  

Asinine Professor Robert Jensen Calls Thanksgiving a "White Supremacist Holiday" (Yawn)

Robert Jensen, another politically insane professor of "higher learning" has revealed that Thanksgiving is actually a White Supremacist holiday and that the original crowd at the First Thanksgiving had views "virtually identical to that of Nazis."

Jensen pollutes the air at the University of Texas at Austin, where he pretends to be a scholar while marinating young minds in Marxist propaganda and other forms of sheer nonsense.

There was a time when such asinine pronouncements like this really irked me.  Now I can barely stifle a yawn.  According to far-left whack-jobs like Professor Jensen, every rock and tree is racist, every blade of grass and wildflower pregnant with fascism, and the whole world is tap-dancing in white Klan robes to a racist remake of a Busbe Berkeley extravaganza on steroids.  This new spectacle would make "Springtime for Hitler" look puny by comparison.

Robert Jensen is a bad joke, a caricature of a completely out-of-touch moonbat.  It will be wonderful if some day such non-serious, unprofessional and undeserving "academics" are given their walking papers and actual scholars once again hired to teach in our colleges and universities.

Progressive Fascism in Western Nations

I read Jonah Goldberg's book "Liberal Fascism" twice.  Why twice?  The first time I forgot to highlight significant passages for future reference.  It was worth a second read to understand what Fascism is and is not.

Fascism is a totalitarian form of government wherein the the thoughts and opinions of the masses are heavily regulated, with severe punishments for dissenters.  The underlying economic system is somewhat capitalistic, but crony capitalism reigns supreme, with the government granting monopolies to major industries, so long as those industries are amenable and supportive of government programs and propaganda.

Fascism seeks to seize the minds of the population early on, by requiring children to be indoctrinated in government-run schools, often requiring them to live apart from their parents' influence.  This was seen in both Jacobin France and later on in more modern fascist societies.

Goldberg discusses several variants of fascism; yes, the well-known kind under Mussolini and Hitler, but other forms like the Jacobins of the French Revolution, who micro-managed French society with mad obsession, executing thousands of people at whim, based on the victims' social class but also based on rumor and slander from neighbors.  The French Revolution was a disgusting descent into madness and mass murder by the revolutionary government.  "Fascist" is a term that justly fits that epoch and its movement.

In American history, both Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson come closest to fascist rule, displaying the same policies:  crony capitalism, an enforced political viewpoint, punishment and imprisonment of dissenters, and government force.

Today we see fascism boldly reasserting itself in the American and European Left.  There are unofficial policies, practices and  dogmas that must not be questioned and must be vigorously supported....or else.  Some of these are:

1.  Near-worship of the sacred non-white "other."  You may not make jokes, references or comments that in any way might be considered flippant, disrespectful or in any way "iffy" of any member of a leftist "protected group," with blacks being the foremost example.  The Lawrence Auster Rule on Protected Groups is “The more troublesome, unassimilable, or dangerous a designated minority or non-Western group actually is, the more favorably it is treated.”

2.  Extreme Intolerance of Dissent and Differing Beliefs.   Fascism is marked by extreme intolerance for dissenting beliefs.  Either tow the party line and support the Official Narrative or suffer the consequences.   The most recent example of this is the Fascist Greek Olympics Committee, who abruptly ended the Olympics career of 24 year old Voula Papachristou for tweeting a mild and harmless joke involving blacks in Greece.  Her mild joke denigrated no one, but could be considered "iffy" by a man on horseback riding by in a snowstorm, so the fascist ax fell quickly.  Voula Papachristou, who had been training for many hours over several years to compete in the Olympics, was kicked off the Greek Olympics team without hearing or appeal.  The Greek Olympics Committee, like any official fascist body, acted as judge, jury and executioner, in what can only be viewed as an over-the-top, totalitarian act, a punishment completely out of proportion to the alleged "crime" of free speech.

This is group-think, intolerance for independent thought, with a need to publicly punish and humiliate the miscreants.  Before you can regiment society, you must train the minds of the masses.  Instill knee-jerk reactions so that alternative views are unthinkable.

Another example is Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain, whose owners have publicly opposed the legalization of gay marriage (putting them in agreement with the vast majority of the American public).  To punish the thought crime of the owners, mayors of San Francisco and Chicago have vowed to prevent Chick-Fil-A from doing business in their cities.  Its owners are being punished for thought crimes, because fascism allows no diversity of thought or belief.  Fascists generally do not tolerate dissent and will go to extreme measures to prevent it.  Like under the German and Italian fascists, like the Woodrow Wilson Administration, industry is only supported by the government when business is subservient and supportive of government policies, programs and propaganda.

3.  Extreme Bias Against a Specific Ethnic Group.  The German fascists had the Jews, and the Jacobins had the Nobility for use as sacrificial lambs and scapegoats.  The modern "progressive" movement, our latest incarnation of fascism, detests white, Christian males.  Being white is viewed as a mortal sin and a white skin is your uniform in the enemy army, making you a convenient target.  Groups that are very intolerant, hateful and violent, like fundamentalist Muslims and the black underclass, are feted and celebrated in an orgy of inclusiveness, though these groups do not support inclusion or tolerance themselves.  They are not white, and therefore friends and allies of the neo-fascists, irrespective of all other considerations.  The bias against whites goes hand in hand with the near-worship of the non-white "other" described in point 1 above.

4.  The Slander and Physical Destruction of Dissenters and Political Opponents.  Fascist movements in the recent past have used street thugs, protests and violence to intimidate the opposition and blackmail society in granting them what they want.  The fairly recent beating of a black Tea Party member by government union (SEIU) thugs is a case in point.  He was merely handing out small "Don't Tread on Me" flags at a political rally when set upon by union members, who closely resemble fascists no matter how you look at it.  The "Occupy" Movement also bears an uncanny resemblance to fascism.  They occupied public property, created disruption and destruction, all in an attempt to blackmail society into supporting them without the necessity of work.  Fascism is blackmail, and the Occupy Movement was both.  More recently, we see Hollywood "stars" tweeting extreme insults and slander towards conservatives, often involving filthy and extreme language.  See Roseanne Barr, Ellen Barkin, and Cher (who has become increasingly unhinged).

5.  A Searing Hypocrisy.  Fascists believe that they can be ruthless, arrogant, profane and hateful, all the while accusing their opponents of what they are themselves.  Hypocrisy is one of the most obvious traits of the modern-day fascist.

These are not the only characteristics that modern-day "progressives" share with fascism, but they are probably the most prominent.

The EDL: Speaking of Reputations...False Charges Do Not Reflect Well on Those Who Make Them

And who has made false charges?  Apparently, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, whose statements this week about the English Defence League heavily damaged the latter's reputation.

A group of anti-jihad bloggers have written an open letter to Pamela Geller asking her to apologize and retract her statements about the English Defence League.  A copy of that letter (I am one of the signers) is included in the prior post below.

The question is, will the very proud Pamela Geller admit she made a mistake and retract?  If not, there may be a permanent split between Geller & Spencer and the rest of the anti-jihadi blogosphere.

Geller seems to sometimes be careless, if not irresponsible, with the reputations of others fighting the same cause.  A few months ago she denounced an anti-mosque rally in New York, after liberals claimed it was "racist."  Several speakers at that rally have also spoken at Geller's rallies, and the racism charge was shown (once again) to be bunk.

I am surprised that Geller accepted so readily the claims of the loose cannon Roberta Moore, that the EDL had become infiltrated by neo-fascists.  A small amount of internet research would have quickly revealed to her (as it did to me) that Moore had been disclosed as a radical by the EDL, and that Moore's claims were highly suspect.

From here on in, I will take Geller with a grain of salt.  I am disappointed in her.  She could redeem herself with a public apology to the EDL, but I don't expect her to make one.  Humility is not her style.

Dr. "Death" Kervorkian on Fox News; the "14 Steps to Fascism"

Today I watched Dr. Kervorkian interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News. Cavuto was trying to tie Kervorkian's suicide assistance together with Obamacare and wasn't too successful. Cavuto was talking politics, Kervorkian was talking philosophy and often they just talked past each other.

At one point Cavuto asked Kervorkian why Dr. K had, in the past, likened the USA to Nazi Germany. Kervorkian cited the "14 steps to fascism" that some nutcase had promulgated. I Googled "14 steps to fascism" and came up with a list that appears dishonest and agenda-driven. It did not describe fascism; it seemed to be describing attributes of Bush and Republicans (or more accurately, the left's skewed beliefs about them) and trying to pass them off as fascism.

Some of the "fascist points" in the list:

Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

My comment: So if you are patriotic, you're a fascist. Riiiight. Schools and post offices everywhere must be fascist. Politicians with lapel flag pins must be fascists.

Religion and Government are Intertwined -- Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

This appears to be a slap at Bush for being a devout Christian. However, it appears untrue as a general rule about fascism. I am not aware that either Mussolini or Hitler, the two leading fascists, supported (or even exploited) Christianity to any significant degree. In fact, Nazi fascists were pagans and vegetarians -- not Christians. Both Hitler and Mussolini opposed Christianity.

See the list here to read all of the claims.

I would refute this list point by point, but it doesn't appear to have been widely circulated or accepted, even among the left. What it does illustrate, however, is how people with a political agenda are often less than objective when describing some objectionable ideology. Their goal is to attribute the traits of that ideology to their opponents.

Meanwhile, if you want to understand the history, beliefs, traits and practices of fascism, do read Jonah Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism." I read it twice and will probably read it a third time.

The Wikipedia article on fascism is also pretty good.

Islam is Fascism, Liberals Are Lunatics

Another idiocy currently being posited by the Lunatic Left is that "the Star of David = Swastika." Here you have a situation where one group, the "Palestinians" want to kill all the Jews, drive them into the sea, and take their homeland. To do this they refuse all reasonable offers and concessions and refuse to negotiate because, well dead Jews is the goal, not living beside them in peace. To further their aims they continually bomb busses, restaurants, pizza parlors, kidnap Jews and murder them (usually after protracted torture), fire rockets into Jewish towns and cities and generally act like Nazis.

The Jews FINALLY fight back to preserve their own lives and property and the Left throughout the Western world joins in a unanimous shout that JEWS ARE NAZIS! The constant murder and mayhem and unrelenting hatred and crimes against humanity that the "Palestinians" produce are completely overlooked. I long ago became convinced that liberalism is a form of anti-logic and anti-morality, and like anti-matter colliding with matter, it reacts violently with logic and morality. Yes, liberalism opposes anything and anyone who is good, moral, decent and right. Liberalism is, and I say this in all seriousness, a form of mental illness.

So in honor of the lunacy of liberalism, I have created yet another graphic that both rebuts their assertions about the Nazism of Jews and proclaims the truth for all the world to see, that Islam is Nazi and the Crescent Moon Equals Swastika.

This is more than just a ridiculous insult like those the libs and their "Pals" propagate, as it has a basis in historical fact. Muslims, like Nazis, hate Jews and want them wiped from the face of the earth. Muslims supported the Nazis during World War II and revered and continue to revere, Adolph Hitler. Muslims provided to the Nazi Army a battalion of Bosnian Muslims to serve as SS troops during World War II. And finally, Hitler's screed "Mein Kampf" continues to be a best seller in the Muslim world to this day.

Crescent Moon = Swastika. Now there's an algebraic formula that actually adds up.

Is Barack Obama a Marxist?

The nutroots are outraged because Tom Delay called Barack Obama "a Marxist" today. Delay was partially correct - from what we know about Obama, he is a member of the far left, but Marxism is probably not the correct category.

Marxism is totalitarianism where the entire means of production (the economy) is owned and directed by the state. It calls for armed revolution against the non-communist ruling class. Revolution is usually followed by widespread execution of capitalists, business owners and large farm owners. Does Obama believe that? Perhaps, but I haven't seen any evidence of that.

What Obama is, clearly, is a fascist. The most honest spin one could put on Obama's political leanings is that he is a democratic fascist. That's different than historical fascism, where the state is ruled by a single dictator. Democratic fascism would be ruled by a single political party, to the extent possible.

Traditionally, democratic fascism is made possible by major media who are in that party's hip pocket and who are the gatekeepers as to what news is heard and which is not, and the spin and intepretation put on that news. Expect Obama to reinstate the fairness doctrine, where conservative talk radio would cease to exist. Expect also a massive gerrymandering of congressional districts to create safe enclaves for Democrats. In those rare times when Democratic legislation is defeated, expect more Democrat "living constitution" judges who will legislate from the bench.

The Democrats may try to expand their constituency by giving citizenship to illegal aliens, and the vote to illegals by suppressing voter identification legislation. Finally, control of the ballot box will allow dead people to vote Democratic, as they have several times in the past. When all else fails, the Democrats can appoint special judges to persecute and prosecute Republicans, as they have done to Tom Delay and Scooter Libby.

There are many ways to compromise a representative democracy and Democrats are well schooled in all of them.

Fascism in its mildest form is still collectivist and socialist, but the state does not own the entire means of production. Many businesses are left in the hands of private owners, as long as they support the objectives of the fascist state. Nevertheless, historic fascism did nationalize certain key industries. Obama would probably nationalize the medical industry, as Hillary tried to do, but I know of no others. Of course, outright ownership of the means of productions isn't necessary to control industry. Industry can be intimidated and/or bribed to fall into line. The power to tax and regulate is the power to destroy, and very high taxes would be a hallmark of the Obama administration. Repeated IRS audits of conservative organizations, common during Bill Clinton's administration, provides great intimidation to those businesses who don't embrace "the program." For those who do support it, there are tax credits, corporate welfare and pork projects, paid for by the taxpayers.

No, Obama is a fascist within the correct historical definition of the term. See my post on Jonah Goldberg's book "Liberal Fascsim" for details.

Fascism: A Political Philosophy of the Left

Members of differing political parties love to refer to their opponents as "fascists." For years the popular myth has been that the further to the right one moves in the political spectrum, the closer he gets to fascism. Jonah Goldberg wrote a well argued, fact-enriched book called "Liberal Fascism." In the book Goldberg describes how fascism is not a right wing phenomenon, but another variant of socialism. Fascism, clearly, is a faith born of the left.

Whenever fascism is mentioned, one cannot help but think of Nazis and Hitlerism. The Nazis were fascists, but not all fascists were Nazis. Fascist Italy under Mussolini predated Nazism; neither it nor fascist Spain under Franco were anti-semitic, racist or genocidal. The Nazis were the worst variant of fascism.

Consequently, it would be ridiculous to compare modern Democrats to Nazis. However, this is not so when comparing them to the more benign fascists of Mussolini's pre-war Italy or Bismarck's Germany.

Fascism in its less savage forms was paternalistic, a nanny-state that wished to control every aspect of citizen's lives for their own good. Its similarities to modern liberalism are striking.

Indeed, in the prewar America of FDR, many Democrats admired fascism and thought it a grand experiment. And, the fascists of both Italy and Germany admired them back.

Okay, that's nice, but what is Fascism exactly? There is still a lot of argument about what is and isn't fascism; however, Goldberg shows that it usually has the following characteristics:

1. It is totalitarian; everything in society is viewed as political.
2. It is built on a philosophy of creating "a new man," where private interests are subordinate to the public interest, where all private citizens actively support the missions of the state.
3. It is anti-capitalism. However, it practices "corporatism," where corporations who support the government agenda are guaranteed markets, prices and an absence of competition. Corporations therefore become active partners of the government.
4. It is pro-socialism, often openly so. Mussolini claimed to be a socialist until the day he died. Fascism in Italy and Germany was pro-working class, supporting a minimum wage, generous medical insurance and state-funded pensions and other benefits.
5. Fascism sought to end class designations within society and to erase class warfare between rich and poor.
6. Fascism was opposed to religion, particularly Christianity. Both Mussolini and Hitler hated Christianity and wished to return to pre-Christian paganism. The Jacobins of France, the first fascists, hated Catholicism and wished to diminish the influence of the church on society.
7. Fascism sought to substitute the state in the place of God, to create a new "religion of the state."
8. Fascism sought to break the sanctity of the family, especially its hold over the beliefs and attitudes of children. It sought to ingrain fascistic principles from an early age, and to obtain control over children by moving them from the home into government boarding schools (e.g. the Jacobins).
10. Fascism sought to mobilize society through the generation of crises, such as war. Wars make society more malleable and willing to submit to collectivist goals for the common good. Modern day Dems seek to substitute "the moral equivalent of war," i.e. to generate other crises to encourage mobilization. The current crisis-mongering over global warming is undoubtedly a false crisis developed for this end.

Note that not all items in the fascist agenda are horrible -- some are undoubtedly worthy (e.g., the elimination of class distinctions).

Goldberg describes several phases of fascism, including:
1. The Jacobins of the French Revolution of the late 18th century
2. Bismarck's Germany of the 19th century
3. Woodrow Wilson's administration, the most fascistic period in American history
4. Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italy
5. Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany
6. FDR's New Deal
7. The New Left's antics in the 1960's

Jonah Goldberg describes fascism this way:

Fascism is a religion of the state. It assumes the organic unity of the body
politic and longs for a national leader attuned to the will of the people. It is
totalitarian in that it views everything as political and holds that any action
of the state is justified to achieve the common good. It takes responsibility
for all aspects of life, including our health and well-being, and seeks to
impose uniformity of thought and action, whether by force or through regulation
and social pressure. Everything, including the economy and religion, must be
aligned with its objectives. Any rival identity is part of the "problem" and
therefore defined as the enemy. I will argue that contemporary American
liberalism embodies all of these aspects of fascism.

Fascism, like Communism, is socialism. However, fascism differs from Communism in one way: fascism is nationalistic in orientation, Communism is international. Fascists were loyal to their country and their culture, whereas Communists identified only with their ideology -- they did not identify with a particular nation or culture. Fascists and Communists hated each other, not because they wanted different systems, but because they were in competition for the same constituency. They were competing versions of socialism.

Goldberg also discussed various American personalities who are often wrongly described as "right wing" or "conservative," when they were in fact, FDR socialists. Senator Huey Long and Father Coughlin, the "radio priest" are two of these.

There are some surprising aspects of Nazi Germany that are more or less analogous to liberalism today. Germany's practice of eugenics, e.g. the sterilization of undesirable elements, is reflected in liberal support for abortion, which falls most heavily on racial minorities (half of all black pregnancies end in abortion). Less troublesome similarities include vegetarianism, organic foods and animal rights.

How did the fascists get shifted from political left to right in the minds of many? It happened when Stalin began labeling all anti-communists as "fascists." Even Trotskyites were "fascists." Over time this erroneous appellation became ingrained in the public consciousness. But it isn't true. As Goldberg proves with overwhelming argument, facts and examples, fascism was and is a component of the progressive left.

Our Future Conquest by Islam

Little Green Footballs blog is bashing Gates of Vienna blog again. Yesterday, Gates of Vienna had a guest author who discussed the Muslim problem in Europe and possible solutions. That writer came uncomfortably close to implying that genocide might be a last-ditch solution. He wasn't advocating it, just saying that a desperate Europe might be pushed to resort to it unless things change. It was a stupid article and should not have been posted. Gates of Vienna should have foreseen the negative reaction it deservedly provoked.

Nevertheless, the growing Muslim presence in Europe is a serious threat to freedom and pluralistic democracy there. Unless something is done, Europe will be comprised of Islamic nations in 50 years. The Muslims know this. They are patient and keep on immigrating and producing babies. Europe, led by liberals, leftists and socialists, are busily committing national suicide. They have swung wide open the national gates to the barbarian hordes, all the while passing laws making it illegal to criticize Islam or warn of its dangers. Liberals are politically insane. That knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.

We do indeed need to write essays on the Muslim presence in Europe and we need to propose workable ways of dealing with it (excluding genocide of course). There are those, and LGF is rife with them, who are more interested in showing their liberal bonafides than they are in solving the problem. Other LGFers in their comments are slavish Charles Johnson ass-kissing sycophants. I often get a strong feeling that, by disagreeing with the group, I could be summarily blocked at any time. It is an oppressive feeling. I generally do agree with Charles Johnson, but not always. He is more liberal than I am, e.g. coming down on the side of the evolutionists in the Ben Stein dispute.

Many of the LGF members are operating under the false premise that Islam is just another religion and the terrorists have co-opted it. That's utterly naive. Islam is a religion/political/social system. Its core beliefs include violent conquest of the non-Muslim world and the imposition of totalitarian rule. History confirms this, with millions of non-Muslims dead or enslaved as a result.

Another core belief is the replacement of all secular systems of government with Sharia law. That's the Islamic code that requies amputation of limbs of thieves and stoning of adulterers and adulteresses.

One of the first steps the West must take to save itself from an Islamic future is to cease all further Muslim immigration into the West. That's an undebatable given. the Gates of Vienna writer was taken to task at LGF for saying that Muslims already in the West should be encouraged to leave. I agree, however, with the GOV writer. We can pay them to leave, or provide free travel to the Islamic nation of their choice. A large Muslim population is, and will continue to be, a base of logistical and moral support to home-grown terrorists and violent Jihadis. We don't need that in our midst.

Another thing we can and should do is to deny Islam recognition as a religion in the United States, thus making all of its operations taxable and subject to IRS audit. It is not a religion in the usual sense of the word, but a society of sedition that seeks to destroy our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It does not deserve a tax exempt status.

I'm off on a road trip and will be back Sunday. Have a great weekend.

Alfred Hitchcock's Film on the Holocaust - 1945

Alfred Hitchcock made a documentary on the liberation of the German concentration camps in 1945. However, British authorities decided the film was too grisly to be shown to the public and it remained on the shelf for 60 years. The film was finally released in 2007. It is posted to Google video, or you can watch it below.

It's important to remember what we have to lose in the war against Islam. Those who want to create a new holocaust will certainly do so if given the chance. We must not allow that to happen or we have learned nothing from history.

The film is 15 minutes long.