Renounce Fascism

Last night I got an email from one of my Sons in Retirement friends, a really good guy. My friend sent me an Internet article, in good faith, about Mr. Katchenhammer and his views. My friend stated that he knew I held opposite views, but "you should consider this rationally" because (I paraphrase), "you think things out".

I read the article, expecting a fairly well reasoned argument against President Obama and certain issues.

The second paragraph claimed the President was intent on destroying capitalism. The next attacked the Affordable Care Act as socialism. The next, attacked the President's advisors as total idiots, "who couldn't sell candy in a candy store".

And on it went, one untruth after another, one propaganda claim stacked on the next.

What it amounted to, in sum, was a three page propaganda piece. I don't know how much of actually was said by Mr. Katchenhammer, who has been brutally critical of the President, but whoever wrote it was a propagandist. It was full of lies, not policy differences.

Last week, while recuperating from sinus surgery, I watched "Triumph of the Will". It was chilling to say the least.

What was most upsetting, was a segment when several Nazi leaders (this was 1934), were shown making speeches that were presented in the film.

Joseph Goebbels (Propaganda Minister) , in one of these clips, stated that the people were the source of the propaganda that was intended to unite the nation. He then said that propaganda was a tool to build national unity and love of the state, who is Hitler. He actually stated directly, to the Party Congress meeting, that propaganda was being used to fool the people into becoming fascists.

I paused the film, and thought about our country right now. Conservatives, let's take the Tea Parties, are using propaganda to "unite their cause". The hit piece I was sent by my friend, used lies and hate propaganda to build a "movement".

I was being asked to join the movement I suppose.

Are we watching the development of fascism in our country? The ingredients are certainly there: a distressed economy, fear of terrorism, a right wing becoming more extreme and violent all the time; and, the internet, being used to hammer away at the themes of hatred of the President (a minority), hatred of the opposing party depicting them as socialist, and intolerance of democracy. Add to this corporate sponsorship and you have a fascist brew.

I wrote my friend back, responded to most of the lies in the piece in a rational, fact backed mannner. He responded that he had "tried" to change my mind, and "had not intended to be personal".

This has happened before. When I knock down these lie filled propaganda pieces, I get a response that "I didn't mean to offend you personally".

This of course ends the dialogue. There is no debate, no argument, no marshalling of facts on each side to reach any kind of agreement. They just go on to the next person, dishing out propaganda.

It's fascism, plain and simple. My wife scolds me when I say this, because fascism is such a charged word. She says I am like the right, when they accuse me of being a socialist. She tells me not to use the word.

But there is a huge difference. I am not part of a coordinated, planned form of progaganda, using lies and falsehood, to "build a movement". I am not a tea party member, who are running candidates in local elections everywhere to swing areas to the "party". I am a lone liberal, alarmed that the country I love is swinging toward fascism. I also am well aware of happened to liberals in Nazi Germany!

That is what Goebells was talking about in "Triumph of the Will". Fascism needs a cause, a party, the left to hate, and propaganda to believe myths of the state that ultimately attacks diversity and finally democracy with propaganda. Fascism is tea party members carrying around the Constitution like the Bible, preaching their lies.

In fact, there are now "purity tests", you have to sign oaths against taxes, against gays, to prove your ideological purity. The Republicans are having trouble finding a Presidential candidate who is ideologically "pure" enough. Ideological purity tests of the right is indicative of fascism at its core.

Fascism is a political reality right now in America.

If you love our country, you will renounce the Tea Party, the extreme right wing, and start reasoning and using democracy again. Be part of a true movement; become an American again!

Start by erasing the next right wing hit piece you get. Start by watching "Triumph of the Will" . Remember when we were kids, and we were shown countless movies, warning of the dangers of fascism, always ended with film of the concentration camps.

IT CAN, AND IS, HAPPENING HERE!