Posts
Custom Search
7 Ways We Can Fight Back Against the Rising Fascist Threat
Why the right-wing extremism must be stopped in its tracks or else we face the threat of outright violence and goon rule.
By Sara Robinson
Campaign for America's Future via AlterNet
Writing about fascism for an American audience is always a fraught business.
Invariably, a third of the readers will dismiss the topic (and your faithful blogger's basic sanity) out of hand. Either they've got their own definition of fascism, and whatever's going on doesn't seem to fit it; or else they're firm believers in a variant of Godwin's Law, which says (with some justification) that anyone who invokes the F-word is a de facto alarmist of questionable credibility.
I get letters, most of which say something to the effect of, "Calm down. You're overreacting. We're nowhere near there yet."
Another third will pepper me with missives that are every bit as dismissive -- for exactly the opposite reason. To them, anyone who's been paying the barest amount of attention should realize that America has been a fascist state since (choose one:) 1) 9/11; 2) Reagan; 3) McCarthy; 4) the Civil War; 5) July 4, 1776.
For them, my careful analysis and worried warnings are dangerously naive -- clear evidence that I'm simply not seeing the full horror of America as it truly is, and always has been, at least since (insert date here).
Given this general crankiness, I probably wouldn't bother with the subject at all -- except for that final third who keep me going. From them, I've gotten a blizzard of anecdotes, questions, meditations, ideas, suggestions, manifestos and love letters (including lots of link love)....(Remainder.)
Read more...
By Sara Robinson
Campaign for America's Future via AlterNet
Writing about fascism for an American audience is always a fraught business.
Invariably, a third of the readers will dismiss the topic (and your faithful blogger's basic sanity) out of hand. Either they've got their own definition of fascism, and whatever's going on doesn't seem to fit it; or else they're firm believers in a variant of Godwin's Law, which says (with some justification) that anyone who invokes the F-word is a de facto alarmist of questionable credibility.
I get letters, most of which say something to the effect of, "Calm down. You're overreacting. We're nowhere near there yet."
Another third will pepper me with missives that are every bit as dismissive -- for exactly the opposite reason. To them, anyone who's been paying the barest amount of attention should realize that America has been a fascist state since (choose one:) 1) 9/11; 2) Reagan; 3) McCarthy; 4) the Civil War; 5) July 4, 1776.
For them, my careful analysis and worried warnings are dangerously naive -- clear evidence that I'm simply not seeing the full horror of America as it truly is, and always has been, at least since (insert date here).
Given this general crankiness, I probably wouldn't bother with the subject at all -- except for that final third who keep me going. From them, I've gotten a blizzard of anecdotes, questions, meditations, ideas, suggestions, manifestos and love letters (including lots of link love)....(Remainder.)
The Rachel Maddow Show: Revisionist History
By Heather
Crooks and Liars
Rachel Maddow on the Republicans attempt at revisionist history that Ted Kennedy would have been all about compromising to the point of making it a lousy bill just to get something passed on health care reform.
Read more...
Crooks and Liars
Rachel Maddow on the Republicans attempt at revisionist history that Ted Kennedy would have been all about compromising to the point of making it a lousy bill just to get something passed on health care reform.
Maddow: In other words if only Ted Kennedy were still here. If only he had a health care bill those Republicans say they would have voted for that. You know, ah, Ted Kennedy did have a health care bill. Senator Kennedy was chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee which approved a health care reform package in July. It's called the Kennedy bill. And Senator Kennedy, helped write that bill. Senators Hatch, and McCain and Gregg, all voted against it. But the revisionist history goes even deeper. They aren't just saying they would have voted for a Kennedy health care bill, even though they had the chance and they didn't.As Rachel notes, Kennedy was anything but that. And to add to Rachel's point, here's a little mash up of some of the "news" coverage from today calling for "Kennedy-like" bipartisanship....(Remainder.)
They're saying they would have voted for a Kennedy health care bill because Ted Kennedy would have compromised with them, because Ted Kennedy was all about making concessions to Republicans.
[.....]
Apparently in the history of Ted Kennedy's life and work as imagined by the GOP today Senator Kennedy was the great compromiser. Ready to water down health care reform in order to bring Republicans on board.
Ed Schultz: More Racist Hate Speech from Neal "Fascist Fuck" Boortz
By Heather
Neal Boortz makes Ed Shultz's Psycho Talk for his latest hate filled screed comparing Katrina victims to "debris". I hope this means Boortz won't be making any more appearances on Ed's show.
From Think Progress: Neal Boortz: If New Orleans is rebuilt, the ‘debris that Katrina chased out’ will return....(Remainder.)
Read more...
Neal Boortz makes Ed Shultz's Psycho Talk for his latest hate filled screed comparing Katrina victims to "debris". I hope this means Boortz won't be making any more appearances on Ed's show.
From Think Progress: Neal Boortz: If New Orleans is rebuilt, the ‘debris that Katrina chased out’ will return....(Remainder.)
Torture Loving Right-Wing Media Says Torture Investigation is a "War on the CIA"
By Media Matters
Following Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement that a federal prosecutor will be conducting "a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated" during interrogations of detainees suspected of terrorism, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) asserted that the investigation would be a "declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense." Several conservative media figures have similarly advanced the claim that by looking into interrogation abuses, the Obama administration or the Justice Department has "declared war" on the CIA....(Remainder.)
Read more...
Following Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement that a federal prosecutor will be conducting "a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated" during interrogations of detainees suspected of terrorism, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) asserted that the investigation would be a "declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense." Several conservative media figures have similarly advanced the claim that by looking into interrogation abuses, the Obama administration or the Justice Department has "declared war" on the CIA....(Remainder.)
Main Stream Media Ignores Repiglickin Proposal that Would Cause Many to Loose Coverage for Abortions
Flushing Blackwater
By Jeremy Scahill
The Nation
Blackwater, the private mercenary company owned by Erik Prince, has been thrust back into the spotlight by a series of stunning revelations about its role in covert US programs. Since at least 2002, Blackwater has worked for the CIA in Afghanistan and Pakistan on "black" contracts. On August 19, the New York Times revealed that the company was, in fact, a central part of a secret CIA assassination program that Dick Cheney allegedly ordered concealed from Congress. The paper then reported that Blackwater remains a key player in the widening air war in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where it arms drone aircraft. These disclosures follow allegations--made under oath by former Blackwater employees--that Prince murdered or facilitated the murder of potential government informants and that he "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe."
In addition, Blackwater is being investigated by the Justice Department for possible crimes ranging from weapons smuggling to manslaughter and by the IRS for possible tax evasion. It is being sued in federal courts by scores of Iraqi civilians for alleged war crimes and extrajudicial killings. Two of its men have pleaded guilty to weapons-smuggling charges; another pleaded guilty to the unprovoked manslaughter of an Iraqi civilian, and five others have been indicted on similar counts. The US military is investigating Blackwater's killing of civilians in Afghanistan in May, and reports are emerging that the company may be implicated in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program.
And yet, despite these black marks, the Obama administration continues to keep Blackwater on the government's payroll. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Blackwater still works for the CIA, the State Department and the Defense Department to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and its continuing presence is an indicator of just how entrenched private corporations are in the US war machinery. The United States now deploys more private forces (74,000) than uniformed soldiers (57,000) in Afghanistan. While the majority of these contractors are not armed, a sizable number carry weapons, and their ranks are swelling. A recent Defense Department census reports that as of June 30, armed DoD contractors in Afghanistan had increased by 20 percent from the first quarter of 2009....(Remainder.)
Read more...
The Nation
Blackwater, the private mercenary company owned by Erik Prince, has been thrust back into the spotlight by a series of stunning revelations about its role in covert US programs. Since at least 2002, Blackwater has worked for the CIA in Afghanistan and Pakistan on "black" contracts. On August 19, the New York Times revealed that the company was, in fact, a central part of a secret CIA assassination program that Dick Cheney allegedly ordered concealed from Congress. The paper then reported that Blackwater remains a key player in the widening air war in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where it arms drone aircraft. These disclosures follow allegations--made under oath by former Blackwater employees--that Prince murdered or facilitated the murder of potential government informants and that he "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe."
In addition, Blackwater is being investigated by the Justice Department for possible crimes ranging from weapons smuggling to manslaughter and by the IRS for possible tax evasion. It is being sued in federal courts by scores of Iraqi civilians for alleged war crimes and extrajudicial killings. Two of its men have pleaded guilty to weapons-smuggling charges; another pleaded guilty to the unprovoked manslaughter of an Iraqi civilian, and five others have been indicted on similar counts. The US military is investigating Blackwater's killing of civilians in Afghanistan in May, and reports are emerging that the company may be implicated in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program.
And yet, despite these black marks, the Obama administration continues to keep Blackwater on the government's payroll. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Blackwater still works for the CIA, the State Department and the Defense Department to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and its continuing presence is an indicator of just how entrenched private corporations are in the US war machinery. The United States now deploys more private forces (74,000) than uniformed soldiers (57,000) in Afghanistan. While the majority of these contractors are not armed, a sizable number carry weapons, and their ranks are swelling. A recent Defense Department census reports that as of June 30, armed DoD contractors in Afghanistan had increased by 20 percent from the first quarter of 2009....(Remainder.)
Feds Target Palin's PAC for Illegal Contributions
By Raw Story
SarahPAC blames lawyer
Sarah Palin’s political action committee made illegal contributions, new letters from the Federal Election Commission show.
SarahPAC, the former Alaska governor’s conduit for campaign contributions, illegally gave larger contributions than allowed under federal law to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), her former running mate, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Political action committees are allowed to give only $2,400 per election cycle to candidates if they have fewer than 51 donors and are donating to fewer than five candidates; SarahPAC gave $5,000 each. Her committee says it’s already resolved the errant donations.
The Federal Election Commission is seeking details on why SarahPAC violated federal election law, as well as details on several other inconsistencies. The Commission sent a five page letter to SarahPAC Aug. 19, according to the Anchorage Daily News’ Lisa Demer.
“Failure to adequately respond by the response date noted above could result in an audit or enforcement action,” FEC campaign finance Allen Norfleet wrote, who has demanded answers no later that Sept 24.
No problem, said Crawford, a Virginia-based political consultant....(Remainder.)
Read more...
SarahPAC blames lawyer
Sarah Palin’s political action committee made illegal contributions, new letters from the Federal Election Commission show.
SarahPAC, the former Alaska governor’s conduit for campaign contributions, illegally gave larger contributions than allowed under federal law to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), her former running mate, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Political action committees are allowed to give only $2,400 per election cycle to candidates if they have fewer than 51 donors and are donating to fewer than five candidates; SarahPAC gave $5,000 each. Her committee says it’s already resolved the errant donations.
The Federal Election Commission is seeking details on why SarahPAC violated federal election law, as well as details on several other inconsistencies. The Commission sent a five page letter to SarahPAC Aug. 19, according to the Anchorage Daily News’ Lisa Demer.
“Failure to adequately respond by the response date noted above could result in an audit or enforcement action,” FEC campaign finance Allen Norfleet wrote, who has demanded answers no later that Sept 24.
No problem, said Crawford, a Virginia-based political consultant....(Remainder.)
The Rest Of That Barney Frank Town Hall Meeting With The Teabaggers
By dday
Crooks and Liars
Anyone who is aware of all Internet traditions has by now seen the footage of Barney Frank taking down the Larouchie who asked him if he would support a "Nazi policy" by asking her, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" But Rep. Frank was in rare form that night, standing up to the uninformed shrieking of the right and offering a real lesson in how to argue with conservatives. Rep. Frank's office provided C&L with the tapes of that town hall meeting in Dartmouth from last week, and I put together a sort of greatest hits reel.
Frank explains what deficit hawks should concern themselves with:
Read more...
Crooks and Liars
Anyone who is aware of all Internet traditions has by now seen the footage of Barney Frank taking down the Larouchie who asked him if he would support a "Nazi policy" by asking her, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" But Rep. Frank was in rare form that night, standing up to the uninformed shrieking of the right and offering a real lesson in how to argue with conservatives. Rep. Frank's office provided C&L with the tapes of that town hall meeting in Dartmouth from last week, and I put together a sort of greatest hits reel.
Frank explains what deficit hawks should concern themselves with:
"I am struck by those who say, well, you don't care about the deficit. No, I do. I do care about the deficit. That's one of the reasons, not the only one, why I voted against the single most wasteful expenditure in the history of America. The Iraq war. If we hadn't gone to the war in Iraq, which I thought was a terrible mistake and voted against, we would have had more than enough money to pay for health care."(Remainder.)
The Ignorance Fountain Overflows: Pathetic and Sad Beck & Pig-Man Think Obama Totalitarian
By David Neiwert
Crooks and Liars
Glenn Beck seems to be feeling sorry for himself for having brought down a brickload of opprobrium -- and fleeing advertisers -- for having called President Obama a "racist" with "a deep-seated hatred for white people".
So he brought on the big guns to defend his teary-eyed self: Rush Limbaugh. No black hole emerged from the critical mass of so much wingnuttery on one program, but it did produce a yawning maw of first-tier fearmongering, colored with a garish streak of self-pity.
Beck started off the festivities with a brief reference to his, ah, persecution at hands of liberal blue meanies:
Read more...
Crooks and Liars
Glenn Beck seems to be feeling sorry for himself for having brought down a brickload of opprobrium -- and fleeing advertisers -- for having called President Obama a "racist" with "a deep-seated hatred for white people".
So he brought on the big guns to defend his teary-eyed self: Rush Limbaugh. No black hole emerged from the critical mass of so much wingnuttery on one program, but it did produce a yawning maw of first-tier fearmongering, colored with a garish streak of self-pity.
Beck started off the festivities with a brief reference to his, ah, persecution at hands of liberal blue meanies:
Beck: Oh sure, they're tearing me apart -- but none of the facts! Write what you learn on this show down. Write these questions down and demand answers.(Remainder.)
Because it's not my America we're talking about here. It's all of ours -- left, right, Democrat, Republican -- all of our freedom of speech is on the ropes. And questioning your government is not only important, it is -- in a democratic republic, which I think we still have, it is required of you. Freedom of speech is under attack.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)