Thursday, July 15, 2004
If it sounds like fascism...
I've written here about the new American fascism and would like to bring back a quote I'm fond of along with another example of how we're headed that way.
"When a government seeks to paint any opposition as unpatriotic and any dissent as treason, when it uses its allies in industry and the media to hound skeptics and blacklist celebrities, when it attempts to paint legitimate questions of policy as either a vote for America or a vote for dictatorship, that's not freedom any more.
That's fascism."
fas-cism (fash'iz'em) n. A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism.
Look around. What do you see?
"When a government seeks to paint any opposition as unpatriotic and any dissent as treason, when it uses its allies in industry and the media to hound skeptics and blacklist celebrities, when it attempts to paint legitimate questions of policy as either a vote for America or a vote for dictatorship, that's not freedom any more.
That's fascism."
fas-cism (fash'iz'em) n. A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism.
Look around. What do you see?
Monday, July 12, 2004
Tom DeLay the election?
I'm simply horrified. Wouldn't delaying the election in order to minimize any disruption of the democratic process in the event of a terrorist attack disrupt the democractic process? Just like going into Iraq was a good way to increase the enlistment of Islamic terrorists. The actions of our leaders only makes the situation worse. War is peace. Questions are a burden unto others. Suspension of liberty is freedom. We really do live in a version of Orwell's nightmarish world.
What gets to me the most about this is the man who requested this power is a George W. Bush appointee. They will stop at nothing to undermine what little power the governed have over it's government. Bush must be stopped.
There is only one type of scenario that I would accept. I don't want to appear callous, but if say, New York is again the victim of a terrorist attack ON ELECTION DAY, then only New York should be postponing any election and the rest of us can wait while they take time to cast their votes. But a total suspension of national elections will mean whatever illusion you had of freedom is gone.
Are we to allow the administration to use this fear of the unknown to completely destroy our say in who is in power? When would the elections resume? When we're over it? When would that be? Who makes that decision? Who or what would stop the executive from declaring Martial Law and suspending the Constitution? The Republican controlled Congress? Ha!
Be outraged. If this goes through and is implemented it will be the worst thing to ever happen to American Liberty. No jokes, no exagerations. Nothing would be the same and the America we know will be lost.
Are you willing to let that happen?
What gets to me the most about this is the man who requested this power is a George W. Bush appointee. They will stop at nothing to undermine what little power the governed have over it's government. Bush must be stopped.
There is only one type of scenario that I would accept. I don't want to appear callous, but if say, New York is again the victim of a terrorist attack ON ELECTION DAY, then only New York should be postponing any election and the rest of us can wait while they take time to cast their votes. But a total suspension of national elections will mean whatever illusion you had of freedom is gone.
Are we to allow the administration to use this fear of the unknown to completely destroy our say in who is in power? When would the elections resume? When we're over it? When would that be? Who makes that decision? Who or what would stop the executive from declaring Martial Law and suspending the Constitution? The Republican controlled Congress? Ha!
Be outraged. If this goes through and is implemented it will be the worst thing to ever happen to American Liberty. No jokes, no exagerations. Nothing would be the same and the America we know will be lost.
Are you willing to let that happen?
Let's look at a couple of websites
Take a look at the website for George W. Bush. What do you see?
The most prominent features are attacks on John Kerry. They take up more than half the page. I count at least six attacks on Kerry on the front page alone. Lots of pretty pictures and bold-print links to TV ads that play on your emotions while offering you nothing of substance. A spiffy animated GIF asks you to volunteer for the campaign.
The links to his policies are scrunched in at the top, and not the first things you notice. Seven entries: Economy, Compassion, Health Care, Education, Homeland Security, National Security, and Environment. First, off, "compassion" is not a policy. So strike that. And what's the difference [from a semantic standpoint] between "Homeland Security" and "National Security"? So strike one of those. That leaves five broad categories of policies at your immediate command.
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Now let's look at John Kerry's site. What do you notice? Well, first off, there's no mention of Bush. Not one. There is one link to a TV ad, but it's disguised in a picture in small letters on its upper right corner. The first thing you notice is the box on the right which links to Kerry's plans and policies. And no animated GIFs.
There are nine categories: economy & jobs, foreign policy, education, homeland security, college affordability, Iraq plan for peace, health care, energy/environment, and veterans.
Take a look for yourselves and ask which of these candidates respects your intelligence. A friend saved screenshots of how they looked as of this writing, so this posting makes sense later. Bush.Kerry.
According to Friday's USA Today, 11 of Bush's 18 TV spots up till now have been attacks on Kerry. Of Kerry's 21 ads thus far, only 5 have attacked Bush.
As Kerry said a few months ago, "This President doesn't have a record to run on, but a record to run from."
The most prominent features are attacks on John Kerry. They take up more than half the page. I count at least six attacks on Kerry on the front page alone. Lots of pretty pictures and bold-print links to TV ads that play on your emotions while offering you nothing of substance. A spiffy animated GIF asks you to volunteer for the campaign.
The links to his policies are scrunched in at the top, and not the first things you notice. Seven entries: Economy, Compassion, Health Care, Education, Homeland Security, National Security, and Environment. First, off, "compassion" is not a policy. So strike that. And what's the difference [from a semantic standpoint] between "Homeland Security" and "National Security"? So strike one of those. That leaves five broad categories of policies at your immediate command.
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Now let's look at John Kerry's site. What do you notice? Well, first off, there's no mention of Bush. Not one. There is one link to a TV ad, but it's disguised in a picture in small letters on its upper right corner. The first thing you notice is the box on the right which links to Kerry's plans and policies. And no animated GIFs.
There are nine categories: economy & jobs, foreign policy, education, homeland security, college affordability, Iraq plan for peace, health care, energy/environment, and veterans.
Take a look for yourselves and ask which of these candidates respects your intelligence. A friend saved screenshots of how they looked as of this writing, so this posting makes sense later. Bush.Kerry.
According to Friday's USA Today, 11 of Bush's 18 TV spots up till now have been attacks on Kerry. Of Kerry's 21 ads thus far, only 5 have attacked Bush.
As Kerry said a few months ago, "This President doesn't have a record to run on, but a record to run from."
