Last month Mother wrote a post about an article from The Guardian called “Fascist America, in 10 easy steps”. The idea that America should somehow become a fascist regime seems far-fetched, but as the article goes through the steps it becomes clear that it’s in fact very realistic. I’m not an American, so this will be an outsiders perspective. I’m not fond of America either, but I’ll try to keep that out of this as best I can.
One of the steps is about establishing the notion that dissent equals treason. This is dealt with in a documentary Mother linked to earlier where they show exactly what this notion can lead to, and today we are still fighting in Iraq with no end in sight. The reasons given for the war was brought to people so convincingly that there are people today who still believe them, despite those who presented them have back-tracked.
Michael Moore has recently made a movie where he looks into the American health care system. As part of the movie he traveled to Cuba, to see if it was possible to get better treatment there. According to this article, Michael Moore is now being investigated by the US treasury department for unlicensed travel to Cuba and according to Harvey Weinstein, the man behind the company behind the movie; the treasury wants to impound the negative. This can of course be viewed as an act of dissent, and Weinstein argues that there is a political agenda behind the investigation. Weinstein is of course biased, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be some truth to it. Weinstein has hired a lawyer and is not trying to get to the source of the investigation to see who pressed for it. Now you might argue that this can’t be seen as a true step since it’s being fought, but not everybody is like “Team Moore”, not everybody would fight back or be able too. Get enough of these cases; even if only some are successful there will still be a message sent that the US don’t tolerate dissent within.
So how might Moore’s new movie be viewed as something promoting dissent? Like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, the new movie challenges the view that the US is the greatest at everything; a view I’ve encountered from many Americans on many different Internet fora. What is even worse in this case is that Moore is comparing the US to Cuba, the enemy in the backyard. It seems that even the two previous movies spawned a lot of hate towards Moore, but this is the first that has these kinds of consequences. Clearly something has changed since Fahrenheit 9/11 and I’ll leave it to wiser people to tell what. In essence Moore challenges one of the core things that seem to unite a lot of America; patriotism. If the average American comes to believe that their system isn’t the best, then they might want to change something; and change, it seems, isn’t something politicians in power want.
It’s also possible to look at this as another step towards fascism, the one the article calls “Targeting Key Individuals, and this is pretty straightforward, if someone doesn’t get in line, punish them. Moore is no doubt an outspoken individual against some things in America, and he makes no effort to hide his bias. He takes things to extremes to get his point across and lose some people in doing so, and gain others. He wants people to look at things beyond abortion, gay marriage, Idol and the like. But a thinking population can be dangerous thing to the people in power. They might have to take responsibility for their actions.
Why does someone who’s never been to America care what goes on there? Because it’s the most powerful nation in the world. What happens there effect everyone and should America become a dictatorship, then the world has a new problem on their hands. It won’t happen overnight but even if it’s not the intent of the people in power, then the first steps have already been taken and someday someone who is willing will come into power, and that’ll be it for the land of the free and home of the brave.
One of the steps is about establishing the notion that dissent equals treason. This is dealt with in a documentary Mother linked to earlier where they show exactly what this notion can lead to, and today we are still fighting in Iraq with no end in sight. The reasons given for the war was brought to people so convincingly that there are people today who still believe them, despite those who presented them have back-tracked.
Michael Moore has recently made a movie where he looks into the American health care system. As part of the movie he traveled to Cuba, to see if it was possible to get better treatment there. According to this article, Michael Moore is now being investigated by the US treasury department for unlicensed travel to Cuba and according to Harvey Weinstein, the man behind the company behind the movie; the treasury wants to impound the negative. This can of course be viewed as an act of dissent, and Weinstein argues that there is a political agenda behind the investigation. Weinstein is of course biased, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be some truth to it. Weinstein has hired a lawyer and is not trying to get to the source of the investigation to see who pressed for it. Now you might argue that this can’t be seen as a true step since it’s being fought, but not everybody is like “Team Moore”, not everybody would fight back or be able too. Get enough of these cases; even if only some are successful there will still be a message sent that the US don’t tolerate dissent within.
So how might Moore’s new movie be viewed as something promoting dissent? Like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, the new movie challenges the view that the US is the greatest at everything; a view I’ve encountered from many Americans on many different Internet fora. What is even worse in this case is that Moore is comparing the US to Cuba, the enemy in the backyard. It seems that even the two previous movies spawned a lot of hate towards Moore, but this is the first that has these kinds of consequences. Clearly something has changed since Fahrenheit 9/11 and I’ll leave it to wiser people to tell what. In essence Moore challenges one of the core things that seem to unite a lot of America; patriotism. If the average American comes to believe that their system isn’t the best, then they might want to change something; and change, it seems, isn’t something politicians in power want.
It’s also possible to look at this as another step towards fascism, the one the article calls “Targeting Key Individuals, and this is pretty straightforward, if someone doesn’t get in line, punish them. Moore is no doubt an outspoken individual against some things in America, and he makes no effort to hide his bias. He takes things to extremes to get his point across and lose some people in doing so, and gain others. He wants people to look at things beyond abortion, gay marriage, Idol and the like. But a thinking population can be dangerous thing to the people in power. They might have to take responsibility for their actions.
Why does someone who’s never been to America care what goes on there? Because it’s the most powerful nation in the world. What happens there effect everyone and should America become a dictatorship, then the world has a new problem on their hands. It won’t happen overnight but even if it’s not the intent of the people in power, then the first steps have already been taken and someday someone who is willing will come into power, and that’ll be it for the land of the free and home of the brave.
6 comments:
I told you you'd do a fine job! :)
Yes, it's just another small step, like a number of other small steps. Most people believe we won't reach that tipping point, that "someone will do something" before we get there. But who? When?
Those of us out here shouting in the wilderness are belittled, beleaguered, and marginalized by the "We're No. 1" chest thumpers, most of whom don't even own a passport, have never left the confines of our borders and have a very distorted view of life outside the US. They don't ask why Ireland has most satisfied workers, or Oslo has a better quality of life, or Germans have a better healthcare system, or Danes are getting a better education. They sputter with indignation when someone suggests we might learn something from other countries, or shout "wingnut," "tree-hugger," or, worst of all, "dirty liberal."
When the history gets written, people will wonder how a country that paid so much lip service to freedom and liberty, gave it all up so easily, almost willingly. Well, this is how. Little by little and step by step, while the citizens sat around believing the hype, or waiting for someone to do something, or worse making sure their TiVo recorded the season finale of American Idol.
The most important thing is to control the media in this. We've seen it can be done, even in the US and the only real force for it was patriotism. It would require a lot of news sources to start taking this serious before you get the leaders who are willing to do something about it. I could imagine that even among those who are considering such a thing to happen, there's still disbelief and I don't really believe it's going to happen either. I can't really see how it's going to be stopped, people in power usually want more, and right now it seems America is happy to give it.
Education. That's what it's all about. I know there's talk in America that you are allowed to have guns because then you can't stand up to a government, but the government has bigger toys. Education is what's going to save America, if anything. Get less pro American text books for one thing.
You could also argue that if people are happy with the way things are going, then perhaps you haven't earned the right to be a democracy. Perhaps you need to lose it.
Further information:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/17256012.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation
On the Bush Administration using the Department of Justice to suppress minority voters.
"You could also argue that if people are happy with the way things are going, then perhaps you haven't earned the right to be a democracy. Perhaps you need to lose it. "
The world is lopsided as it is, can you imagine the impact it would have if America were to lose it's democracy. Scary scary thought.
What if anything can the ordinary American do to make sure that things don't slip so slow. Voting for the right candidates is a given I suppose - but are the candidates who run for office the right ones or do people end up having to choose between a rock and a hard place?
Active democracy requires commitment to something other than TiVo. There are lots of groups that are working for progressive change, like Moveon.org and others. There's a bill in the House right now to start impeachment proceedings against the Vice President that can be supported with e-mails to your Congressional Representatives. You can write letters to the editors of your local newspapers, challenging what subjects they cover and what they don't. You can write Speaker Pelosi and insist Impeachment be put back on the table and that the MCA must be repealed. You can shout in cyberspace, educate people, persuade people, that this isn't the America they think it is and it needs repaired by an active, participating citizenry. Encourage everyone you know to register to vote and then show up at the polls on election day.
And even with all of that. Until the people take to the streets and march on Washington in massive protest, until people are spurn the media that plays lapdog in exchange for power and privilege, until people stop waiting for someone else to fix the problem, until people wake up to see the reality and stop living in the illusion, we will keep inching our way forward to an unimagineable future that our children and their children will have to live in.
Michael Moore has been a heated opponent of the current goverment throughout the time. I have no idea before.
But I can see that there is an interest in not having him pointing out whichever point he may have, as he does indeed not hide his bias. And perhaps this is part of the issue at hand. He will alienate some viewers, both by his person and his message. But he will also cause some to ask questions...which as far as I have understood, is the main problem for any power. The same is seen in Russia at the moment....over the last 2 years several journalists have either disappeared or been killed in accidents or muggins. And usually the murderer has never been found.
The history of Russia is different from the US, no doubt, but it may be the example that is worth paying attention to. The people in power have a clear desire to remain so, and have through more or less clear paths gained control of a large part of the oil industry.
I am not saying that US and Russia is the same, but we have some of the same points, and noone will object to the statement that the US goverment is trying, and to some extent achieving control of the press, thereby reducing the voices of critics.
Is it so difficult to change....is it so hard to be heard....is it because the majority of people don't want to believe the truth....or do they just not have a desire to hear anything that is against what they believe.
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