#and how EASY it is for someone to co-opt your ideals and allegiance for their own gain

[galaxymagitech]

I feel like Lucky Day makes more sense in the context of conservatives wanting to dismantle regulatory organizations and health organizations (like the EPA, CDC, FDA, etc. in the US—I’m more familiar with US politics than British politics), rather than the context of police brutality or overmilitarization.

The fact is that there is a very real, verifiable threat that the majority of people understand is real. There are people whose job it is to deal with this threat. They are not perfect, but they are good at dealing with this threat. And then a grifter comes along claiming the threat isn’t real, and in fact this lifesaving organization is just Stealing Taxpayers Money and doing false flag operations and so on. Now is this threat climate change, pandemics…or aliens?

Here’s the thing: there are cracks. There are always cracks. UNIT is far from perfect. I’m pretty sure UNIT should not have authority to arrest those people. Kate unleashed a dangerous monster in revenge and was completely willing to let it kill a civilian (although that civilian was aiming a gun at her, it was definitely excessive and brutal).

It wouldn’t be a story if Conrad wasn’t right about something. In a small, incomplete way. If someone didn’t tell him to stand down, because he’s rocking the boat and people just want to live their comfortable lives. If he and his friends didn’t film themselves being arrested and standing up to soldiers with guns. If he didn’t walk out into UNIT and say, while recording, that that’s a lot of guns to be pointed at one man. He wouldn’t be a good villain if he didn’t have a kernel of truth and the ability to make himself seem sympathetic. Conrad’s lies are appealing because they fit with everyone’s worldview in some way. Conrad is a destroyer. And he makes you think that destruction is for a good cause—for your good cause.

So no it’s not “UNIT Good, Conrad Bad”. It’s “don’t trust destroyers” and “be careful what ideas you latch onto” and “anything can be framed the way the person giving the narrative wants.” It’s “there can be two bad guys” and “just because Side A has problems doesn’t mean Side B is a hero” and “the enemy of my enemy isn’t necessarily my friend.”

I also think that perhaps there’s commentary to be made here about how anything can be couched in liberal activist language and dressed in liberal activist concepts. But that doesn’t make it right.

You look at Conrad and you see what you want to see. What you think the world is. And whatever oppressive power system you want to stand up to, he says he’s doing that. Ruby is right—it’s about power. Whoever you believe is the Evil Ruling Power, Conrad is against it. All you have to do is believe in him. Small price to pay, right?

[scribblewizard]

Defining Fascism

“Fascism” and “Fascist” have become a staples in my lexicon recently, in an effort to explain to people what is happening to the fundamental ideology of America, right now.  But what is “Fascism”?  What is a “Fascist”?  These words have been thrown around to describe anything from “Islamic Terrorists”, to just generally “Bad Dudes”.  But these words have definitions and explanations that are germane to understanding our current socio-political situation.

The most basic definition is this: 

 “Fascism is an authoritarian Nationalist political ideology that exalts nation (and often race) above the individual, and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and aggressive and invasive military presence, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

The aspect of Authoritarian rule can be achieved, in America, only by undermining the balances and checks to power inherent in the branches of our Government outside the Executive Branch. Such as, undermining the Judiciary when they rule against the Fascist Regime. This type of Authoritarianism is vital to Fascism:  “To maintain the power and greatness of the State requires a single, charismatic leader with absolute authority. This all-powerful, heroic leader maintains the unity and unquestioning submission required by the Fascist state. The authoritarian leader is often viewed as a symbol of the State.”  This can be seen in, especially the “Alt-Right” and White Nationalist movements, the near Idolatry of Trump. 

The Nationalist aspect of Fascism can be easily achieved in America, especially within certain groups. As the only non-Authoritarian government that forces, or at least strongly encourages, our children to pledge allegiance to a flag we are particularly susceptible to falling under the sway of intense Nationalism under the guise of “Patriotism”. 

Fascist Regimes, such as Trumps, see themselves as financial power houses and innovators in economics. “Fascism sees itself as a third way between laissez-faire Capitalism on the one hand and Communism or Socialism on the other. It acknowledges the roles of private property and the profit motive as legitimate incentives for productivity, but only insofar as they do not conflict with the interests of the state. Fascist governments tend to nationalize key industries, closely manage their currencies and make massive state investments. They also tend to introduce price controls, wage controls and other types of economic planning measures (such as state-regulated allocation of resources, especially in the financial and raw materials sectors).”

Another step into the Fascist wormhole involves Nationalism, aggressive military presence, and the squashing and suppression of opposition. This occurs when the Fascist Regime undertakes a military action, and despite the public sentiment, deems opposition voices “Traitors” or “UnPatriotic”. In America, again, this is an easy step to take.

“Fascism often claims to be concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence, and seeks to achieve a national rebirth by suppressing the interests of the individual, and instead promoting cults of unity, energy and purity.” These cults can emerge from the Fascist regime or they can co-opt existing institutions, such as the Church. This is evidenced in the 1933 capitulation to Hitler by the Catholic Centre Party in 1933 and the 1933 Reichskonkordat treaty with the Vatican, which was purported to guarantee religious freedom for Catholics . The Nazis would later marginalize and turn on Catholics and Christians as they attempted to forge their own religious ideology using a mix or Nordic Mythology, Mysticism, White Supremacy, Nationalism, and Bullshit.

Fascism demands absolute power of the State. “The Fascist state is a glorious, living entity that is more important than any individual. All individuals are part of the State, but the State is greater than the sum of its parts. All individuals must set aside their own needs and supplicate themselves to the needs of the State. There is no law or other power that can limit the authority of the State.”  This can be seen today in the Right using the term “Snowflake” as a pejorative, alluding to the fact that anyone who sees themselves as a unique individual is weakening the Fascist presence by not facilitating the States absolute authority.

There is an inherent “Survival of the Fittest” mentality regarding military prowess in a Fascist Regime. Aggressive and Invasive military actions are pertinent to, not only expanding Fascist Ideology through conquest, but silencing dissent by, again, labeling the dissenters “UnPatriotic”. 

Fascists also enforce order through strictly maintaining Social Classes. “Social classes are strictly maintained in order to avoid "mob rule" or any hint of chaos. Chaos is a threat to the State. The State's absolute power and greatness depends on the maintenance of a class system in which every individual has a specific place, and that place cannot be altered.” Ipso facto, if you are rich and powerful, you remain rich and powerful, if you are poor and insignificant, you remain poor and insignificant. Racism plays deeply into Social Classes as Racism and general intolerance of anyone who does not fit the ideal will escalate quickly.

Fascism is definitive, and hard to pin down. A shark, and a chameleon. The brand of Fascism we see today is not the same as Hitler’s variety. It is not the same as Mussolini’s variety. It is not the same as Franco’s variety. It is different. It is exactly the same. Hitler targeted Jews, removed them from Germany, and forbade them entrance.  Trump targets Muslims, forbids them entrance, and will eventually call to remove them.  

This is by no mean definitive, there are a multitude of other factors at play here. Racism, Misogyny, Elitism, Nepotism, and Theocracy all play important roles in our current situation. This lays out only a general outline of some key ingredients to the Fascist rule we are currently trending toward, and why the need is so great to stop it. 

If you didn’t like this, or simply do not agree, below are some modalities of government, including Fascism, explained using cows:

Feudalism: You have two cows. The lord of the manor takes some of the milk. And all the cream.

 Pure Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

 Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes one of your cows and gives it to your neighbor. You're both forced to join a cooperative where you have to teach your neighbor how to take care of his cow.

 Bureaucratic Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and as many eggs as its regulations say you should need.

 Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.

 Pure Communism: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

 Russian Communism: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

 Communism: You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk. You wait in line for you share of the milk, but it's so long that the milk is sour by the time you get it.

 Dictatorship: You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.

 Militarism: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

 Pure Democracy: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

 Representative Democracy: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

 American Democracy: The government promises to give you two cows if you vote for it. After the election, the president is impeached for speculating in cow futures. The press dubs the affair "Cowgate." The cows are set free.

 Democracy, Democrat-style: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being so successful. You vote politicians into office who tax your cows, which forces you to sell one to pay the tax. The politicians use the tax money to buy a cow for your neighbor. You feel good. Barbra Streisand sings for you.

 Democracy, Republican-style: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You move to a better neighborhood.

 Indian Democracy: You have two cows. You worship them.

 British Democracy: You have two cows. You feed them sheep brains and they go mad. The government gives you compensation for your diseased cows, compensation for your lost income, and a grant not to use your fields for anything else. And tells the public not to worry.

 Bureaucracy: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. After that it takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

 Anarchy: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to kill you and take the cows.

 Capitalism: You have two cows. You lay one off, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when she drops dead.

http://www.extremelysmart.com/humor/cowsexplain.php

http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_fascism.html

http://people.howstuffworks.com/fascism.htm

http://www.livescience.com/57622-fascism.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8316271.stm