Re: NYT: "The Road Home"
Quote Pointer94
There will never be harmony in the US as long as socialism/communism is pitted against freedom and democracy. The class warefare for political gain seems to be the only game in town.
And of course the unsaid inference of the above statement is that the quote ?socialist/communist? are Democrats, that do not goose step along with the dictates of the Bush Administration. Well you left out another ?ism,.I,ll leave it to your imagination to figure out what the following is the modus operandi of. Hint the last three letters are?ism?.
The supremacy of the military/avid militarism.?(A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute.)
Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause._( The methods of choice relentless propaganda and disinformation were usually effective. Often they would incite 'spontaneous' acts against the target scapegoats, usually socialists, liberals, ethnic and minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and 'terrorists.' Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers and dealt with accordingly.)
Obsession with national security?(Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting 'national security,' and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.)
Religion and ruling elite tied together_(In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion.)
Power of corporation?s protected_(The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control.)
. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated._(The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.)
Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts_(Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal.)
Rampant cronyism and corruption.-(Fear, and hatred, of criminals or 'traitors' was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.)
Fraudulent elections.-(Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.)
Does any of this ring alarm bells? Of course not. After all, this is America, officially a Democracy.
