[Jeff]

You should do a comedy show with Janeane Garofalo and Al Frankin. You're a riot!

[Jeff]

most that didn't have the priveledge of being born in the West would kill for a chance to live in the America.

I wonder why...

[Jeff]

Bravo!

You "dis-like" American because of Afghanistan? What a joke.

"Treatment of the Palestinian ELECTED government"? What...Hamas? Are you kidding me?

"ego-centric"? Pot, kettle. Re-read your post.

Just a laugh from top to bottom.

God luck to you!

[Jeff]

and 3/4 of the planet would give an arm to be there.

Holy "little brother syndrome".

This thread is a hoot!

[Jeff]

You nailed it.

[Jeff]

I've read a bunch of bunk here, but this is maybe the wildest thing I've ever read:

"All the world's problems are pretty easy to solve"

Ooohhhh kaaaaaaay.

[Jeff]

it is certainly no more propagandistic than using a pathetically lame term like "neoconazis".

Physician, heal thyself.

[Kingston]

In what way, exactly, are the Americans fascists?

[Patm]

I didn't say "the Americans" are fascist, I said the Bush regime is fascist - huge difference there. As to in what way is Bush fascist - its simple. To paraphrase Mussolini, "Fascism is the perfect blending of corporate and government power". In other words, corporations are the government. Laws are made to favor corporations over people so Corporate profits trump human rights. People exist to serve the corporations, not the other way around.

Fascism abhors democracy - fascists believe that humans are unable to rule themselves therefore they must be ruled by the select few people that have "the right stuff".

Hmm, actually - there was an excellent webpage that listed the definition that Mussolini wrote for an encyclopedia. I'll see if I can find it again and submit that as a contribution. Its too big for a comment.

[Dr Caleb]

If in doubt about Pat's statements, read Chomsky's "Nessecary Illusions". It'll answer your questions, and bring up about a million more.

---
"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

[Kingston]

Did the Bush administration put into operation “the perfect blending of corporate and government power” or was it in place prior to George Bush’s election? It must have existed before his election since the USA is a substantial country and unlikely to turn on a dime. Therefore the Clinton administration must have been involved and, for similar reasons, the first Bush administration and the adminstration before that one. Therefore America itself must be a fascist country, not just this particular government?

[Patm]

Did Lepine invent the machine gun he used in his assault on parliament? Nope, does that make him any less guilty? Nope.<br />
<br />
The Fascist machine, aka republican party, has been at work since before WWII trying to subvert America. They lied about Vietnam to justify that invasion. They lied about the strength of the soviet union (read up on "Team B", the republican group that, under Bush Sr., repudiated the professional analysts at the CIA that said the Soviets were a declining power that was not behind all the terrorism and communist movements in the world. Compare Team B to the "Office of Special Plans" that Cheney installed in the CIA when the CIA would not agree that Iraq was a threat.<br />
<br />
Read up on Major General Smedley Butler <a href="http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/butler.html">http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/butler.html</a> and the Fascist coup he stopped cold in the USA.<br />
<br />
Read up on the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral commission - policy makers for American presidents and Canadian Prime Ministers. <a href="http://www.trilateral.org/">http://www.trilateral.org/</a><br />
<br />
Fascism doesn't require a dictatorship - it just requires whomever is in charge to follow corporate orders.<br />

[mingwah]

You are a perfect idiot. I can't beleive that you would honestly sit down and write so much if you did not care about Americans. All I can say is if we (United Stated Residents) truly cared about your silly country we would make you pay taxes. Boycott the U.S. please. And while you are at it make the auto makers and the rest of U.S. business, that you are sucking the tits of, go back to America. Or is it OK to make money from the U.S. but just not respect them.......... IDIOT!

[JustinTheJerkoff]

Nice article. Very written, and I agree 90%.

There was one statement you made that bugged me a little bit. It bugged me because it was false. Don't get me wrong, it's not really your fault, and I am proud to be American. The election process in the U.S. is commonly misunderstood, hell, most Americans don't even understand how it really works.

The simple fact is, we didn't re-elect George W. Bush. The electoral college did. Stupid as that may sound, the American popular vote doesn't actually matter. Congress votes in our President, and the people's votes are merely a suggestion(which is why the Bush Administration is easily the most criticized in U.S. history, but continues to lead). The American popular vote was actually brought into question at the end of our last election. Turns out, the electoral college didn't vote in favor of the people.

When everything is said and done, the U.S. isn't even a true Democracy. We have no bearing on who is to be our President, we have very little to do with laws and policies in America, and when it comes time to vote in Congress, we never really know who we're voting for or even why.

When it comes down to it, America is more Socialist than anything. Most of us know it, but are too scared of our government to say anything, much less attempt to change it. Some of us are blindly patriotic, and believe our government will do everything right no matter what, while some of us are simply ignorant and follow the "hate America" trend, but never stop to think about why it is we hate our own country. There are a lot of people who simply find it easier to just conform. Some people even believe that in order to change anything, you must first conform. And that may be true in a lot of ways. For example, in order to get a driver's license in the U.S., you have to register for Selective Service (AKA: "The Draft"). Without a driver's license, it's near impossible to be any kind of productive member of society. Driving without one can usually lead to jail (trust me, I know). Sitting in jail and without a job means you can't do much of anything to change anything. Aside from that, talking negatively about the Bush Administration or any part of the government for that matter automatically deems any person a possible terrorist, and being a possible terrorist means you don't have rights as a citizen whatsoever, all thanks to the Patriot Act. These aren't the only methods our government uses to keep us piped down. I do agree though, there are a lot of things Americans could be doing to change and fix our country. That doesn't, however, make it easy.

I hope I don't sound too critical, as that's not my intention. It was a well written article and you are more informed than most. Thanks for the great read.

[Diogenes]

Not even the water, the electricity, the BC Bud?
I am lead to believe that America buys most of our goods, eh?


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"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do."

William Blake