Amercian Fascists

[Eddie Haskell]

Saw author Chris Hedges on C-Span over the weekend hawking his book entitled American Fascists. Everything this guy spoke about was right on target from the comparisions of the neo-cons/Bush administration to the Nazi's rise to power in Germany in the 1930's.

In his talk, he discussed the dangers of the religious right and their intervention into the American political process. He also discussed the dangers of a President/administration who make decisions based upon a non-reality based belief system.

This is a must read. By the way for those of you that are followers of the American Fascist movement Hedges was asked to give the commencement speech at Rockford College in Illinois. He was booed off stage.

It's great to watch the youtube video of this event to see modern day Hitler youth and red state Americans tune out a speaker because they don't agree with him. No, Wayne, ACLU is not taking up this cause.

The brainwashing of midwestern college kids scared me the most. The old farts in there lawn chairs I can understand, but the Hitler youth scare me. It's great how the American Fascism movement has taken hold in a state where jobs are leaving and people are getting more desperate.

This is the precise environment for the religious right to move in. This country is cooked.

Eddie

 

[Blitz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWMgYyAtHU

 

[Blitz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO6g9aH31Es&mode=related&search=

 

[Blitz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZUi9vFKhc&mode=related&search=

Great Guy... I have no problem with this video... People should realize the wacko lefties are out there and should hear exactly how they feel...

 

[Blitz]

part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_5XSUWJdM&mode=related&search=

 

[Eddie Haskell]

Thanks, Blitz. I'm not too good with that linky thing. I wouldn't characterize him as a "wacko" especially after seeing him do his book review on C-Span. Graduate of Harvard Divinity School talking about the dangers of the religious right? Instead of characterizing him right away, why don't you listen to him or read his works.

I guess you'd rather be one of those guys standing up with there back turned humming God Bless America to themselves while he's talking.

Eddie

 

[Eddie Haskell]

Trying a linky thing here so that anyone who is interested can read a little of what this guy is saying. Very bright man. One of those intellectual types that Bush doesn't trust.

Eddie

Hope this works:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/ChristianRight_AmerFascism.html

 

[Blitz]

Thanks, Blitz. I'm not too good with that linky thing. I wouldn't characterize him as a "wacko" especially after seeing him do his book review on C-Span. Graduate of Harvard Divinity School talking about the dangers of the religious right? Instead of characterizing him right away, why don't you listen to him or read his works.

I guess you'd rather be one of those guys standing up with there back turned humming God Bless America to themselves while he's talking.

Eddie

I posted all 4 parts and I LISTENED to all 4. I just don't agree to what he was saying and where and when he was saying it. I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and i believe he has a right to state his opinion, but I don't think a commencement is the right time and/or right place for some of the opinions he was giving... peace my friend...

 

[Blitz]

Trying a linky thing here so that anyone who is interested can read a little of what this guy is saying. Very bright man. One of those intellectual types that Bush doesn't trust.

Eddie

Hope this works:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/ChristianRight_AmerFascism.html

comparing Christians to Nazis... hmmmm....

Believe me, I am in no way in total agreement with the Christian right, but with the constant Christian bashing going on in our society today, I would say that is closer to the way the Nazis treated the Jewish people and that bashing is more comparable to Nazis than comparing Christians to Nazis...

Disclaimer: Please do not take this post out of context. I am just responding to the "article" posted by my friend Eddie. In no way is this post intended to minimize or even remotely compare, the atrocities that happened to the Jewish people, but I do think this author does soften the image of the Nazis by comparing them to Christians...

 

[Eddie Haskell]

I understand you don't believe it. Not trying to change anyones mind. Just thought this guy mirrored a lot of my views.

By the way, you often have columnists, reporters, tv personalities, etc giving commencement speeches. They knew they weren't going to get a rah rah speech out of this guy.

I guess some people want to hear everything is wonderful, your going to make millions and GBA.
Others, live in reality.

Ed

 

[Eddie Haskell]

That disclaimer was funny as hell. You are a good guy, Blitz. Misguided, but a good guy nonetheless.

Eddie

 

[The Sponge]

After watching the Haggard fiasco you would think they might just brighten up a bit. After the one book that came out from one of these righties about how the Bushies have conned them you would think they would brighten up a bit? After hearing how Rove and the Bushies laugh behind closed doors about these people you would think they would now brighten up a bit? After hearing the owner of Fox News basically say he is playing the american public would this push them into brightening up? Am i asking for to much? What has to happen?

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

I just finished listening to the speech (parts 1-4) and I have a few thoughts:

1. The speech was inappropriate for the event.

2. The messenger hurt the message. He was hard to listen to thanks to his monotone delivery.

3. The message itself wasn't "bad", but the length of it, the monotone delivery, and the way it was put togeher ruined it.

4. The Christian Right is a very tolerant group of people....Ha!

You can say that he was, in fact, booed off the stage but I don't think that a few hecklers and handfuls of people turning their backs to the stage speak for the majority of the audience. One of the pathetic aspects of this video is how ridiculously intolerant some of those people are. Even if you disagree with what the guy is saying, that doesn't give you the right to yell at him during his speech.

Anywho, that was pretty painful to watch on a number of levels.

 

[buddy]

Not all Christians have a political agenda.

There are some who quietly struggle on a daily basis to have a closer relationship with their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The Christian walk is not an easy one . But I believe it's well worth the effort. Personally, I would have it no other way.

I hear the preaching of the religious right and silently shake my head. I dunno...maybe I'm the only one. But I don't think so.

 

[Eddie Haskell]

Buddy:

I accept and respect your belief in Christ. My issue, and I think Hedges issue, is with those who don't have that same belief system as Christians when it spills over into the political arena.

Seems to me that people who I know who have been "saved" have similar attributes when it comes to how they respond to problems in their life. They all seem to say... God has a plan... its in his hands..... or some such other statement which protects them.

Despair, when filled with a non-reality based solution is akin to drug addiction in my view. This way, people in dire straights who have turned to the Lord, can take whatever society deals them because they are going to heaven.

Thats a good way to avoid a bunch of pissed off people who don't realize that their rights are being taken away and the middle clase is all but gone. I don't see where Christians are the victims these days as I see all the mega churches filled on Sundays.

In todays world, its easier to live in a 24/7 drug induced state than it is to deal with the reality of what is happening to us. I'm sorry if thats offensive to you but, I believe, that it is not God who has a plan for me, but rather the ruling republicans.

In my view, they count on people who can't deal with this albeit awfull reality escaping to saveland. I wish I could, intellectually and emotionally accept this in my life. It would make my life a lot easier to understand.

Ed

 

[djv]

Anyone who has there daily struggles. Are not concern with others religion. They just want to survive. If we would only be smart enough to get free of mid east energy. This would help us stop interfering in that area. They could just go on there happy ways of killing each other. And we could sit back and say that's nice. I mean what or who really thinks something that has gone on for over 1000's of years will be stopped by anyone.

 

[ImFeklhr]

The brainwashing of midwestern college kids scared me the most. The old farts in there lawn chairs I can understand, but the Hitler youth scare me. It's great how the American Fascism movement has taken hold in a state where jobs are leaving and people are getting more desperate.

The thing that irked me the most about my college experience was the exact opposite. I felt most colleges me and my friends went to, had an astronomicaly liberal bias. The speakers, attitudes, and brainwashing reflected that; to the point of intolerance.

I am pretty sure college academia in this country is a fairly strong liberal sphere of influence.

I might get behind you if you said young minds were being political brainwashed at churches, but I don't know if that is true either. :shrug:

 

[AR182]

The thing that irked me the most about my college experience was the exact opposite. I felt most colleges me and my friends went to, had an astronomicaly liberal bias. The speakers, attitudes, and brainwashing reflected that; to the point of intolerance.

I am pretty sure college academia in this country is a fairly strong liberal sphere of influence.

I might get behind you if you said young minds were being political brainwashed at churches, but I don't know if that is true either. :shrug:

i agree with you 100%....i went to 4 colleges at different times of my life...& they were all far left leaning.

 

[smurphy]

You guys should have gone to Cal Poly. Very centrist school that trained people for the real world.

 

[bjfinste]

I went to undergrad at a school that has, at many times, been referred to as "The Berkeley of the Midwest"... but after attending, it was my impression that the radical liberals there were simply a very vocal minority. Out of my particular circle of friends from there, a majority I would consider to be moderate Republicans. Almost all are fine with things such as abortion, gun control and gay marriage, but are very conservative on fiscal/crime/immigration issues. I'm one of the most liberal of that group, but overall, I found UW to be far less liberal as a whole than its reputation would suggest.

Law school is a whole different ballgame, though. I am legitimately among the 1/3 or so most conservative students in my class to roughly estimate. Suffice to say, that's not a situation I'm accustomed to. Of course, I might just have a slightly different perspective being that I started undergrad at 18 and law school at 27.