Fascism, Democratic Style

Tyranny comes on gentle cat's paws. The fiery Spirit of Freedom must wither away within a once free people before it can be "transcended" by the opportunistic demands for "Security." All tyrannical regimes begin their encroachments upon the liberties of the people in darkest secrecy and one small step at a time. Free people will not be stampeded into forsaking their precious freedoms, but they can be lured and coaxed and lied into drifting one fatal step at a time into the iron cage of tyranny, especially when they are terrorized in times of warfare or other calamities.- Jack D. Douglas -

I'm sure we are all aware of the meaning of the word fascism and it's generic use, which is normally used to define Mussolini's reign. But the definition and understanding of fascism has morphed to include a number of types of authoritarianisms. And some believe the new form of fascism is hidden under what is now being called corporatism. New clothes, same old black heart underneath!

In Bertram Gross' book, Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in America, he describes how even democracy can be subverted to support this friendly fascism as he calls it. Are we losing our freedom gently; very quietly; and with our own approval? Perhaps this new form of fascism, this elephant in the bathtub, has already established itself and is slowly but meticulously eating away at our freedom.

Where are the days of Charles A. Reich, and are we witnessing a rejuvination, via the interweb, of the revolution he mentioned? I want to believe we are! And if we aren't, I can only hope that we will!

There is a revolution coming. It will not be like revolutions of the past. It will originate with the individual and with culture, and it will change the political structure only as its final act. It will not require violence to succeed, and it cannot be successfully resisted by violence. It is now spreading with amazing rapidity, and already our laws, institutions and social structure are changing in consequence. It promises a higher reason, a more human community, and a new and liberated individual. Its ultimate creation will be a new and enduring wholeness and beauty -- a renewed relationship of man to himself, to other men, to society, to nature, and to
the land...

The extraordinary thing about this new consciousness is that it has emerged out of the wasteland of the Corporate State, like flowers pushing up through the concrete pavement...