Lest We Forget: Fascist (Australia?) in ten easy steps

[Rik E Boy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2064157,00.html

The best way to honour the ANZACs is to be vigilant about protecting the freedom they fought and died for. The above link is about the ten steps to fascism that America has allegedly followed.

How many of these would be applicable in Australia today?

1 Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2 Create a gulag
3 Develop a thug caste
4 Set up an internal surveillance system
5 Harass citizens' groups
6 Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7 Target key individuals
8 Control the press
9 Dissent equals treason
10 Suspend the rule of law

Of course these parameters could also be applied to Communist societies but imagine LJH or Bush trying to sell Communism?

regards,

REB

[therisingblues]

A lot there to read Ricky. I skimmed over most of it because I don't have the time right now. I think it is an interesting question, and one people definitely need to be educated about. The US is still a way off getting to the facist stage, but I have had thoughts similarl to the report in your above link for a while. The weakness in any form of government is when seflish parties interested in cultivating personal power above any other ideal, begin manipulating laws, and freedoms to suit their own ends. I have believed Bush and his admin'to have been doing this for a while, and I think this is the above report in a nutshell. It is scary stuff IMO.

[mick]

Yep I rember this sort of shite when Whitlam got in, but it was ten steps to a Communist Australia. The real threat of totalitarianism is when the press is no longer free. I think it is most unlikely that either Australia or the USA will become fascist. The internet and ease of communication today has made it that much more difficult to suppress the truth from the people. I believe that we are having an election in Austrlalia later this year and there is a Presidential election next year. If incumbent governments are defeated in both countries then the road to fascism has come to an abrupt stop (if indeed we are on that road, I think not). If these elections are somehow cancelled THEN I WOULD BE WORRIED!!!

[Dogwatcher]

Good call Mick.

Of all the evils of politicians, I don't see fascism being a problem in this country.

[Gilly]

The best way to honour the ANZACs is to be vigilant about protecting the freedom they fought and died for.

I agree, however just to side bar, ANZAC Day appears to have metamorphasised over recent years from a day of quiet reflection and rememberance to something bordering on dangerous nationalism, i.e. young men and women wearing "Fanatics - ANZAC Cove Tour - 2007" t-shirts and Aussie flags draped over their shoulders. Anyone who saw Andrew Denton's "Brothers in Arms" doco last Thursday would know exactly what I'm talking about. In particular the kid who, when told that the Turks lost more men on one day than Australia lost during the entire campaign replied, "Yeah, we kicked arse, didn't we!"

[Dogwatcher]

I too saw Denton's program and don't know if I'd attribute that random quote to ugly nationalism.

Just a lack of awareness of what actually happened there. For most young people, they've got no idea that Gallipoli was a 'loss' and a retreat. The glorification of the day, which has been going on for a long time, and the triumph of actually staying on that beach and in those hills for so long has been turned into a victory.

And if any, Anzac Day is a time to be wearing flags over the shoulders, as long as the flag and the day is honoured as it should be - not jingoistically.

[therisingblues]

If incumbent governments are defeated in both countries then the road to fascism has come to an abrupt stop (if indeed we are on that road, I think not). If these elections are somehow cancelled THEN I WOULD BE WORRIED!!!

I agree with your final statement (obviously). And yes, the facist US thing is still a way off. The political/national climate just seems to be building into something up there though. They really are right on the scare track, and are quick to create labels for things, the next step of course is to expand that label, turn it into a buzz word and encourage citizens to be vigilant and watch out for the above mentioned baddies (which in time potentially becomes anybody you want it to be). Once the population feels threatened enough, and if the preparation has been done right, the admin announces that it is in everybody's best interests if the current president should serve an unprecedented third term, in this state of emergency....
How quick could they engineer the above scenario?