Monday, January 07, 2008

Fascism Is Over ... If We Want It

Many times, when I explain to people what's going on in our country today, they at first argue that things aren't really that bad, and that America could never go fascist.

After a couple of examples about what's been happening recently, and a brief overview of what fascism actually means, they get it.

But then they shrug their shoulders and say "there's nothing I can do", hoping that that's the end of discussion.

Are they right? Is there nothing we can do about fascism? Should we just hunker down and try to survive it?

Well, first of all, there is something we can do to break free of the fascist concrete which has been poured over America, before it really hardens.

Here is just one example:
  • 2 million Americans could all peacefully surround the White House and Capitol Hill, and hold signs saying "we're not leaving until the Constitution and the rule of law are restored".
1 million people surround the White House. 1 million more surround Capitol Hill. Everyone wears red, white and blue to show that we are pro-America (and because it will be such a sight to see that the news cameras will be attracted like flies to honey).

If that happened, the spell of fascism would be broken, things would start to get done, and America would be freed. Says who?

Well, its happened repeatedly throughout history whenever people have been willing to stand up. The Ukranian people stood up to tyranny and won. The East German people stood up to tyranny and won. The people of the Philippines, Serbia, Czechoslovakia, Indonesia and other countries around the world have won against tyranny whenever ordinary people have poured into the streets in massive numbers and demanded freedom.

And here in the U.S., even though Nixon said he didn't care what the American people thought, he backed off on dropping a nuclear bomb on Vietnam when hundreds of thousands of people turned out to protest an escalation of the war (and see this).

But, but . . .

Now you might raise all sorts of potential problems with this option. I'll get to that in a minute. However, I want to stress that if 2 million people did this, it would work, and the fact that we're not doing it is only proof that we're too lazy or lack the commitment to do anything.

Okay, here are some possible objections and rebuttals to the objections . . .

1. There has never been that large a protest. We can't organize that many people.

With the web, we can do it.

2. If we use the web to organize, it would be infiltrated.

Well, with government already spying on our web usage, emails and phones, of course it would be infiltrated. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it.

3. Police might try to disrupt the protest.

Yes, they probably will try. That's why everyone should bring cellphone cameras or videocams. If police turn violent or use agents provocateur to incite violence, we film it all, and broadcast it worldwide on the web. That would make the government look really, really bad. Also, everyone should sign paper pledges in advance to be peaceful and not use any violence under any circumstance. And if you see anyone trying to incite violence, have a group of people escort them away from the protest.

4. Too busy, don't have the time off from work, or don't have the money to participate.


Yes, we might have to call in sick to work, spend some scarce funds, rearrange or cancel some commitments. It might be a sacrifice, but we could do it if we really wanted to.

There are many other possible objections, but there are responses to all of them. In short, it is doable and would be effective.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that it is not true that we are powerless or that there is nothing we can do to prevent fascism from consolidating its hold on the United States.

The option of surrounding the White House and Capitol Hill with millions of peaceful protesters is only one of many options which would turn things around. If we are not implementing such options, it is because we don't really care, or don't want to be bothered, or are not really committed to saving our country. It is not because there is nothing we can do.




12 Comments:

Blogger Thomas O. Anderson said...

I have a question. The American people cough up billions of dollars every year for an organized force to defend our land and Constitution. Yet now faced with our Constitution evaporating before our eyes, why do we civilians have to drag our butts to Washington?

Where in God's name are "our" troops?

To all you folks in the military: We're dying here. We need you. Help us. Please.

11:52 AM  
Blogger ben frank said...

Organize a couple million to surround the whitehouse- Great idea.

The problem is how to organize it when all the biggest 'progressive' groups refuse to promote it. Why don't moveon, trueMajority, PDA, etc join forces and announce such a plan.

Since they won't do it- how about trying to organize all the anti-war blogs and websites to put it up?

They'll put up blogads for stuff to make money, but they won't put up a link for a mass march? What if every blog put up a link, April 4th- in honor of MLK, Apr 4th is the date for the mass march on DC to surround the whitehouse.

If every anti-war blog and website put up the link- it would happen. But they refuse to do it. 911blogger? nope. PrisonPlanet- not interested? Maybe you've got better connections... please go for it.

let me know if I can help.

ps- maybe instead of Apr 4- the SotU is coming up in a few weeks... remember the Mosh video? Maybe we should post that around again (- ;

8:26 PM  
Blogger ben frank said...

Monday Jan 28, 2008 is the date for the State of the Union- no better time to surround the building.

I'm all for pushing this idea- let's have the conversation, here or elsewhere?- how can we organize when the fascists have control of all the media, even the 'progressive' press.

How do we get everyone to sign on?

10:56 PM  
Blogger wideawakeinamerika said...

Protests are largely ineffective because it literally would take at least 2 million to make any impact. I have a better idea: an ECONOMIC BOYCOTT!! It's much easier, much more effective, and hurts the elite and those in power where it hurts the most--the pocketbook. We would all CALL IN SICK & REFUSE TO BUY ANYTHING on a specific day. Then stop all impulse purchases and learn to live as if you were a pauper. I've done it, and while it hurt at first, I feel much less a slave to the system. This is a benefit to my life and I am much happier without so many material things. Taking this action can actually raise our consciousness while creating a more spiritual mindset at the same time. Americans DESPERATELY need to stop feeding the capitalistic facism that permeates and is ruining our once-great nation. Think about it...

1:24 PM  
Blogger DTH said...

I've been advocating this for some time now without much success. Thanks so much for this post. Count me in!

1:40 PM  
Blogger Carol Brouillet said...

In December, I organized (in a very short amount of time) premieres of the film Loose Change - Final Cut. Had we planned the event in advance and had a chance t get the film reviewed by the press - I'm sure the turnout would have been better. Also the Loose Change film-makers did almost nothing to promote the premieres (even though they came to the premieres and Remo Conscious performed at them). However their different incarnations of Loose Change and they themselves have gotten more media coverage than most of us 9/11 Truth activists combined and they did mobilize hundreds of people to join them at Ground Zero at the anniversary of the attacks in 2007 and in 2006. At the premiere, they said that they would target the White House at the anniversary in 2008, just prior to the 2008 elections. It would take an unprecedented amount of organizing and effort to expand the movement and draw a million or two million to Washington DC. We are holding a mMedia Strategy Summit in Santa Cruz at the end of January, and if enough of the independent media, along with the international media, push the basic facts about 9/11 (and impeachment- the accumalated crimes of this regime, and the collusion of the corporate press and the war machine) I think it might be possible to mobilize folks. Anyone who begins to look beneath the surface of events can now find plenty of documentation that this system is a tremendous threat to all Americans and the entire planet. Every act of courage, every small step, builds the movement and encourages more and more people to take action. The movement is bigger than just 9/11, the war on Iraq, the war on civil liberties. The pressure needs to grow on the press, in the schools, on the candidates, on elected officials, in the courts, in the streets, everyone doing whatever they can do to make their dissent, opposition known, heard in solidarity with all fires being lit attacking people and planet on every level of our existence.

That means you need to make a personal committment and invite the participation of those who share your understanding, beliefs and goals. Go for it.

3:21 PM  
Blogger Carol Brouillet said...

OOOPS!

It was just pointed out to me that my quick comment could easily be misunderstood, so I would like to clarify this sentence:

"The pressure needs to grow on the press, in the schools, on the candidates, on elected officials, in the courts, in the streets, everyone doing whatever they can do to make their dissent, opposition known, heard in solidarity with all fires being lit attacking people and planet on every level of our existence."

It's really two separate thoughts badly joined:

"There are fires being lit attacking people and planet on every level of our existence. There are multiple struggles being carried out against those attacks, in defense of people, land, sea, forests, endangered species, our food supply, the water...

We must recognize that our struggle is in solidarity with everyone else. We need to increase our pressure on the press, in the schools, on the candidates, on elected officials, in the courts, in the streets, everyone doing whatever they can do to make their dissent, opposition known.

The Fascist Takeover of the planet is threatening all of us and we need to loudly voice our opposition and challenge its many manifestations.

(I didn't mean to imply that we need to light fires and join the Fascists, hell-bent on killing and controlling the planet for their own benefit, at the expense of everyone else. Quite the opposite! Through cooperation, respect, solidarity, non-violent, courageous truth-telling and opposition to tyranny, oppression, injustice, violence, war, racism, I think we can succeed. Nothing scared the powers that be more than the non-violent cooperation exhibited by a diversity of movements in opposition to the WTO in Seattle in 1999. HR 1955 shows their weakness by their attempts to silence our speech and thoughts- so threatened are they by truth, reason, arguments. We are winning in the court of public opinion.

4:22 PM  
Blogger JB said...

GW, I think your right, but it needs to be more ambitious to make a difference. Set our sites on 5 million including our internationl brothers all over the world. You would be astounded how many people are with us internationally on this issue. Nearly half the people on YouTube discussing this issue daily are outside the United States. They despise America's foreign policy and the NAU and the growing fascist state. What if this became a global event with a goal of 10+ million? This peaceful rally would certainly send a message that would resonate clarian throughout the world. How could it be ignored or forgotten? And if it was ignored, Plan B, a severe economic sanction, or boycott, would commence and remain until the message was undeniable.

Of course..it would take some planning... ;-)

6:56 PM  
Blogger Blaine Staat said...

Nice to know that there are some other people who can see through the fog! Let me know when we go to D.C.

“But the proles, if only they could become conscious of their own strength, would have no need to conspire . . . they need only to rise up and shake themselves, like a horse shaking off flies."
- George Orwell, 1984

11:17 AM  
Blogger Ass Forward said...

I'm here, ready to stand. Web organization, old fashioned canvasing, whatever it takes. Citizens need to, at the very least, show the world that we can be responsible for our own governance.

1:50 AM  
Blogger Serenity said...

I've been advocating something like this for years, since 2003. Kudos to you for getting some interest going. When is a good time? It should be while Bush/Cheney are still in office. I suggest getting retired people involved, maybe a giant "roll on Washington" of older people in wheelchairs, plus their supporters (tanks firing on people in wheelchairs looks really bad, so do police beating on them, and they could be the obviously-nonviolent front line.

8:19 AM  
Blogger cioran said...

Dear Friends in the US.
Best greetings from Vienna/Austria!
I am much interested in the 9/11 subject and would ask You for further information IN GERMAN, as available. At first comments/statements of people (state officers, airline employees a. o.) who give serious cover up information. I will lead them to austrian and hungarian friends of truth! Many thanks, kind regards, Zoltan

2:44 AM  

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