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Quote of the Day

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From the floor of the U.S. Senate:

I look back in history, in some of the worst governments that we had, you know the first thing they did, go after unions, Hitler didn’t want unions, Stalin didn’t want unions, Mubarak didn’t want unions, these autocrats don’t want independent unions.

— Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Update: You knew this was coming….

Comments

  2. 2

    “Reagan was told that he didn’t want ’em either.” Fixed it for you.

    You have to understand the issues to have a position on them. Reagan didn’t.

  3. 3

    Like Hitler, Stalin and Mubarak, Republicans have no interest in governing, they want to rule.

  5. 5

    There’s a general rule that whenever someone invokes Hitler in an argument they’re on the losing side…

    However, I think this may be the exception that proves the rule.

  7. 7

    @5: When they do so glibly, maybe. When it’s an honest comparison of actions, not so much.

  8. 8

    Raygun: “cut and ran” from Lebanon.

    Traded arms for hostages with Iran (on the books with the State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism)..

    Started the right wing master plan to run the country into the ground.

    Basically history will judge him as a disaster for this country.

  9. 9

    Raygun: Head of Screen Actors Guild (union) –

    He would serve a total of seven presidential terms, including six one-year terms elected by the membership in November 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1959. Issues … – during Reagan’s presidencies and board terms, 1946 – 1960, were among the most vast and complicated in the Guild’s history, including, in addition to the CSU strikes: the Guild’s first entirely new contract since 1937; passage of the labor-weakening Taft-Hartley act; the House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings and the blacklist era; a severe decline in Hollywood film production, largely caused by both the exploding popularity of television and the 1948 “Paramount decree” which would bring an end to the “studio system”; … jurisdictional struggles over television; the MCA waiver; the Guild’s first three strikes (1952-53, 1955, and 1960); the first residuals for filmed television programs; first residuals for films sold to television; and the creation of the pension and health plan.

  10. 10

    This bears repeating. Reagan was a fascist, as were Nixon and Ford. Every President we’ve had since, has been a fascist. The current President, is a lily-livered cheesedick who had no political juice going in, and is only now building up a political support system. He may or may not be a fascist, but he certainly is doing everything he can to avoid upsetting them too much.

    I may vote for the man again, but it’ll leave a bad taste in my mouth. There is nobody who would truly represent my ideals, so I swallow my pride.

    The 14 Tenets of Fascism.

    1) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

    Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

    2) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.

    Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

    3) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

    The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

    4) Supremacy of the Military

    Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

    5) Rampant Sexism

    The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

    6) Controlled Mass Media

    Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

    7) Obsession with National Security

    Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

    8) Religion and Government are Intertwined

    Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

    9) Corporate Power is Protected

    The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

    10) Labor Power is Suppressed

    Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

    11) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

    Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

    12) Obsession with Crime and Punishment

    Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

    13) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

    Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

    14) Fraudulent Elections

    Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

    All this certainly describes the GOP and the Tea Pottiers perfectly.

  11. 11

    Right-wing use of Hitler and Stalin comparisons = unacceptable.

    Left-wing use of Hitler and Stalin comparisons = acceptable.

  12. 12

    @10,

    I don’t think Gerald Ford was a fascist: he was just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, he pardoned Tricky Dick, and that was not a good idea. Nixon should have done some jail time for his shenanigans.

  13. 13

    @11;

    Yes, if Nixon had been put in jail for his crimes, the Republicans wouldn’t have the “The president is above the law, if he is a Republican” mindset that they do now.

  14. 14

    @11: Imagine the GOP shitstorm if Clinton had been impeached, found guilty, and then pardoned by President Gore.

    I’ll bet the GOP would have invoked their 2nd Amendment rights and watered a few of liberty’s trees.

    But when the GOP does it….well, that’s just politics…”get over it” they tell us.

    IOKYAR

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