Open Thread - Friday, November 10, 2017
Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 11/10/2017 - 3:20am
“The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power…. Among us today a concentration of private power without equal in history is growing.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
At Monday’s markup, Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) quizzed a tax expert on this corporate exceptionalism:
- “Will a teacher in my district who buys pens, pencils and paper for his students be able to deduct these costs from his tax returns under this plan?” He will not.
- “Will a corporation that buys pens, pencils and papers for its workers be able to deduct those costs from its tax returns?” It will.
- “Will a firefighter in my district be able to deduct the state and local sales taxes that she pays from her tax return?” She will not.
- “Will a corporation be able to deduct sales taxes on business purchases?” It will.
- “If a worker in my district had to move because his employer was forcing him to relocate . . . can he deduct his moving expenses under this plan?” He cannot.
- “Can a corporation under this plan deduct outsourcing expenses incurred in relocating a U.S. business outside the United States?” It can.
“If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings, then there are undoubtedly several million fascists in the United States.”
-Henry A. Wallace
“When Fascism came into power, most people were unprepared, both theoretically and practically. They were unable to believe that man could exhibit such propensities for evil, such lust for power, such disregard for the rights of the weak, or such yearning for submission. Only a few had been aware of the rumbling of the volcano preceding the outbreak.”
– Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom
“Before mass leaders seize the power to fit reality to their lies, their propaganda is marked by its extreme contempt for facts as such, for in their opinion fact depends entirely on the power of man who can fabricate it.”
– Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
I wouldn't call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either.
- Edward Zehr
Have a great weekend!
Fascism is not defined by the number of its victims, but by the way it kills them.
- Jean-Paul Sartre
The thread is OPEN.
Comments
Good morning, Tim ~~~
We are living in perilous times, indeed. If the people don't mobilize soon, we could all be living the good life in the concentration camps of their making.
Revolt, citizens!
Have a beautiful Friday, folks!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
The working poor
... already live a hard scrabble existence. Inequality is growing. Wealth, and power, is becoming more concentrated. More people are being thrown overboard.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Our high-tech future in Mussolinicon Valley …
No. We cannot ... STOP WAR
From Yes we can to No we cannot. Woo outreach. I am already revolting.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/11/09/we-need-truly-grassroots-democratic-party-call-dnc-chair-tom-perez-implement
feel the bern
by the way, that list sounds exactly like tiny incremental change to me, all those things Sanders says are revolutionary. What happened to peace? If you say something over and over people will believe it. Look at his words, my bold. Subliminal short arm, totally drops the ball.
---
We are the 99%! I will forever equate Bernie Sanders with sexual violence against women here now, because of Wink's avatar matched with the absurd words on "the normal" way people can still be mistreated by new and improved socialist assholes. Funny how that works.
PEACE
Taxman -- George Harrison and Eric Clapton (live)
good luck
https://nwtrcc.org/resist/war-tax-resistance/
That is a shame, eyo
Sanders doesn't deserve that, and has neither said nor done anything (that I know of) to deserve it. "Guilt by association" should have no place here - it's a tool of the Corpocracy, and there are some tools we should not use lest we become like them or worse.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Mucho Gusto
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good morning all
Steve Bannon came to Macomb County, Michigan, home of the Reagan Democrats and assholes that voted for Trump. He played to a full house. 800 The autos have many plants in Macomb, and they've been doing quite well since they got rid of all the debt they were carrying in the middle of the great crash. Quotes from attendees were mostly along the line of and I paraphrase, I've got mine - the hell with you.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
What the funk?
Unfortunately, I have encountered the same people in , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, ... Michigan seems to have a unique racial animus.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
I think ...
some of it goes back to '68.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good morning, Funkmeister/Biker Tim. :-)
Corporate fascist AmeriKKKa in November 2017.
I rest my case. Y'all have a good weekend! Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
We've forgotten
that most of us are on the same side. We've let this ethic take over;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG9GcykPIY
Pre-WWll Germany. There is no limit to how mean things can get. B. Brecht described it well. K. Weil set it too music in a magnificent yet scary way.
The alternative is very simple, just don't go there. Don't go where pre-WWll Germany went. Granted, we have a lot of backtracking to do. But I like to think we could at least try and reclaim our humanity. We have to insist that we are going to take care of each other instead of hating each other.
This man has some ideas. Wendell Berry talks about "a proper economy". (It's a bit long, but during some off time it could be worth a listen for some).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hstD5UPkWQM
Good morning, Tim. Thanks for the column and the HAW
quote, which I just added to my little quote file. It reminds me that I haven't put Mussolini in there yet. However, there was a recent article in The Nation:
that is worth a good read. For those who feel that properly regulated and controlled Capitalism or free market economy is a viable approach to eixstence, it is even a necessary read. He notes that the growth of monopolies and monopoly power has led to the rise of corporate power and to that corporatism that is the core of fascism as described by FDR, the ownership or control of the government by by private interests, the merger of government and corporate interests as often attributed to Mussolini.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Is the thread still open? I see the lights were on earlier!
Great quotes, thanks NCT
....
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Good evening, do, thanks. Saw that last night. Sucks.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Hey EL ! Hope you are having a good one.
Yeah, I would go further to say it’s terminally fcked up.
...
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.