They recently held a “How to take back America”Conference. Mike Huckabee, Phyllis Shlafly and many Republican congressmen were in attendance, along with many Tea Party folks, and 84-year old Kitty Werthmann, who had immigrated from Austria long ago. She lectured the gullible little Midwestern ladies in tennis shoes, that the Obama administration reminded her of the rise of Hitler in her native Austria and Germany!
Indeed, one of the conference’s keynote themes was that the Obama administration was causing America to be taken over by “Fascism and the Gay Agenda.” And then, they proceeded to use “Fascism” and “Marxism” interchangeably, as if the two were synonymous.
This is incoherent! These folks have things upside down, or what? They either know nothing about history and politics, or they feel that the American public is so ignorant that this stuff will fly.
They themselves have much more in common with classical European Fascism than anyone since Father Coughlin in the 1930s and Joe McCarthy in the 1950s.
Any freshman in Poli Sci 101 knows that:
1. Fascism is radicalism from the right.
2. Fascism is an expression of middle-class discontent.
3. Marxism and other forms of socialism are radical movements from the left.
4. They are expressions of lower-class and working-class discontent.
5. Hitler was brought to power by Fascism.
6. The Russian Revolution was Marxist.
7. Fascism and Marxism are mortal enemies.
8. Fascism is nationalist: The Nazis were vehemently opposed to internationalism. They quit the League of Nations.
9. Marxism and Socialism are internationalist.
10. Fascists believed that God was on their side.
11. Marxism is atheist.
12. Fascism is militaristic.
13. Fascism is racist.
14. Fascism is homophobic. Before his onslaught on Jews, Hitler exterminated the gays.
15. Fascism is for traditional family values (Only three roles for women: Kinder, Kuche und Kirche).
16. Fascism is cosy with the conglomerates. Remember Krupp, Siemens, IG Farben and all the other corporations that supported the Nazis?
I personally loathe Soviet Marxism, and I see much value in the traditional family format. But my God, stop confusing everything! You may accuse Obama of being a social democrat, but a fascist? This reminds me of when Joe McCarthy called Eisenhower a communist. This is not only lunacy, but it’s the pot calling the kettle black, to wit:
If fascism comes to America, it’ll be precisely these folks who bring it on: Look at the list above: They are on the right; they are overwhelmingly white middle-class; they are nationalists; they are deeply religious; they support military intervention; they hate the country’s first black President; they are anti-gay; they are pro-life and pro traditional family values; they support the corporations. The Tea Party and the “Take-America-Back” folks are a replica of the angry white middle-class which brought Hitler to power in Austria and Germany. leave comment here
4 comments:
Hallo Tom,
Als ik je artikel lees valt het mij op dat de genoemde republikeinen geen echte notie hebben van de geschiedenis. Ze nemen alles voor zoete koek als het maar tegen Obama is.
De kretologieën van deze mensen zijn ziekmakend.
Ik heb die Kitty Werthmann en een paar van haar consorten even opgezocht en ben geschrokken van de eenvoud waarmee zij, Kitty Werthmann, als een "overlevende"? van de Nazi's de historie naar haar hand zet. Het ontbreken van enige werkelijke onderbouwing en de daaruit voortvloeiende "inhoud" van haar verhaal geven mij te denken.
Het is een eenzijdig verhaal van een toen 12 jarige die haar mening geeft en voor wetenschap verkoopt. Ik heb onder "Anschluss Oostenrijk" gekeken voor meer informatie.
Onderstaande link geeft ook nog wat informatie.
Jullie hebben een vrolijk volkje.
Wij hebben in Nederland onze PVV van ene Wilders. Een kwal en een blaaskaak maar wel met aanhang van voornamelijk dezelfde groep als bij jullie met als hoofdthema; Tegen hoofddoekjes van vrouwen als uiting van religie. Het riekt naar een groepering in Italië die als symbool de Fascis hadden.
Bert,
here is the translation:
when I read your article, it strikes me that the mentioned Republicans don’t have a real understanding of history. They accept everything as gospel, as long it’s against Obama.
The slogans of these people make one sick.
I looked up this Kitty Werthmann and some of her consorts, and I was shocked by the simple-mindedness with which she, Kitty Werthmann, as a “survivor”(?) from the Nazis, distorts history. The absence of any real underpinnings and the resulting content of her story make me think.
It is a one-sided story of a then 12-year old who has her opinion, and who sells it as science. I looked under “Anschluss Austria” for more information.
You have a funny people.
We in Holland have our PVV and Wilders. A slime and a big mouth, but with a following of primarily the same group as in your country, with the main theme: Against women wearing head scarves as a religious expression. It reminds one of a group in Italy whose symbol was the Fascis.
Tom, My label for the Tea Party folks is "anarcho-fascists." That would seem to agree with your analysis. Although it's almost impossible to analyze such irrationality!
Peter Shattuck
Peter:
Thanks for your support.
I was looking at the Tea Party folks picketing against health care reform today, and wondering about this extensive
"grassroot" movement.
Someone then said: let me spend $200 million on propaganda, and I'll sell you the moon.
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