Excuse me as I climb onto my soapbox...
I had made a promise to myself not to get political on my blog. I made this blog about my family and the moments of our lives and the stuff that effects us/influences us...
Unfortunately, the current government and the past 20+years of it has effected us, and has become a daily problem for our family. It influences our daily lives; it influences everything from our finances, and whether or not we can afford to keep our home, to our health coverage for the family (or lack there of) and our choices for the care of our family... (meaning vaccinations, eastern medicine, holistic choices, whether or not we even see a pediatrician, midwives VS OBGYNs, homebirth vs hospital, etc)
Carl and I even struggled with obtaining a SSN for Canyon. It would have been so easy to start that walk towards going "off the grid". Why do babies need SSNs? Why isn't that something they should apply for as they become adults?
I have 3 boys, all of whom may be forced to fight in "wars" that our country declares on others when we aren't threatened. I lay here in fear that more than a "back door draft" will be in place as my children grow older. That the concept of "Manifest Destiany" that our country has followed will continue and lead us to more wars, more confrontations, and more death.
We have a public school system that is "dumbing down" our children and breeding an entire generation of soldiers and followers. I struggle daily as to what I am going to do in this coming year for Rory's schooling. I have a 4YO who is already starting to read phonically. Something that the kindergartens don't necessarily teach. Most children in NC starting Kindergarten don't even recognize the entire alphabet or their names.
Lately, I have been trying to watch politics and make a decision as to who/what I want in our national government, and I have to say that I almost don't want to vote. I said this out-loud to Carl and Rory (to whom we have stressed the importance of voting and democracy) over heard and responded with"But mom, you have to (vote)!"
My response to Rory was, "You are right, if I don't vote, I don't get a say, but if I do vote, I don't have a say either..."
I have voted in the past two elections, but like the majority off Americans, my vote was not taken into consideration. Bush was appointed to office even though he was not elected. Those elections were fixed.
I am to the point that I am literally depressed and sickened over the electoral process in our country. Nothing that the American People say or do matters. We are discounted, ignored, dismissed...
Our country is following the path that other countries followed as they fell into fascist governments and dictatorships.
There are 14 main points of fascism. (http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm)
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia. 2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
Can you see where I am going with this and why I am freaking out? Does it make sense to anyone else?
I am not someone who typically stands in fear of things that may happen, or worries about unforseen things... my problem is that these things are not unforseen and are becoming a reality.
Here in NC, if I vote for anyone who is not "approved" for the general election ballot, my entire ballot will be discarded (ie thrown away). So I am left with only 3 choices: Obama (a socialist), McCain (a war monger with demintia), Barr (who really only offers a little main stream change). No Green Party Canidate, no Constitutionlist Party Canidate... no one that I would actually feel is making a difference or a move towards what I see as a government that is what we were founded on.
Our founding fathers are jumping in their graves watching what is happening. We are dismissing the past, ignoring the present, and dooming ourselves for the future.
The next 10 years or so are going to be a WILD RIDE, and at this point, all we can do, short of a Revolution/Civil War, is sit back, hang on, and try to survive and pray for the best.
But I really ask, at what point are we as a nation going to WAKE THE HELL UP and start standing up for ourselves?
