Just Wondering

For a minute there I thought I had somehow unblocked HFT and could read his posts again.

BT

Mary Jo,

there is Midol in the medicine cabinet.

nice generalization tall mark. my husband must be holding out on me because I haven't seen his huge increase in pay. last thing he said to me on his way to work tonight was "keep your phone on in case you get a text saying I'm ok but..."

My father was a career cop, and his inability to join the "good old boys" club held him back considerably in his career advancement. He had turned in other cops who abused their privileges (usually for things like using their police account to fill their personal car with gas) and some other issues. He didn't have a lot of close friends - inviting him for beer and wings was like inviting the HR director. It's not that he made it his focus to route out corruption, but he didn't have much patience for it.

He probably could have done much more, and in his years since retirement has expressed his regrets for not doing more to be a better cop. He definitely did some good things, but also missed opportunities to make the world around him a better place that he wishes he had acted upon.

I think there's no one harder on a dirty cop than a good cop, with some obvious exceptions. The concept that all cops are bad is short-sighted and divisive.

Relatives of police, military and judicial employees usually side with the police and courts.

They tend to turn blind eyes to the dirty employees.

IMO, if you're in the police, prison or court sytems and lie, cheat, steal and abuse your power....... YOU ARE FASCISTS!

The issue really is one of control. You can be capitalist all you like in China, so long as the CCP is happy with how you do it. However, they have ultimate force to dictate to you how it will operate, and if they choose to seize it from you they can do so. This is practically identical to the system of Nazi Germany.

But there hasn't been just one fascism either. Italian v German v Spanish v Portguese are not the same.

All I meant was that if you must describe it on left-right terms in 6 words or less, calling it far right is fair. But that's a very simplistic take on it.

You are correct, but is fascism a political system or an economic one?

I don't know that I would classify China as communist anymore, as their economy is almost totally capitalist these days. Their political system is certainly mostly totalitarian, though not to the extent of North Korea.

North Korea is probably the most communist economic system in the world.

The problem is that these words get bastardized and used for purposes not intended...

That's an awfully simplistic approach coming from you.

I am saying that while overall fascists governments tend strongly to the political right they often had elements of left wing politics built in with it, such as anti-capitalist sentiments (not to be confused with anti-corporate).

Many describe modern China as fascist and argue that it is communist in name only at this point, for instance. North Korea likely fits the definition. If a government's level of control becomes so total that virtually all aspects of society are subject to the whim of a dictator, it becomes difficult to distinguish a fascist from a totalitarian communist.

You've often accused me of being overly quick at wanting to paint things black and white, and many times you've been right. But I think you know as well as I do that fascism doesn't just fit neatly in a politically convenient box.

How many leftist fascist regimes have we seen compared to rightist fascist regimes?

I read somewhere where someone once said that the definition of fascist is almost indistinguishable from "bully". It doesn't fall cleanly on the left-right continuum. Yeah it's more right than left, but it's not as clear-cut as most people think.

Funny I didn't read anywhere in Current's post that Obama spread racism. I've found that belief is typically only held by those whites who felt Obama tried to lift the black population at what they felt was the expense of the whites and unless I'm completely mistaken I never got that impression of Current'. Just one white man's opinion

"Fascist ideology will not go away in America when Trump goes away any more than racism went away with Obama's election."

I agree with your correlation of Trumps Administration permitting fascism to Obama's spreading racism. Wee could do better as a society, if only there was more unity and less ridiculous name-calling.

The "actual definition" of fascism according to who?

Some Americans are so dense they think that to be a fascist you have to wear a fucking swastika on your arm and hate Jews. Notwithstanding the desperately sad fact that Trump has created a world where people who actually do that are safe to crawl out from under their slime covered rocks and empowered to openly join mainstream political parties (one of them anyway), that behavior is not synonymous with fascism.

The characteristics I outlined are all generally recognized tenets of fascism from a historical and political science definitional standpoint. It's worth noting that none of them are exclusively ,or even generally, confined to people who could reasonably be called fascists. Fascist ideology will not go away in America when Trump goes away any more than racism went away with Obama's election. In fact, I would argue that while Hitler essentially inoculated America from the open fascist ideology that was ascendant in the 1920s, Trump's election has once again, and for the foreseeable future, made America safe for fascism again. MASFA baby.

It is amazing to read the know nothing Phyto's about types of governments.

Mario is correct in that we are not a fascist country. However it's not for lack of trying on the part of our wannabe fascist POTUS and his core group of supporters.

Which I believe is the point Currentrider has been trying to make.

Current...... I was leaning towards the actual definition of fascism. But whatever. Sure, that sounds like several people. But surely does not define our country or our government.

Mario,

Some of the traditional hallmarks of fascism include Anti modernism. Anti urbanism. Anti feminism. Anti immigration. Pro nationalism. Anti trade /pro culture of self reliance. Pro isolationism. Anti intellectualism.

See anyone you recognize?

That7....... Just because there are small groups of fascists, doesn't make our "country" fascist. Do explain what dictatorial power these groups have? The neo-nazis you bring up have almost zero political power. They are almost inconsequential, except on a very limited and localized basis. If these Antifa kids want to protest them, that's cool. I agree with that stance 100%. My biggest problem with Antifa is that they try to lump others into that small group of assholes they claim to want to eliminate.

There are fascists in America. They don't hide it; they carry nazi flags and hold rallies against diversity. They sometimes kill people who protest them.

If you hate the anti fascist, that comes across as "pro fascist". Denying it only makes it 100% likely.

Take it next door you knuckleheads. Politics goes over there.

TBR..... Oh! A slight diversion from your usually scheduled program. Well done for trying to be fresh and new. Reminiscent of a Summers Eve Douche.

Now try answering the question. Or is your next play to try and change the definition of "fascism". The anticipation is palpable.

Y'know, Mario, you really just are an idiot.

But you are just following orders...

TBR...... Oh really? Do explain how we have fascism here. Or are you only good at name calling?

"We don't have fascism here."

LOL

You are an idiot.