Is Bush-America Fascist?

As a student of German history I’ve always been a little hesitant to make use of the lable ‘fascist.’ If you use it too soon and too often, it appears to become a version of “the boy who cried wolf.” And besides, it might do injustice to the sufferings of those who were persecuted by the various fascist regimes of 20th century Europe and Latin America.Are the US fascist? This kind of thinking, now even making its way into the more mainstream of America’s media, for instance the “Opiniator Blog” on the New York Time’s website, which actually quoted the Chicago Tribune as follows:I would say: the current state of US society and politics definitely shows traits of fascism. It is, however, still more liberal than the infamous dictatorships of Hitler, Franco, or Stalin. But then again, maybe we are waiting for the wrong thing when whe assume that fascism might return wearing the same cloths. The media have changed, the business world has changed, and maybe fascism this time can come in the form of absolute consumerism, dependency on “stuff”, and a government that disenfranchises the majority of American society.

Arrest the Critics

Tonight former CIA analyst Ray McGovern dared to ask some pointed questions during a speech Don Rumsfeld gave in Atlanta. CNN and a couple of other media outlets brought the video of the exchange, commenting on the questions asked by McGovern and the answers (not) given by Rumsfeld.

I saw the CNN version, which included a scene in which so-called security guards tried to remove McGovern, if Rumsfeld hadn’t stopped them. What appears like a generous act by Rumsfeld is, at second thought, an outrageous example for the already accomplished erosion of civil rights in this country. What right could the security guards have had to remove McGovern? He did not threaten the Defense Secretary, he didn’t throw rotten vegetable at him, he didn’t yell or violate any other rules of civic discussion. But, apparently, it is enough if you pose hard questions that you might be removed from the room if you don’t encounter such a gracious fella as Rumsfeld. Good night America...

Manipulate this: Why gas prices need to go up

President Bush's recent announcement that he would initiate an investigation into potential price manipulation by oil companies is ludicrous. Besides the fact that the prices at the pump in all likelihood were rigged--hey, that's why we had an oil man as president in the first place, right?!--the manipulation began at least three decades ago, when artificially low oil prices enabled--manipulated--an unsustainable and wasteful lifestyle that's coming back to haunt us.

Ask Europeans and they will not understand what the fuzz is about. Three dollars or more per gallon? Hello, welcome to the real world, this is what most other countries have been paying for a long time. That's the reason why many of these countries have a functioning public transport system and a low-energy infrastructure ranging from energy-efficient houses to cars with a gas-mileage rate that the US administration would like to classify if it could.

So, manipulate this, Mr. Prez and watch while gas prices are going higher, which they very well should. The worst thing that could happen is that Congress tries to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs on the American consumer. It would not solve the problem, but prolong the suffering. A four dollar per gallon price, however, might initate the public outcry--or, dare I say, REVOLUTION so desperately needed by this country.