The End of America

[JBeukema]

Best-selling author Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth) makes a chilling case that American democracy is under threat
In a stunning indictment of sweeping policy changes during the Bush years, best-selling author Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth) makes a chilling case that American democracy is under threat. Investigating parallels between our current situation and the rise of dictators and fascism in once-free societies, Wolf uncovers a number of deeply unsettling similarities-from the use of paramilitary groups and secret prisons to the targeted suspension of the rule of law. With this galvanizing call to arms based on her recent book, she urges regular citizens to take back our legacy of freedom and justice.



The End of America - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

 

[Lumpy 1]

I think this describes her work pretty well..

In the mainstream press, The New York Times published a harshly critical assessment of Wolf's work: Caryn James lambasted the book as a "sloppily researched polemic as dismissible as a hackneyed adventure film...Even by the standards of pop-cultural feminist studies, "The Beauty Myth" is a mess." After rejecting her thesis, the review leveled even harsher appraisal of her methodology and statistics, writing, "Ms. Wolf doesn't begin to prove her claims because her logic is so lame, her evidence so easily knocked down...Her statistics are shamefully secondhand and outdated."[19] In a comparatively positive review, The Washington Post called the book "persuasive" and praised its "accumulated evidence."[20]

This sounds very Obama-esk...

The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, Wolf takes a historical look at the rise of Fascism, outlining the 10 steps necessary for a Fascistic group (or government) to destroy the democratic character of a nation-state and subvert the social/political liberty previously exercised by its citizens:

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy.
2. Create secret prisons where torture takes place.
3. Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens.
4. Set up an internal surveillance system.
5. Harass citizens' groups.
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release.
7. Target key individuals.
8. Control the press.
9. Treat all political dissidents as traitors.
10. Suspend the rule of law.[27]
Naomi Wolf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[R.C. Christian]

Such a review would be expected from a New Yorker.

 

[midcan5]

While she makes lots of good insightful points, Bush is gone but it is the entrenched interests that created the possibility of Bush/Cheney: right wing media, think tanks, and spokepeople are still strong and have lots of support even on this site.

The greatest fear a nation has is economic collapse and the rise of a leader who is either incompetent or evil. Bush was incompetent, Obama is not, but the forces against him lost power, and they want it back at any cost.

The End of America - 10 steps that close an open society Compare these and below 'Hallmarks' with the last administration.


Norris: How to Tell a Nation Is at Risk - DealBook Blog - NYTimes.com

'Hallmarks of Fascism' How many of these fit America today?

anti-intellectualism
repudiation of rationalism and reason, emotion over reason
leader discovers and represents the will of the people
the state over the individual
nation supremacy, nationalism, national greatness
social Darwinism and constant struggle
action for actions sake, violence to strengthen nation
corporation-state unity
faith in the nation and the leader
hero worship
police state, crushing of opposition
National Socialism - add racism to fascism

The Philosophic Roots of Modern Ideology Liberalism, Communism, Fascism



Limbaugh spells it out perfectly. Rush, Newspeak and Fascism: An exegesis

Fourteen points of fascism and the last administration. http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm



"The Corporation is established to develop the wealth, political power and welfare of the Italian people. Corporatism means a disciplined, and therefore a controlled, economy, since there can be no discipline which is not controlled. Corporatism overcomes Socialism as well as it does Liberalism: it creates a new synthesis." Mussolini

 

[R.C. Christian]

Obama is an extension of Bush. When it comes to foreign policy, civil liberties etc. they're the same. The only real difference is that Obama doesn't have the war hawk Dick Cheney trying to run the show. Unending wars. Nothing changes.

 

[code1211]

While she makes lots of good insightful points, Bush is gone but it is the entrenched interests that created the possibility of Bush/Cheney: right wing media, think tanks, and spokepeople are still strong and have lots of support even on this site.

The greatest fear a nation has is economic collapse and the rise of a leader who is either incompetent or evil. Bush was incompetent, Obama is not, but the forces against him lost power, and they want it back at any cost.

I will agree that Bush was not competent in keeping the interest of the country secure in economic and security terms. This by his own pre-election rhetoric which promised a humble presidency with plenty of bi-partisan cooperation.

As a reality check, though, the Big 0 is the worst President I've ever seen in those categories which he, too, alluded to often. Even the most ardent lover of the Big 0 has to be impressed with the way he has gotten every thing he has asked for to accomplish his plan and has failed to produce economic growth and national security.

He is selectively enforcing the laws he likes and ignoring the ones he does not and is actively working to advance his party over any national goal while undermining our national respect abroad.

He obviously does not understand how to make the economy start to improve and has accepted that the 10% unemployment is the new normal and the duty of the 90% who work is to support the 10% who don't.

That is one possibility.

Another possibility is that he does understand how the economy works, is actively blocking progress to create and maintain a permanent needy class and is brilliantly and diabolically shaping a future of wealth redistribution as a standard method of life.

Judging only by the results, he's either an incompetent boob or a brilliant swindler.

Which one do you judge him to be?

 

[Samson]

Depending on the administration, there's always a book (books) written describing the fall of America....I wish I could recall the title of one of these more interesting fictions that came out during the Bush Administration predicting the secession of Montana and Wyoming to form the country of Jefferson after disgruntled right wingers managed to nuke Colorado Springs.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Dial up Bush on the phone and lay this blame on him. Should do much to make his Saturday a terrific day...

 

[Samson]

Dial up Bush on the phone and lay this blame on him. Should do much to make his Saturday a terrific day...

If you were Bush, would you even own a phone?

Hell, I wouldn't. No TV. No Radio. No Newspaper.......I'd spend all day writing my memoires and watching Bugs Bunny cartoons while sittin' in air conditioned comfort at my ranch in Crawford, TX

 

[editec]

Sadly she is right.

Even if her work is sloppy, even if she has an ax to grind.

Look, both the right winger AND the left wingers (and let's face it, middle Americans who aren't especially politicial at all) agree that government is becoming increasingly imperious, intrusive and meanacing to what we once thought was our birthright not to be molested by government.

Agree or no?

It doesn't matter which party happens to be in power, this trend toward turning this nation into a police state is obvious and has been happening most of my adult lifetime.

And what has been the NUMKBER ONE EXCUSE for giving our government greater and greater police power?

The WAR ON DRUGS, folks.

That is the number one rationaization for why the government MSUT continue to curtail American's freedom.

Reap what ya sow, Americans.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Is it Bush's fault that Americans are too dumb to understand Newtonian physics 41 years after the Moon landing?

Where are all of the educators complaining about science education AND demanding to know the distributions of steel and concrete that were in the WTC?



psik

 

[Douger]

Dial up Bush on the phone and lay this blame on him. Should do much to make his Saturday a terrific day...

1) Arbusto, an oil exploration company, lost money, but it got considerable investments (nearly $5 million) because even losing oil investments were useful as tax shelters.

2) Spectrum 7 Energy Corp. bought out Arbusto in 1984 and hired Mr. Bush to run the company's oil interests in Midland, Texas. The oil business collapsed as oil prices plummeted by 1986, and Spectrum 7 Energy was near failure.

3) Harken Energy acquired Mr. Bush's Spectrum 7 Energy shares, and he got Harken shares, a directorship, and a consulting arrangement in return. Harken, under Bush, brought in Saudi real estate tycoon Sheikh Abdullah Bakhsh as a board member and a major investor. Over the next few years, Harken would turn out to have links to: Saudi money, CIA-connected Filipinos, the Harvard Endowment, the emir of Bahrain, and the shadowy Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

A 1991 internal SEC document suggested George W. Bush violated federal securities law at least 4 times in the late 1980s and early 1990s in selling Harken stock while serving as a director of Harken. This is essentially the same kind of activity that Martha Stewart is going to prison over. Except at the time of the investigation, Mr. Bush's father was president and the case was quietly dropped.
In his book, Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush, John W. Dean explains that his family name and his father's prominence were significant factors in George W. Bush's business "success", or, were significant factors in repeated saves from serious business and financial failures. Both Arbusto/Bush Exploration and Spectrum 7 failed with Bush as chairman and CEO. At Harken, Mr. Bush was relieved of day-to-day management responsibilities but still served on the board of directors. Dean also notes:

George W. Bush claims his formative years, which he extends to age 40, are out of bounds. Yet those are the years when one's character and values are formed. Bush had occasionally overindulged with alcohol, and he was a bit of an irresponsible youth.
Dean believes Mr. Bush took advantage of his insider information when he sold his Harken stock in 1990, but he escaped SEC penalties because his father was president and many of the investigating officials had Bush family ties and other conflicts of interest. Many of the facts about the Harken deal remain buried and Bush has stonewalled all efforts to find out more. ( to be continued )

 

[Mr. Jones]

Obama is an extension of Bush. When it comes to foreign policy, civil liberties etc. they're the same. The only real difference is that Obama doesn't have the war hawk Dick Cheney trying to run the show. Unending wars. Nothing changes.

The 2 party system is bullshit. It's a puppet show. They fight (elections) to see who will be the main players. Who ever wins, gets their strings pulled by the puppet masters.

 

[Samson]

Is it Bush's fault that Americans are too dumb to understand Newtonian physics 41 years after the Moon landing?

Where are all of the educators complaining about science education AND demanding to know the distributions of steel and concrete that were in the WTC?



psik

This is why I don't walk into the Conspiracy Theories Forum

 

[JBeukema]

Obama is an extension of Bush. When it comes to foreign policy, civil liberties etc. they're the same. The only real difference is that Obama doesn't have the war hawk Dick Cheney trying to run the show. Unending wars. Nothing changes.

But Obama is change!

Moving them to Bagram is change, right?

 

[uscitizen]

Change is inevitable. The only question is what direction it takes.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Is it Bush's fault that Americans are too dumb to understand Newtonian physics 41 years after the Moon landing?

Where are all of the educators complaining about science education AND demanding to know the distributions of steel and concrete that were in the WTC?



psik

This is why I don't walk into the Conspiracy Theories Forum

So you think 1360 foot skyscrapers can be constructed without the designers figuring out how much steel and concrete is going on every level before the hole is dug for the foundation?

So you think it is possible to analyze a 200 ton mass hitting a tall slightly flexible 400,000 ton mass at 550 mph without applying Newtonian physics?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kUICwO93Q]YouTube - ‪WTC Impact Model - MIT‬‎[/ame]

The laws of physics don't give a damn about conspiracies.

psik

 

[boedicca]

Leonard Peikoff did a much more credible analysis than anything a lightweight like Wolff could ever produce.


[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Ominous-Parallels-Brilliant-parallels-pre-Hitler/dp/0452011175/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281226098&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: The Ominous Parallels: A Brilliant Study of America Today - and the 'ominous parallels' with the chaos of pre-Hitler Germany (9780452011175): Leonard Peikoff: Books[/ame]

 

[jillian]

I think this describes her work pretty well..

In the mainstream press, The New York Times published a harshly critical assessment of Wolf's work: Caryn James lambasted the book as a "sloppily researched polemic as dismissible as a hackneyed adventure film...Even by the standards of pop-cultural feminist studies, "The Beauty Myth" is a mess." After rejecting her thesis, the review leveled even harsher appraisal of her methodology and statistics, writing, "Ms. Wolf doesn't begin to prove her claims because her logic is so lame, her evidence so easily knocked down...Her statistics are shamefully secondhand and outdated."[19] In a comparatively positive review, The Washington Post called the book "persuasive" and praised its "accumulated evidence."[20]

This sounds very Obama-esk...

The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, Wolf takes a historical look at the rise of Fascism, outlining the 10 steps necessary for a Fascistic group (or government) to destroy the democratic character of a nation-state and subvert the social/political liberty previously exercised by its citizens:

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy.
2. Create secret prisons where torture takes place.
3. Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens.
4. Set up an internal surveillance system.
5. Harass citizens' groups.
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release.
7. Target key individuals.
8. Control the press.
9. Treat all political dissidents as traitors.
10. Suspend the rule of law.[27]
Naomi Wolf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

obama-esque? really?

funny... i thought they were bush-esque.

 

[Toro]

I don't take Naomi Klein very seriously. She's an alarmist shill ideologue, distorting events to fit her worldview. If there was a Fox News on the Left, she'd be on it all the time.