Author: Andy

The “L” word is being thrown around so much right now that I can’t help but wonder if the ghost of Joe McCarthy is being channeled by Karl Rove. I personally don’t believe that John Kerry is that liberal. But I would like to bring up another loaded term. Yup, the “F” word.

No, not that word. Though it could just as easily be used to label the Republican candidates. I’m talking about Fascism. I know most people think primarily of the Nazis, but the jackboot, genocidal warmongering image is a little excessive…

Well, I suppose you could argue that requiring a loyalty oath to attend political gatherings, massive campaigns of misinformation and propaganda, ignoring the genocide in Sudan, and labeling people based on their religion a very Gobbles thing to do, but that’s not the Fascism I’m talking about.

Fascism proper is characterized by the following traits which I’ve borrowed from Wikepedia:

• Exalts nation and sometimes race above the individual
• Uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition
• Engages in severe economic and social regimentation, and
• Espouses nationalism and sometimes racism (ethnic nationalism)

I know how dramatic this sounds. I generally get annoyed by the zeal with which people throw hyperbolic labels around, but really, how much further do we need to go? We’re well beyond traditional conservatism now.

In the 1920’s, a group of logical positivists formed the Vienna Circle. Positivism is the belief that nothing can be considered true until there is empirical evidence for it. This outlook of systematic doubt is anti-authoritarian because it will not accept anything without scientific evidence.

As is the case with most rational groups, they found themselves at odds with the Nazi party, which formed policy and carried out scientific experimentation tainted with its own ideology and mysticism. As you can imagine, most of the Vienna circle were driven from the country.

I bring this up because the Union of Concerned Scientists finds itself in a similar place. The Bush administration is also loading scientific panels and federal agencies with scientists with similar ideological tainting.

I also bring this up because in capitalism, any limitation based on discrimination impedes efficiency, the near-utopian goal of the method. This definitely includes ideologically-bent policy.

John Stewart did a brilliant thing on Crossfire. He told the hosts how petty and damaging their show is. I think the audience responded well.

If you have bit torrent, you can download a clip here.

If you don’t have bit torrent, you can get the text version from the bastion of truth – MTV.com

For a while, I only suggested this game to friends because of the somewhat grotesque collection characters and story, but the actual in-play lessons are startlingly accurate glimpses of what the Bush White House (and the others since 1984) has done to our country. It primarily focuses on economic issues, but spices things up with Stem Cell research, etc.

Plus, it has cameos from Hulk Hogan, Howard Dean, Mr. T, and others. If you’re not much for absurdity, I’d suggest passing on this one.