post-mortem america
Chris Floyd wrote this in 2001 and here we are.
It won't come with jackboots and book burnings, with mass rallies and fevered harangues. It won't come with "black helicopters" or tanks on the street. It won't come like a storm – but like a break in the weather, that sudden change of season you might feel when the wind shifts on an October evening: everything is the same, but everything has changed. Something has gone, departed from the world, and a new reality has taken its place.
As in Rome, all the old forms will still be there: legislatures, elections, campaigns – plenty of bread and circuses for the folks. But the "consent of the governed" will no longer apply; actual control of the state will have passed to a small group of nobles who rule largely for the benefit of their wealthy peers and corporate patrons.
To be sure, there will be factional conflicts among this elite, and a degree of free debate will be permitted, within limits; but no one outside the privileged circle will be allowed to govern or influence state policy. Dissidents will be marginalized – usually by "the people" themselves. Deprived of historical knowledge by an impoverished educational system designed to produce complacent consumers, not thoughtful citizens, and left ignorant of current events by a media devoted solely to profit, many will internalize the force-fed values of the ruling elite, and act accordingly. There will be little need for overt methods of control.
The rulers will often act in secret; for reasons of "national security," the people will not be permitted to know what goes on in their name. Actions once unthinkable will be accepted as routine: government by executive fiat, the murder of "enemies" selected by the leader, undeclared war, torture, mass detentions without charge, the looting of the national treasury, the creation of huge new "security structures" targeted at the populace. In time, all this will come to seem "normal," as the chill of autumn feels normal when summer is gone."
I have nothing to add.
It won't come with jackboots and book burnings, with mass rallies and fevered harangues. It won't come with "black helicopters" or tanks on the street. It won't come like a storm – but like a break in the weather, that sudden change of season you might feel when the wind shifts on an October evening: everything is the same, but everything has changed. Something has gone, departed from the world, and a new reality has taken its place.
As in Rome, all the old forms will still be there: legislatures, elections, campaigns – plenty of bread and circuses for the folks. But the "consent of the governed" will no longer apply; actual control of the state will have passed to a small group of nobles who rule largely for the benefit of their wealthy peers and corporate patrons.
To be sure, there will be factional conflicts among this elite, and a degree of free debate will be permitted, within limits; but no one outside the privileged circle will be allowed to govern or influence state policy. Dissidents will be marginalized – usually by "the people" themselves. Deprived of historical knowledge by an impoverished educational system designed to produce complacent consumers, not thoughtful citizens, and left ignorant of current events by a media devoted solely to profit, many will internalize the force-fed values of the ruling elite, and act accordingly. There will be little need for overt methods of control.
The rulers will often act in secret; for reasons of "national security," the people will not be permitted to know what goes on in their name. Actions once unthinkable will be accepted as routine: government by executive fiat, the murder of "enemies" selected by the leader, undeclared war, torture, mass detentions without charge, the looting of the national treasury, the creation of huge new "security structures" targeted at the populace. In time, all this will come to seem "normal," as the chill of autumn feels normal when summer is gone."
I have nothing to add.
Labels: heartbreak, impeach the bastards
posted by BigAssBelle at 10:02 PM
10 Comments:
I hope people will take the time to read Chris Floyd's recent post, entitled 'Post-Morten America: Bush's Year of Triumph and the Hard Way Ahead' dated 9/2/07 that you linked in your death of democracy blog entry posted yesterday. Very chilling and precisely how I see our country's situation today. America's downfall has been coming for many, many years, with plans being put into place to wrest our political and personal freedoms from us, little by little, until we wake up and find ourselves already trapped in their web. We have very little choice left us now and even less hope for success in making change. It comes down to whether you want to live or die, because speaking up and taking action against the government will most certainly put you and your friends and family in jeopardy. We know that the government has no sense of fairness or fear of reprisal, and that they are willing to torture and imprison people without qualm, in order to achieve their goals.
We are going to learn personally the hard way, the choices that the German citizens were faced with in the WWII era and why it seemed 'they did nothing' to stop the craziness. Except now, with the advanced technology available to the government, they will be able to monitor everyone, find anyone, with the greatest of ease. There will be nowhere to run or hide and And you will find that in order to survive, your neighbors and friends will resort to assisting the government to keep from being harmed by it themselves, or worse, to receive special benefits from it.
Hard times ahead, indeed. Enjoy each day you have now, the best that you can, and make the most of them, for cold winds are coming.
I have nothing to add either. Why can't the Red side see this?
I am in mourning. I will never lay down for a fascist government, I would rather be killed by it.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
- Sinclair Lewis, 1935
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials
I also love the statement from Chris Floyd. Politic is a selfish game, that's for sure. These days it is hard to determine what is right and what is wrong, especially when you make a living from a politic life.
Anyway, can we exchange link? I owned a diet blog. Can give me your email address? My email address is: rudolpherewe@hotmail.com
I jumped over to Chris' site. This is a horrifying article.
My protest is constant.
I had a t-shirt made to wear to my gym. The t-shirt said, "Bush is the New Nixon."
After so many people stopped me to correct the shirt, I did. I changed it to their constant suggestion, "Bush is Worse Than Nixon."
Now the shirt receives proper compliments.
I've been reading other posts from links connected to Chris Floyd's website and thought you all should be aware of an Executive Order signed by Bush on July 17, 2007, which allows for the administration to freeze all assets of a United States citizen, with no legal recourse available to them, if they are suspected of interfering with the goals of 'stabilizing' Iraq and supporting the war efforts there. Applied broadly, speaking out (and writing) against the war in Iraq and/or the administration could put you in jeopardy of having this EO applied to you. You can read the full text here, followed by commentary:
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2007/07/are-we-there-yet.html
Chris Floyd follows up with article
http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/1236/135/
We have seen so many signs that we are heading for darker times. This is certainly one of them.
Belle, what do you think about the General Strike called for on this September 11: No work, no school, no shopping to protest government actions and citizen concern
Read more here: http://www.strike911.org/ (This has many links to further information, including one to a myspace page devoted to the strike, and many videos
and here:
General Strike Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ImE-00WUQ
melanie ~ i've been aware of that order for a while now. it is very disturbing. there was also one issued a week or so later which made the same declaration with regard to lebanon, only it stated that the state could seize the assets of your children and spouse as well.
anon . . . i have read about the general strike. i will participate. i wish i could be in washington on the 15th for the march. i wish that i didn't have this dreadful sense of foreboding that tells me it is all too late.
that it is too late is the best explanation i've heard for why we've had essentially no action from this democratic majority. i know all of the reasons why they've been so pathetic, i understand all of those, but then there is the possibility that they simply do not want to do our bidding.
did any of you see the amazing response to ron paul last night? in the republican debate he was strongly anti-war and even with a fox-televised rethug debate, he was considered the winner with 38% of the audience polling after the fact.
we ALL want to end this war. we ALL want peace. we're not getting it. the media is in cahoots with the politicians and we the people are fucked.
i welcome any evidence to the contrary. please. if you think i need meds and am just crazy, point it out.
crazy, frightening times.
Sweetness, thank you for your long comment on my post this morning.
I want you to know I've been worried about all your gnash/rend/weep emotional posts lately. I agree with your mantra that "if you're not pissed off you're not paying attention," but I fear that if you let all this eat you alive it isn't good for your health.
I could cry a river about Iraq every day if I let myself, but I guess I try to keep it in perspective on focus on anything good just to keep from going there all the time. And no, I don't think you're crazy or need meds. I admire people like you (and your readers/admirers) who get fired up and angry about the crimes going on daily. Thanks for keeping us aware and bringing it home. But please, take care of yourself -- not least of all emotionally. This Orwellian administration we're living under is enough to make anyone feel completely nuts.
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