...from a fan of Democracy: Maybe the military knows something...

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Maybe the military knows something...

A Houston Chronicle analysis of campaign contributions from January through September reveals that donors identifying themselves as affiliated with the military have donated more to the Obama and Paul campaigns than other campaigns. Obama and Texas lawmaker Ron Paul are both critics of the Iraq war.

While the amounts involved are miniscule ($53968 and $63440, respectively), analysts say the donations may suggest "unease" with the situation in Iraq.

Texas A&M political science professor George C. Edwards III said Obama's military affiliated donations may also be due to the proportionately larger number of African-Americans serving in the military.

One of Paul's contributors is retired Army chaplain Lindell Anderson, who said, "As a Christian, I think (Paul) speaks to a theme that the United States shouldn't be the policeman of the world." Anderson donated $100.

An American Legion spokeswoman was rather condescending about the Paul donations, saying "I don't know the rhyme or reason behind it. It's America. Anybody can throw their money at who they want." The AL has endorsed Paul in the past because of his stance on veterans' issues, though the organization is obviously pro-war.

This information speaks for itself, but to speak to the point, this information, along with recent reports that the military brass is less than thrilled about progress in Iraq, says that the military may be the people to listen to here. After all, it is the military that knows firsthand the human costs of war.

In historical perspective, as wrong as America's involvement in Viet Nam was, it has long been held that the outcome would have been
different if the military had been given free rein. Similarly, if the military bigs
had been more closely consulted about Iraq I'm certain their recommendations
would have been to either not go in or to go in full bore.

Full disclosure: I have donated $10 to the Draft Gore '08 campaign.

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The 14 Points of Fascism

1.) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2.) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3.) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4.) Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5.) Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6.) Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7.) Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses
8.) Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9.) Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10.) Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11.) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free _expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12.) Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations
13.) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.