Apr 17, 2012 -- 1:52PM, mainecaptain wrote:

I hope you are right CBoxer and fascism is on the decline. But I am not really seeing it yet. I don't like living in a fascist nation or a dictatorship. I thought I was in country that supported democratic ideals. But as we can see by Michigan, Which is fast turning into a dictatorship, (in fact actually has turned into a dictatorship) this country is far from safe.

Are you perhaps referring to Michigan's EFM law which has been on the books since 1988 and signed into law by then Democrat Governor James Blanchard?

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=EMF_Fact...

(if you don't want to click on the above link (i couldn't get that to anchor tag correctly ), google EMF_Fact_Sheet2_347889_7.pdf or just "efm law fact sheet" it should be the first thing that pops up in the search)

According to the PDF:

Setting the record straight:

The Emergency Manager legislation is a proactive approach to preventing a local unit of government from experiencing a financial emergency.

- An Emergency Manager would be appointed only in the event of a municipal financial emergency.

- By allowing the state to intervene at an earlier stage, the need for an emergency manager can be avoided.

- Appointing an emergency manager would minimize the likelihood that a local unit of government would be unable to provide basic services to its citizens.

State intervention on local unit financial emergencies is not new, nor is only supported by Republicans:

- Michigan has had an emergency financial manager law on the books since 1988.

- The original law was signed by Democrat governor James Blanchard.

- An emergency financial manager has only been put in place a total of 10 times in more than 20 years. Emergency financial managers have been utilized by both Republican and Democrat governors.

- State Treasurer Andy Dillon, who previously served as the Democrat Speaker of the House, is leading the administration’s effort to ensure emergency managers that may be necessary in the future are properly trained.

Despite the misinformation being spread by the media and on the Internet, the legislation does not give the governor the ability to remove elected officials at will. Claims that it does are simply not true.

- The legislation includes a series of triggers, one of which must occur before a review of a local unit’s finances is even conducted, such as failure by the local unit of government to pay creditors or make timely pension contributions.

- Even if an emergency manager is put in place, local elected officials can only be removed from office if they refuse to provide information or assistance.

- The governor already has – and has had – the ability to put an emergency financial manager in place since 1988.

- The governor already has – and has had – the ability to remove elected officials for failing to do their duty or for corruption. This power was established in Michigan’s 1963 constitution.

Former Democrat Governor Jennifer Granholm used this power to conduct removal hearings for Kwame Kilpatrick, the former Detroit mayor who stepped down from office and was then later convicted of corruption.

An Emergency Manager can only be put in place if local elected officials fail to take the steps necessary to prevent a financial emergency.

- Emergency managers are accountable to both the governor and the Legislature, which in turn are both accountable to voters.

Apr 17, 2012 -- 5:18PM, catboxer wrote:

Once again, Godwin's law is "the rule of Nazi analogies," not the rule of fascist analogies.

Did you miss the point, are are you just ducking it?  I will say it again.  I brought up Godwin because there is no convenient tag for false claims of fascism per se.

I do know that hysteria and paranoia are historic and, frankly, pathetic.

There is no "fascist conspiracy".

There is no "New World Order".

There is no "banking cartel".

There are people with money.  Some are good, some are bad.  And yes, a lot of people will do bad things to get more money.

Been that ever since money's been around, not gonna change now.

But the tinfoil conspiracy theories?  

Please.

Here are a couple other breaking stories that reveal cracks in the foundation of the establishment.

In the face of mounting pressure from progressive activists and its own corporate sponsors, the American Legislative Exchange Council, a right-wing group funded by corporations like ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, announced today that it will shut down a task force that deals with “non-economic issues,” like voter suppression efforts and “stand your ground” gun laws. ALEC came under intense scrutiny over the past few weeks after progressive groups like Color of Change began pressuring corporations that fund ALEC to drop their support.

thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/04/17/465...

And even the buccaneers of Wall Street are changing their behaviour:

Goldman Sachs Group Inc posted a 23 percent decline in quarterly earnings after it dialed down risk-taking in tricky markets, and clients also reduced their appetite for bets. The results show just how much the new regulatory environment, as well as recent market tumult, are spurring Goldman Sachs to take less risk.

finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-profit-to...

What we're seeing is changes in corporate behavior, which affects the corporations' lobbying. For example, ALEC is changing their policy, drawing back from a hard-right position, mainly because of corporate pressure to do so, as the story shows.

Apr 17, 2012 -- 10:52PM, Roodog wrote:

Naomi Wolf has an interesting book out, called:

The End Of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot

 

In this work she spells out how Fascist Police States arose in various parts of the world in the past 100 years. They follow a scripted pattern and this pattern is described in detail. It is recommended that everyone buys or borrows a copy of this book and studies it.

Since I am not going to buy the book, maybe you could give a quick rundown about the main points.

Hello,

We have many problems in this country and I think we all can agree on this. I said many years ago that we have a one-party system. The list is long. Yes, at some point this country will fall. If there is a NWO and we are a partner, there will have to be no Gov't as we know it now. Yes, I believe at some point all hell breaking loose. I also Believe in the End of Days. Call it whatever you want, Naziism, fascism or wickedness in high places.

love