by seldom_seen » Thu 28 Sep 2006, 00:34:32
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gg3', ' ')We are seeing these dynamics at work right now in the US and the situation infuriates me. We went into Afghanistan with the most highly capable, ferocious, and fine-tuned fighting machine in the history of the world, but thanks to the civilan leadership's incompetence, our military is now strained to the point where it should have broken entirely. The only thing holding it together right now is the dedication and courage of our men & women on the ground. It's like a corporation whose senior management have been looting the treasury but whose workforce still believes in the company and is willing to make every sacrifice necessary to keep it going.
I think you're right on the money there, but I wouldn't attribute this to facism. It is simply the hypertrophy of government organizations. Like many of its citizens, the US government is suffering from obesity. This "autoimmune" condition has greatly diminished its health and function.
The largest percentage of the state department budget for instance is devoted to "administration." A smaller percentage is devoted to actual affairs of the state for which the department was established in the first place. Thousands, or hundreds of thousands of redundant administrators, administrating each other and everyone else.
Imagine trying to peform your job on a daily basis with a vast and growing tumor like appendage attached to your torso, sapping your energy and inhibiting your movement. This general breakdown in the "immune" system of goverment naturally leads to increasing corruption and increased dysfuntion.
Now, not surprisingly, everyone ghasps in horror when the government trys to wage a war or respond to natural disasters.
Currently just about everyone has their TV, McDonalds and SUV. This is not the kind of social milieu that breeds facism. The Bush administration, whatever its long list of faults is not "fascist". That is mostly an argument made by 18-24 year olds wearing che guevara t-shirts.
Post WWI Germany on the other hand, had the perfect storm of social and economic conditions that gave us Hitler. When people no longer have their TV, McDonalds and SUV then we might get our facist that everyone seems so concerned about. It would be a grave error to assume though that this facist would only come from the "right wing." It will most likely come from where people least expect it.