Confusion: Fascism vs Socialism... Progressivism... And What Happened to Capitalism?

One of the biggest feelings voiced right now in America is confusion; confusion over where our country is headed and what category it falls into because it sure isn’t democracy or capitalism.  Is it fascism?  Is it socialism?  What is Progressivism?  Interesting discussions... which is great.  One of the failings in our recent society has been the inability of people with differing opinions to discuss politics, religion, and current events, let alone do so while remaining civil and even friends.  The progressive movement in this country (the USA) and fear of being considered politically incorrect has stopped people from talking for years now.

In order to really decide whether we are being moved toward socialism or fascism requires some watching and studying which is why people have appeared to jump back and forth in their reporting and opinions. George B Miller, I believe, who responded that:

"Simply put…

 

Fascism is: When the people own the businesses and those businesses are entirely controlled by government.

 

Socialism is: When the government owns all businesses.

 

So yes this (our) government is rapidly becoming fascist"

 

Perhaps explained it best…

 

This is his very basic explanation, but pretty right on.  And the realization that the greatest democracy and truest embodiment of capitalism and individual freedoms is dying daily without a fight is finally stirring the hearts and souls of Middle America, especially those who experienced the Great Depression, lived through World War I, World War II, the Korea War and the Vietnam war, are spilling their blood for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, plus those who realize that 9/11 will not be the last event of its kind if we don’t wake up.  I was a political science major and am quite a student of history and can see the handwriting clearly on the wall.  And as realities that were predicted by people often considered “on the fringe” like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, who can be somewhat dramatic at times, become more and more evident or just plain true you can see people on Main Street USA standing up and speaking out. 

 

Fox News, in all forms, has become the number one news outlet beating left leaning outlets like MSNBC, NBC News and CNN and everyone else in the dust.   Bill O’Reilly of Fox has been the number one cable news program for 100 months or 8+ years in a row.  Why?  …Because he reports the news fairly and without much ‘spin’.  Fox’s Beck and Hannity and radio’s conservative king, Limbaugh, are definitely more right leaning, but are very knowledgeable and attract lots of people who know their politics, history and current events.  They are a balance to the constant left leaning “supposed mainstream” media who aren’t honest enough to tell you that they are reporting the news from a liberal pro-Obama spin and ignoring news they don’t like.  In reality, having people like Glenn Beck, a libertarian, and conservatives like Limbaugh and Hannity on the scene is healthy for balance because what you hear from the every day media is not impartial, but left leaning coverage and editorials without admission.

 

The National Debt now exceeds 11 TRILLION dollars. The interest on the money is and increases by 1.2 Million dollars every day. That is more than the Gross National Product. By 2012 at the current rate of government borrowing the national debt will exceed 20 trillion. This country is now bankrupt.  We are loaning ourselves money we do not have and becoming debtors to the world. The government says we have a financial system that is to big to fail. Yet, this financial system is designed to fail. We owe more in interest than we are taking in.  And we are printing money that has no value. The country is doing what most people in financial trouble do; taking out another credit card to pay off the other credit cards. How this is done is the government borrows money from the Federal Reserve. Of course the Federal Reserve has no money either, so they have to create it. The creation of new money makes the existing money worth less. Has anyone noticed a recent increase in prices by about 20% since January 2009? So we pay off our creditors with money that is worth less than the money we borrowed. How soon is it going to be before our creditors stop loaning us money and demand repayment?  Creditors like China, Europe, India, etc.

 

The absolute best thing that could happen in this country is to have our current financial system totally fail. Then we can start over with our forefathers’ original idea. Put the power to create this nations currency back in the hands of the people via the Department of the Treasury, and outlaw usury. Instead we are watching the government nationalize our banks right in front of eyes.  Forcing banks to take TARP money that didn’t need it and now not letting banks and other companies pay back their loans is part of a much bigger plan.

 

I keep hearing that the American public will not standing for or tolerate a dictatorship; our democratic views won’t allow it... Yet we are daily both voluntarily and by the actions of the Obama administration and liberal Congress decrees giving away our rights and agreeing to things that are the exact opposite of democratic views.  And the average American is just beginning to notice what is happening or wants to wait and see.  The people that have noticed joined the Tax Day Tea Parties and other Grassroots Movements like the9/12Project.com (started by Glenn Beck).  A fact to remember is that Hitler (leading a Fascist government) was voted in and the laws that let him move forward were also voted in or allowed to be put into place legally.

 

We should all be screaming at the top of our lungs to stop... but we are not.  No freedom or right should ever be given up to the government in the name security; those kinds of relinquishments are never temporary.  We need to stand up now for every right given us, the people of the United States, by the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights and we should be speaking out against all these "global" initiatives which diminish our sovereignty as well.

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”  …Thomas Jefferson

 Checkout Related Articles:

• American Progressivism – Part One
• American Progressivism – Part Two
• American Progressivism – Part Three
• American Progressivism – Part Four and Five
• Conservatism 101
• Flirting With Fascism
• Grassroots Movements and Tea Parties Are in the Wind 
• You Might Be a "Radicalized Right-Wing Extremist" If…

For more on the Progressives, two of my books may be of interest:

1) American Progressivism, which I co-edited with American historian William Atto, contains a basic introduction to progressive ideas written by Professor Atto and me, and then several selections from the actual writings of Progressives like Wilson, TR: Teddy Roosevelt, Dewey, Croly, and others.

2) Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism...  which is a much more in-depth look at Woodrow Wilson and how he was central to originating the liberalism that dominates America today.  This is for those who are really interested in history and political theory.

Posted:  Knowledge Creates Power