The Republicans tried to frighten us by calling Obama a Socialist; that did not stick. Their new favorite smear word is "Fascism", a philosophy many of them have pursued for years. Here are a nine aspects of a fascist government. Let's see whom the shoe fits.

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.

Torture victim's records lost at Guantánamo, admits camp general.
Bush signing into law that will get rid of habeas corpus, allow hearsay evidence, and allow the President to determine what is allowable torture.
Bush Offers Himself Amnesty for Human Rights Crimes
Bush threatens to veto $442b defense bill if Congress investigates detainee abuses.
Guantanamo Judge: I don’t care about international law. I don’t want to hear the words ’international law’ again. We are not concerned with international law.”

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 spokes people and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
James Dale Guckert (born 1957) posed as a conservative columnist who worked under the pseudonym Jeff Gannon as a White House reporter between 2003 and 2005, representing the news organization Talon News. Gannon first gained national attention during a presidential press conference on January 26, 2005, when he asked United States President George W. Bush a question that some in the press corps considered "so friendly it might have been planted." Gannon routinely obtained daily passes to White House briefings, attending four Bush press conferences and appearing regularly at White House press briefings. Although he did not qualify for a Congressional press pass, Gannon was given daily passes to White House press briefings "after supplying his real name, date of birth and Social Security number."
7.) Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses
Cheney warns that if Kerry is elected the nation will suffer a devastating attack.
WASHINGTON Jan 20, 2006 — Embattled White House adviser Karl Rove vowed Friday to make the war on terrorism a central campaign issue in November.

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. NC Republican congressman Walter Jones urges law to make it okay to preach politics from the pulpit.

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.
The I.R.S.’s scrutiny of the nation’s biggest companies is at a 20-year low, according to the study, conducted by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, a research group affiliated with Syracuse University. NY Times 4/20/08
Federal regulators have allowed mine operators to avoid fines for thousands of health and safety citations, despite a federal law that requires monetary penalties for such violations, government officials have confirmed.
Over the last six years, the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration did not assess civil penalties for about 4,000 violations, according to preliminary MSHA data. Charleston, West Virginia Gazette, 1/27/08
The 15-month proconsulship of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) disbursed nearly $20 billion, two-thirds of it in cash, most of which came from the Development Fund for Iraq that had replaced the UN Oil for Food Program and from frozen and seized Iraqi assets. Most of the money was flown into Iraq on C-130s in huge plastic shrink-wrapped pallets holding 40 “cashpaks,” each cashpak having $1.6 million in $100 bills. Twelve billion dollars moved that way between May 2003 and June 2004, drawn from accounts administered by the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The $100 bills weighed an estimated 363 tons.

Once in Iraq, there was virtually no accountability over how the money was spent. There was also considerable money “off the books,” including as much as $4 billion from illegal oil exports. The CPA and the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Board, which it controlled, made a deliberate decision not to record or “meter” oil exports, an invitation to wholesale fraud and black marketeering. The American Conservative, 10/24/05
There are 6 Congressional Committees investigating the Oil-for-Food (UN) scandal, yet not a single Republican Committee Chairman will call a hearing to investigate the whereabouts of 9 billion dollars missing in action.

What has emerged recently is that the corruption is beyond the scope that anyone could have possibly imagined.

Answers to a questionnaire

a credo of sorts.

1. Do you believe in ghost? Sometimes.

2. What is LOVE? St. Paul said it all.

3. What do you think of President George Bush? Not very much

4. Do you believe in God or a higher power? I believe in god and gods.

5. Is there such a thing as UFOs? Yes. They are unidentified and they fly.

6. Is there evil? if so how and why, if no, why not? I like Zoroaster’s answer to the problem. Two competing prime principles, one good, the other evil. Good will eventually triumph thru the aid of virtuous human effort and actions.

7. Do you believe in the death penalty? Absolutely not!

8. What is the worst thing you have ever heard or seen? My best friend with a self inflicted bullet in his head.

9. What is the best place on earth for you? My home

10. Do you believe in miracles? Yes, the small, everyday kind. I’m suspicious of the “big bang” miracle.

11. How do you feel about child abuse? It’s beyond my ken.

12. What is a perfect day for you?
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

13. How do you feel about drugs? Some are legal, some are illegal.

14. How do you feel about alcohol and smoking? Re: alcohol, From my mother: “One glass of wine is golden. Two are silver, and the third is lead.”
Re: tobacco: I don’t smoke.

15. What was the happiest day of your life? I don’t know, I haven’t finished with it yet.

16. Explain yourself in 10 different words? Quick, intelligent, well educated, personable, mercurial, 73, feisty, basketball coach, chess player.

17. What do you feel about terrorism? I wouldn’t want to be one or associate with one.

18. Who is your favorite famous person in History? there have been several great exemplars, Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad. They all delivered the same “love one another” message. I don’t distinguish among avatars.

19. What is your sign? Gemini

20. Why are you on this earth? I dunno, still working on it.