billcoe Posted March 12, 2006 Posted March 12, 2006 ......... funny postscript - being a total asshole myself, my boy steve told the wedding planner "no matter what you do, don't put this bastard anywhere near north" - being a damned goobley-gook speaking heathen though, the planner heard instead "make damn certain you put this great guy right next to ollie at the dinner table". good times ensued. I'd like to have been a fly on that wall Ivan! ________________________________________________ Was Bush taken out and stoned in accordance with old testament principles after the lil guys properly convicted him? _________________________________________________ Distel, I gotta ask about Tibet at some point, I'm heading your way in Sept. to Everest North face Basecamp via Laasa. What to bring (pencils good gifts for lil kids?) , wear, see etc etc. Quote
Mos_Chillin Posted March 12, 2006 Posted March 12, 2006 14 Points of Fascism A comparison of the regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto, and Pinochet identifying 14 characteristics common to those fascist regimes...(read the link for a comparison to shrub administration 'hijinx') Highlights... 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. check 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. check 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. check 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. check 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. check 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. check Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses big check 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. check 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. check 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. not there yet, but working on it - no check 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. check 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 check 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. big check [quot]eFraudulent 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. check 13 out of 14, Georgie. You call that a regime! Phhhhhtt! Quote
Distel32 Posted March 13, 2006 Posted March 13, 2006 Well I'm in Mongolia, so pretty far from Tibet.....I really have no clue what they need in Nepal/Tibet, but I'm sure whatever you give will get put to use. There are a ton of NGOS and stuff, search online and I'm sure you can find out what is most needed. But hey if you come to MGL I can help you out! Quote
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