Thanks, Diana. If you haven't already read it I highly recommend "The Israel Lobby", by Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. The book goes deep but a quick google will bring up their original article on which the book is based. I just received my copy of Ilan Pappé's new book "Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic" but it's quite fat. I'm not sure when I'll get to it!
Hi Tom, I ordered these ones, and have started the one by Clara Zetkin. Five books for $50, and it's something I'm extremely concerned about -- fascism, that is.
Excellent article. It really is interesting, and horrifying, to follow the money and see where it leads. I hope we can truly stop these monsters and reclaim the values we are supposed to have.
AS usual you tell it how it is in well-ordered detail, Diana. Thank you for your steadfastness in your work. The appearance of this book featured in review by our Australian national broadcaster is heartening.
I especially like your graphic today. I see a question mark, an eye and a wine glass. We definitely need to be questioning and watching. And after that, we might like a bit of wine.
Interesting, Susan. I'm not very intentional about images when I paint, and hadn't seen those things, but I can see them now. Did you notice the little person in the bottom right?
Well said. Accurate commentary on the latest societal dynamic in the UK.
A small, but prescient points I would contend in error. The use of “neoliberalism” where the word “fascism” would properly be used. Corporate control of federal government under departmental level is one of the fundamental foundations of fascism.
In America, we use that word incorrectly also. Mostly in place of the correct verbiage. “despotism”
The number one active enabler of fascism is to be found in the bumbling liberal/left political parties that sell out to petty bickering and corporate influences. That has happened with the Labor Party in Great Britain -- as epitomized in the slanderous attacks silencing Jeremy Corbyn -- and the completely bought-out pro-war, pro-genocide, pro-corporatist Democratic Party in the US.
Through such selling out of the working and middle class, needed public funding is bundled off to tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate giveaways and brutal wars for natural resources, decimating needed social programs and resources, resulting in the brutal reality of life for a majority of Americans. Such suffering and betrayal is the tinder the fascists put to flame with their cute little tiki torches.
Fascists are gonna be fascists and a certain twisted minority of humanity is always lost to such hate and brutality. What angers me most is the complacency, silliness, irrelevance and weakness of the liberal class. Through their neglect and fear of fighting, they are the single greatest ally of fascism.
“When a nation becomes obsessed with the guns of war, social programs must inevitably suffer. We can talk about guns and butter all we want to, but when the guns are there with all of its emphasis you don’t even get good oleo [margarine]. These are facts of life.” -- MLK, 1968
"Is the Ghost of Hubert Humphrey Stalking Kamala Harris?" ... As a pivotal election neared, a candidate had to decide whether to keep supporting an unpopular war or speak out for a meaningful change. Humphrey faced that choice in 1968. Harris faces it now.
Mussolini’s coup was described by the onlooking US ambassador to Italy, Richard Washburn Child, as “a fine young revolution here. No danger, plenty of enthusiasm and colour”. The New York Times commented that the Blackshirts had achieved a “revolution of the peculiar and relatively harmless Italian type”, which, over the past three and a half years, had resulted in widespread violence and several thousand deaths.
The fascists’ arrival ended Washington’s fears of a perceived Bolshevik-style takeover in Italy, such as had occurred in Russia five years before in October 1917. A top level inquiry, conducted by US president Woodrow Wilson’s government in December 1917, warned of Italy that it poses “the obvious danger of social revolution and disorganisation”, as labour power intensified. A US State Department official observed privately, “If we are not careful we will have a second Russia on our hands”, adding that “The Italians are like children” and should be “assisted more than almost any other nation”.
With Mussolini one year in power, the US Embassy noted in late 1923, “The results have been excellent, and during the last 12 months there has not been a single strike in the whole of Italy”.
So you see USA has always been fascist ... they loved Mussolini.
Oh, I believe it, Carina. I think the whole western world is fascist. Proof positive for me is their ongoing support of Israel's genocide, not to mention coups, assassinations and colour revolutions they get behind.
You are correct! The entire reason Italy still suffers from fascism is the USA. They did not attack the fascists in WW2 they attacked the partisans fighting Mussolini from within. After we eliminated Mussolini they staged gladio ops to install their own flavor of fascism.
‘Anni di Piombo’ or ‘Years of Lead’ ~ Democracy, Terrorism and the Secret State 💡
And the USA and the rest of the western world are showing their true colours now, in supporting Israel. Colonialism, genocide, imperialism -- all good with our leaders.
How can we stop this horrible genocide? And when our economies inevitably fail, how can we prevent fascism in our countries?
At the heart of every bad decision we homo sapiens make is greed and selfishness. Oh, yes, we humans who have evolved with large brains think ourselves so intelligent, more so than any of the other millions of species on this wondrous and beautiful planet we all call home.
We humans have made this Earth a garbage dump; our decisions, lead by greed and selfishness and quite a high dose of stupidity, will induce our self-destruction. We ignore climate change; we ignore habitat loss; we ignore our violent tendencies. We admire the wealthy, the greedy, the violent and the stupid.
I also wonder if the ruling class wants us to see ourselves this way, since so much of what they're behind is heartless, for example the genocide in Gaza. People all over the world are protesting, boycotting, speaking out: we're offended. This doesn't reflect who we are or the values we hold.
Babies just want to connect, and I think that's our true nature. The idea of killing each other is repugnant to most normal human beings. I think what tells us otherwise is propaganda and, unfortunately, many people are drinking it up.
I was thinking more about how greed and selfishness dominates our society, how it enables the destruction of our forests, our ecosystems, our habitats. It does not have to include me and you, but it is the zeitgeist of the age. I never liked Lord of the Flies; it is not particularly well written.
I forgot to mention the agitprop Russian cyber account incitement to the upheaval. That was the driver. Too bad, we exported “ignorant redneck” to the UK.
Thanks, Diana. If you haven't already read it I highly recommend "The Israel Lobby", by Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. The book goes deep but a quick google will bring up their original article on which the book is based. I just received my copy of Ilan Pappé's new book "Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic" but it's quite fat. I'm not sure when I'll get to it!
I just ordered five books about fascism, Tom, and am behind in my other reading, but I'll check out the article.
Oh, interesting. What books did you order? I have read "How Fascism Works", by Jason Stanley and "Blackshirts and Reds", by Michael Parenti.
Hi Tom, I ordered these ones, and have started the one by Clara Zetkin. Five books for $50, and it's something I'm extremely concerned about -- fascism, that is.
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/blogs/511-fight-fascism-starter-kit
Excellent article. It really is interesting, and horrifying, to follow the money and see where it leads. I hope we can truly stop these monsters and reclaim the values we are supposed to have.
And just for the heck of it, a link from my livejournal: https://mary-j-59.livejournal.com/109824.html
Thanks, Mary. Me too.
AS usual you tell it how it is in well-ordered detail, Diana. Thank you for your steadfastness in your work. The appearance of this book featured in review by our Australian national broadcaster is heartening.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-11/joseph-stiglitz-the-road-to-freedom-neoliberalism-fascism/104210670?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
I especially like your graphic today. I see a question mark, an eye and a wine glass. We definitely need to be questioning and watching. And after that, we might like a bit of wine.
Interesting, Susan. I'm not very intentional about images when I paint, and hadn't seen those things, but I can see them now. Did you notice the little person in the bottom right?
I hadn't until you pointed it out. I thought you had created the question mark, eye and wine glass on purpose. Amazing how our minds work sometimes.
Well said. Accurate commentary on the latest societal dynamic in the UK.
A small, but prescient points I would contend in error. The use of “neoliberalism” where the word “fascism” would properly be used. Corporate control of federal government under departmental level is one of the fundamental foundations of fascism.
In America, we use that word incorrectly also. Mostly in place of the correct verbiage. “despotism”
There's only one logical conclusion.
All our governments have been compromised.
The number one active enabler of fascism is to be found in the bumbling liberal/left political parties that sell out to petty bickering and corporate influences. That has happened with the Labor Party in Great Britain -- as epitomized in the slanderous attacks silencing Jeremy Corbyn -- and the completely bought-out pro-war, pro-genocide, pro-corporatist Democratic Party in the US.
Through such selling out of the working and middle class, needed public funding is bundled off to tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate giveaways and brutal wars for natural resources, decimating needed social programs and resources, resulting in the brutal reality of life for a majority of Americans. Such suffering and betrayal is the tinder the fascists put to flame with their cute little tiki torches.
Fascists are gonna be fascists and a certain twisted minority of humanity is always lost to such hate and brutality. What angers me most is the complacency, silliness, irrelevance and weakness of the liberal class. Through their neglect and fear of fighting, they are the single greatest ally of fascism.
To add a little to the above comment:
“When a nation becomes obsessed with the guns of war, social programs must inevitably suffer. We can talk about guns and butter all we want to, but when the guns are there with all of its emphasis you don’t even get good oleo [margarine]. These are facts of life.” -- MLK, 1968
"Is the Ghost of Hubert Humphrey Stalking Kamala Harris?" ... As a pivotal election neared, a candidate had to decide whether to keep supporting an unpopular war or speak out for a meaningful change. Humphrey faced that choice in 1968. Harris faces it now.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/kamala-harris-hubert-humphrey-1968
excellent excellent excellent
Mussolini’s coup was described by the onlooking US ambassador to Italy, Richard Washburn Child, as “a fine young revolution here. No danger, plenty of enthusiasm and colour”. The New York Times commented that the Blackshirts had achieved a “revolution of the peculiar and relatively harmless Italian type”, which, over the past three and a half years, had resulted in widespread violence and several thousand deaths.
The fascists’ arrival ended Washington’s fears of a perceived Bolshevik-style takeover in Italy, such as had occurred in Russia five years before in October 1917. A top level inquiry, conducted by US president Woodrow Wilson’s government in December 1917, warned of Italy that it poses “the obvious danger of social revolution and disorganisation”, as labour power intensified. A US State Department official observed privately, “If we are not careful we will have a second Russia on our hands”, adding that “The Italians are like children” and should be “assisted more than almost any other nation”.
With Mussolini one year in power, the US Embassy noted in late 1923, “The results have been excellent, and during the last 12 months there has not been a single strike in the whole of Italy”.
So you see USA has always been fascist ... they loved Mussolini.
Oh, I believe it, Carina. I think the whole western world is fascist. Proof positive for me is their ongoing support of Israel's genocide, not to mention coups, assassinations and colour revolutions they get behind.
You are correct! The entire reason Italy still suffers from fascism is the USA. They did not attack the fascists in WW2 they attacked the partisans fighting Mussolini from within. After we eliminated Mussolini they staged gladio ops to install their own flavor of fascism.
‘Anni di Piombo’ or ‘Years of Lead’ ~ Democracy, Terrorism and the Secret State 💡
And the USA and the rest of the western world are showing their true colours now, in supporting Israel. Colonialism, genocide, imperialism -- all good with our leaders.
How can we stop this horrible genocide? And when our economies inevitably fail, how can we prevent fascism in our countries?
Fascinating article, Diana. Love the artwork.
Thanks very much, Heidi. I'm glad you found the article interesting and enjoyed the artwork.
You make an excellent point about following the money.
Excellent! Thanks very much Diana.
You're welcome, John.
At the heart of every bad decision we homo sapiens make is greed and selfishness. Oh, yes, we humans who have evolved with large brains think ourselves so intelligent, more so than any of the other millions of species on this wondrous and beautiful planet we all call home.
We humans have made this Earth a garbage dump; our decisions, lead by greed and selfishness and quite a high dose of stupidity, will induce our self-destruction. We ignore climate change; we ignore habitat loss; we ignore our violent tendencies. We admire the wealthy, the greedy, the violent and the stupid.
Mother Earth will survive; humans unlikely.
But, Perry, are we all like that?
I often think of the real 'Lord of the Flies' story. The fiction depicts us as you do in your comment, but the reality for these boys stranded on an island together for over a year tells a different story. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months
I also wonder if the ruling class wants us to see ourselves this way, since so much of what they're behind is heartless, for example the genocide in Gaza. People all over the world are protesting, boycotting, speaking out: we're offended. This doesn't reflect who we are or the values we hold.
Babies just want to connect, and I think that's our true nature. The idea of killing each other is repugnant to most normal human beings. I think what tells us otherwise is propaganda and, unfortunately, many people are drinking it up.
I was thinking more about how greed and selfishness dominates our society, how it enables the destruction of our forests, our ecosystems, our habitats. It does not have to include me and you, but it is the zeitgeist of the age. I never liked Lord of the Flies; it is not particularly well written.
As long as the police and army will still shoot when ordered to do so, the rulers have nothing to fear.
They can always keep the populace distracted and at each other throats.
I guess we need to get the police and the army onside. Lots of vets speak out about the senseless horrors of war.
I forgot to mention the agitprop Russian cyber account incitement to the upheaval. That was the driver. Too bad, we exported “ignorant redneck” to the UK.
Thanks so much, Dumindu.
I think it's critical that we understand this. The world can't afford more fascism, and it's ripe for it as we have seen in Britain.
Was the comment above removed by Substack? Sure hope not.
I didn't remove it. I have no idea why it's no longer there, Mark.
Perhaps removed by the writer? Hope Substack didn't remove it. The last thing we need is another YouTube.
I wrote the article, and I didn't remove it.