Naomi Wolf speaks at the U. of Washington

[ProfessorPlum]

Run time: 47:46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc   Posted on YouTube: October 14, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 17, 2007 By DU Member: ProfessorPlum Views on DU: 7008

 
A 48-minute speech including why she wrote the book The End of America, an outline of the ten steps that every authoritarian government takes to close down a society (I think the US has already taken about nine of them), and a bit of talk at the end on what we should or can do about it. Her bottom line: it is not enough to legislate against Cheney and Bush. They must be impeached, tried, and put behind bars.

[LakeSamish706]

1. This is a very disturbing watch for sure.... It really brings the facts to...

lite as to what is really going on in America.. ugh...

[AX10]

2. K & R!

[gateley]

3. K&R! I've become quite an admirer of Naomi Wolf recently. Glad the UW hosted her. nt

[fryguy]

4. her book is a must read

I finished it right after reading The Summer of 1787, so had the thoughts of the framers fresh in my mind -- they'd be appalled at what the government is doing now.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=209x5873

[DrunkenMaster]

5. Outstanding Presentation

This should be mandatory viewing for every American.

[gateley]

6. Kick nt

[PDJane]

7. If the US can't or won't do it,

The alternative is a long and messy and damaging war, with nukes, that will destroy the environment as well as the people.

It needs to be done by the US, if the US is to regain any of its damaged reputation.

[Fovea]

8. Delete this post...

Standing up means you may get tasered, you may get shot, your messages may get deleted in the pursuit of a little temporary safety.

But when you come to, when you stop bleeding, when you sit back down at the keyboard. You go back to telling the truth as you see it, regardless.

That's what the constitution, and its architects demanded, and what Franklin meant when he said they had given us a democracy, if we could keep it.

Well, I disagree with Naomi in one particular... we've lost it. And now we either have to get it back, leave, or bow our knees to whoever is the decider this week.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

17. I hear what you're saying...

But as terrible as it is i think theres' still hope. The problem is the apathy of the American public, is people got jazzed up like the 1960's, there'd be no way they could hold us back, concessions would HAVE to be made. Moreover, and i've said this a thousand times, but we could get a lot of control back over our political system by pushing and getting passed some kind of campaign finance reform so our representatives would be more directly responsible to the public and less insulated. I think it's a matter of galvanizing people, getting them charged up.

[gateley]

9. Wow. I just actually watched this. I've heard her speak before and I've ordered

her book. Seeing her speak in this venue, as opposed to a guest spot on a TV show, was far more meaningful and I'm even MORE convinced she's absolutely correct. It will be a challenge to get my friends to watch this, but I'm going to really try. We all need to understand what's going on.

[RufusTFirefly]

10. Very disturbing but not to be missed

I like to think of myself as a student of this stuff, but when she made the link between "Mission Accomplished" and the opening of Triumph of the Will, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

[Kurovski]

11. Bookmarked.

47+ minutes long. Later.

Thanks! K&R

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. We have been trying to get people to wrap their head around

this..

It is almost impossible

[gateley]

14. My head was wrapped around her message, but this video wrapped it around

the need for impeachment.

[ProfessorPlum]

13. What I find most important about her presentation

is that she is not saying that "these are the 10 features of a fascist state, the US has these 10 features, therefore we are a fascist state" - and therefore getting dragged into an argument about whether we live in a fascist state. Which is an unwinnable argument, as people close their minds when they hear that.

She's pointing out the mileposts on the way. And they are nearly irrefutable.

[defendandprotect]

15. IMPEACH AWAY....Personally, I don't see how anyone over the past years could NOT see fascism?????

I recall Toni Morrison waring of "fascism" in her acceptance speech in 1993 for her
Nobel Prize for Literature ---

[puebloknot]

25. I didn't realize she referred to fascism. But I will never forget...

... her saying something about "when they start nibbling at your ear..."

I took it as more of an idea that people in general don't have boundaries. I'll look up her speech and read it.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

16. Inspirational.

I haven't finished the book yet, but it is fascinating. Of course the central thesis is not new we covered it in high school history, but it is eerie the degree of uniformity among despots, and the parallells with the current administration. As Sinclair Lewis said "When facism comes to America it will be draped in the flag and carrying a cross."

[martymar64]

18. I had Political Theory lectures in that very same hall.

Go Huskies!

[Swamp Rat]

19. k&r

[ClayZ]

20. Must see! K and R

[TheBaldyMan]

21. k&r

[shance]

22. Good however, she lost me with her racist comment, "people who are marginal to us"?

Woh....Naomi.

I'm a white American female as well, probably come from a similar background, yet where we differ is I don't find others marginal or less than or worthy of torture, simply because they have a different faith or color of skin. I keep thinking we've progressed.

Is marginal a more socially acceptable term for 'less than'?

We may find others as "marginal" simply because they have not had the economic cushion/money we've had to go to the right Ivy League schools, have the much valued access to the movers, makers and shakers of the world and media industry, and /or the sizable investment account which allows us the best hairdressers who make our hair straight and our eye brows perfectly waxed.

I'm really amazed to find the "us against them", attitude however thickly veiled in those who find themselves "enlightened" and who in many ways, are enlightened. Except when it comes to the economic racism and discrimination.

When did everyone forget that we are all connected? Or have we never fully comprehended it because money and materialism have so conveniently kept us separated from one another. Some in Ivy League schools while others are behind bars for crimes they did not commit.

It worries me to hear thoughts like this coming from voices like Naomi Wolf and individuals like Bill Maher. They seem to have a problem with those of Arab descent.

It's no different than Southerners having a problem with blacks really?

This bothered me greatly to hear coming from her.

In case Naomi and Mr. Maher haven't noticed individuals of "Arab descent" are scapegoats just like the rest of us, except its comments like the one Ms. Wolf makes in this speech that very naively perhaps makes it more acceptable to tolerate unjust acts towards those of Arab descent.

[SeattleGirl]

24. I have a different take on that.

I do understand what you're saying, but I also think that in the overall picture, people like the Iraqi's and Iranians and "others" ARE marginal to the majority of people in this country. I'm not saying it's okay, but I'm saying that while you and I and a lot of people here may feel the way you do, or may see the Iraqi's and Iranians NOT as marginal, but as real people, I don't know that that holds true for a lot of people in the country.

Just my 2 cents.

Again, I understand your post; I just saw it differently than you did. Again, I'm not excusing it, and not saying it's okay. Just a different take, especially because she seemed to emphasize it, almost like putting quotation marks around it.

[Neecy]

31. that's how I interpreted it, too

I think, though, that the Iraqi people have been easily marginalized because so little is published about their plight. The press has almost ignored the refugee crisis - not completely, but close to it - and other than the Blackwater massacre the Iraqi civilian death toll is almost never discussed in the media. I don't think the average American could easily marginalize the humanitarian crisis in Iraq if it received the amount of coverage it deserves - but our corpo-media is playing along with the Bush playbook.

Wolf, I believe, was using 'marginalized' in an historical context and not as a stamp of approval. And I think she was perfectly correct to do so.

[SeattleGirl]

35. Exactly.

In a sense, the Iraqi's have been marginalized FOR US by the media, in that, as you say, we don't hear a lot about the refugees, or even a lot about the casualties, unless it's something particularly heinous like the Blackwater shootings. Otherwise, it's as if they are but dim shadows in the background.

[ForeignSpectator]

36. The way I took it was "marginal" as opposed to "mainstream", in the sense of simply being a minority

group of the entire populace ( which is harassed and scapegoated ). I am sure she didn't mean it in a racist way.

[truedelphi]

38. I agree with you and I also note that she starts all of her

Argument far beyond the point that Hitler referred to when conversing with Albert Speer.

As to Hitler's starting point:
One day while taking a hike with Speer, his chief architect, Adolf mentions that his blueprint for the genocide that is about to unfold is the American people's treatment of the Native Americans.

If you don't refer to the slaughter of twenty million people and the denial of their humanity AND THEIR GENOCIDE as a fascist period in history, what else can you call it?

[gateley]

23. Kick nt

[AntiFascist]

26. K&R, one of her final points stands out...

not only do we need to start impeachment proceedings, we need to prosecute for treason. Can you imagine the media circus, the right-wing spin, and the impeached ultimately wriggling out of any significant blame? It may take nothing less than conviction for treason, and perhaps the resulting sentence, to finally stop the closing of American society and bring this issue home to everyone.

[redacted]

27. UNFORGETTABLE. ABSOLUTE MUST SEE ASAP

[mmonk]

28. Thanks for posting this.

It's a very good book and a very sound warning to right our ship of state.

[Joanne98]

29. The two Naomis are kicking butt! K&R!

[Vilis Veritas]

30. Naomi Rocks...

Shock Doctrine is my new favorite...and sits on my desk at work.

No Fear.

[WileEcoyote]

34. She's almost a little too hot for me to watch. Anyone got a written transcript?

Fine woman....

[ProfessorPlum]

41. I've been profoundly moved by the Shock Doctrine

But this is the other Naomi. That one is Naomi Klein.

[rockybelt]

32. Naomi Wolf

WOW!!!

That is the first time that I have heard of these ten steps. Even though I consider myself an activist, I see that I am not doing enough to try to protect this country and our way of life.

I've known that these people are trying to take our liberties away from us, but I did not realize how far along they were on their quest to destroy the Constitution and install themselves as absolute rulers. I believe that they are extremely close to doing just that.

These people MUST be impeached, convicted and given the harshest punishment available under the law. And it must be done soon!

God help us all if it does not get done!
:grr:

[mmonk]

33. Glad you're here.

Buy this book. It's worth it.

[PDJane]

40. Before you relax,

Read the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, as well as Wolf's book. If you haven't reached the limit of your patience by that time, then there's something really wrong with your moral sense.

If you need more, get the latest version of Greg Palast's Armed Madhouse. Reading Unequal Protection by Thom Hartman will fill out the picture. It ain't pretty, and it's not going to get better without a lot of work.

[ForeignSpectator]

37. Only 28 recommendations?! Why? So many people closing their eyes to this?

I hope not. In case people are waiting for actual swastikas or whatever superficial criteria visible around America until they are convinced that fascism is looming, that won't happen.

And I bet Al Gore won't run. Why? He is working to revitalize a civic movement for democracy which is the basis for everything. It's the homework to be done first. Does anybody really think, Gore is going to jump in the race, win even though elections are rigged and repair democracy all by himself??? With a congress that is complicit with Bush for the time being?

There needs to be a strong grassroots movement to fight this cancer because it is a cancer in the very sense of this disease.

Spread the word about Naomi, her lectures and book and DO something!! < ripping my hair out-smily >

PS : I would very much love to see Al Gore as president, all I am saying is it's not that easy...

[Barrymores Ghost]

39. K&R...

...and I have sent this link to everyone I have in my email contact book. I wasn't able to attend the lecture last week, due to other obligations, but I know many who did hear Wolf speak. A few said that the chill that came over the room at times was palpable.

Thanks for posting this.

[srf Rantz]

42. I'm asking the same question I've been asking for 7 years

How do we stop it????

kudos to Naomi and 1000s of other speaking out about this, the coming fascism and the general lawlessness of the bush/cheney regime, etc. etc.

every day I read dozens of brilliant articles here, on blogs, common dreams, etc.

all of them "standing up" and "speaking out" brilliantly.

all of them suggesting in various ways that we "have to stop them" NOW.

we KNOW what is going on. I think most of the country knows.

we've all been writing congress, LTE, blogs, posts in forums like this, going to meetings, demonstrations, on and on, and still: nothing happens.
we elect the Dems across the board, nothing happens.

How do we stop them?

the day after Bush was relected in 2004, I launched a web site just for the sole purpose of planning action (called whatnow.us (no one came, now offline)

this should be the main topic of discussion in every post in every liberal/progressive/anti-war/anti-fascism forum.

its reassuring to read post after post and article after article confirming our vision of the truth of what's going on, but lets put our heads together and figure something out. something to do that will stop it.

the old ways of letter writing and even demonstrations are just not cutting it.

(now you know why I call myself srf Rantz )

[ProfessorPlum]

43. I hear you - we've been patient and tried the ballot box

but then the people we got elected chickened out, too. Now what?

[Magleetis]

44. This is one

powerful argument. She has nailed it.

[bdamomma]

45. wow wow wow

now guys we are the only ones, do we believe enough in ourselves to do it, sorry No Dennis K, Al Gore or any other one of them is going to do this, it is all WE THE PEOPLE. Very good and a eye opener.

[bdamomma]

46. I am giving this a

kick everyone should listen to this.

[JohnyCanuck]

47. America 2007 is Germany 1930

America 2007 is Germany 1930

by Norman D. Livergood

We who live in the post-World War II period possess an immensely valuable symbol, even if we don't understand it or use it effectively: the example of Nazi Germany.

"The German experiment, except to those who are its victims, is particularly interesting, and, like the offer of a strong man to let himself be vivisected, should make a great contribution to political science. For the Germans are the most gifted and most highly educated people who ever devoted the full strength of a modern state to stopping the exchange of ideas; they are the most highly organized people who ever devoted all the coercive power of government to the abolition of their own intellectual life; they are the most learned people who ever pretended to believe that the premises and the conclusion of all inquiry may be fixed by political fiat."

Walter Lippmann. (1936), The Good Society

SNIP

The 2004 election revealed that many American citizens are as intellectually and morally incompetent as the Germans in 1930. Such incompetence and ignorance always lead to tyranny. The United States is exactly at the same point in national degradation as the German nation in the 1930s when Hitler assumed absolute power and began his regime of mass murder and war crimes against the people of the world.

We've been conditioned to see Germany under Hitler as an unquestionably horrible example of dictatorial tyranny and inhuman barbarity--and to see our present American culture as completely opposite to that of Nazi Germany. And we like to think that if a tyranny such as that in Germany under the Nazi regime were present and growing in America we'd unquestionably be able to see it.

SNIP

To the Germans in Mayer's study, each occasion of Nazi violence was worse than the last, but only a little worse. So they waited for the one shocking event, thinking that they would join with others if or when it happened. But as the violence escalated, no one rose up to condemn the concentration camps and general oppression. No one wanted to act alone, and when a mass uprising failed to occur, the common people just let events take their course. They progressively lost the ability to understand the horror of Nazism and the will to oppose it.

Similarly, we don't see the growing fascism in America and the world because we don't want to see it and because it happens somewhat gradually, which makes it almost imperceptible to those who don't think critically. Everything in your society--Nazi Germany or twenty-first century America--seems so ordinary.

http://www.hermes-press.com/germany1930.htm

[izquierdista]

48. Where's part II?

While this was entertaining and informative, I came away wanting an ending. I like the parts in the World War II movies where the fascists all turn to suicide because the Red Army is lobbing shells from the next street over and they are running out of ammunition. I would like to see her summary of how the fascists are finally routed and defeated.

Everyone knows the story of how the Nazis were defeated by the Red Army, but military defeat is only one way that fascists can be swept from power. What happened in Spain? I can remember Chevy Chase telling us that Francisco Franco is still dead, but how did Spain make the long march out of being a fascist state? In Chile, did Pinochet just get old and senile and lose his grip on power and did all his cronies give up without a fight?

There have got to be some stories of how the people got fed up with right-wing nut-jobs and told them to shut up and stuff it. I'm thinking that Rush and Sean and Ann and all the other fascist mouthpieces are almost to the point where their sponsors begin to see no return on their dollar and will drop them like hot potatoes.

"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your
enemies and chase them before you, to rob
them of their wealth and see those dear
to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp
to your bosom their wives and daughters."
-Ghengis Khan

[hootinholler]

49. kicking because it should be on top. n/t

[slipslidingaway]

50. Kick and one very important point she makes in this speech is

that the steps towards a fascist shift do not follow a straight trend line. Instead it is a stair step process where a number of rights are taken all at once then it levels off for a time until another large number of rights is taken.

And when the window shuts it does so quickly, I would rather err on the side of caution.

[SKKY]

51. Naomi...

...That's "I Moan" backwards! Brains and beauty are a powerful mix.

[Lorien]

52. I hope that DU's "pro-tazer" crowd watches this

I don't care if Andrew Meyer had screamed "Bush is God's supreme leader on Earth! Except him and your Lord Jesus Christ"! this is still America and we don't attack people physically for speaking. Or we shouldn't. It disturbs me that so many of the same people called Bill Maher a "brown shirt" for kicking protesters out of his audience. He escorted them out of earshot-as should have been done to Meyer WITHOUT the tazer. When people have one set of rules for those who share their beliefs and another set of rules for those who do not it demonstrates our society's willingness to embrace a fascist dictatorship.