Ashkkkrofts Call to the Brown Shirts:

[BeHereNow]

Okay, it is officially time to get the hell out of this country.
Ashkkkroaft just announced open season on the
"brown people." You do realize that, don't you?

I am reading "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffer.
If you have never read it, it is a MUST read, as far
as who the American people have become.
This may be hard to grasp, but stand outside yourself
for a moment, don't take it personally, but contemplate
the possibility that our government is a reflection/manifestation
of our collective sick assed culture.
Understand that there is a DEEP hatred in many of your
fellow citizens. Don't believe it? Recall the number
of people actually pleased by the prison pictures.
The collective consciousness of this country is in the GUTTER
while strutting about in x-tian robes of religiousity.
We are the worst hypocrites in the world- a filthy, pornographic
violent old whore pretending to be a virgin at the altar
of self-worship while we sacrifice the "other."

Before you jump in to tell me that is not true about "you"
personally, recall that I asked you to examine this disturbing
phenomena from outside of yourself, not what "you" value
or admire or think about, but what WE as a culture worship.
And remember this, the majority of Germans considered themselves
"good" people too...look how that one turned out.

I am absolutely terrified for anyone the Brownshirts think
might be one of the people on Ashkkkrofts list.

BHN

"The only index by which to judge a government or a way of
life is by the quality of the people it acts upon. No matter how
noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and
kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and
suspicion- it is an evil government." Eric Hoffer

[jokerman93]

1. True Believer is a Classic Must Read

True Believer is a classic must-read. It's a slender book, written in an accessible style. I read it many years ago, and it gave me the clarity to separate myself (not without personal anguish) from an innocuous little religious group I was involved with that eventually devolved into a controlling authoritarian cult.

We have similar cultic thinking passing itself off as conservative patriotism and religious piety all across our nation these days.

I agree with the concerns you bring up in your post sir. They are turning us inward now -- with suspicion and fear.

[BeHereNow]

3. This country is FULL

of militant, authoritarian cults-
One big seething mass of arrogant group think.
BTW- it's Mrs. BHN
although here in cyberspace, I don't suppose it
really matters... B-)

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

6. Let me third that recommendation

This book really gives an insight into the minds of people who want to follow authoritarian leaders and we obviously have a whole lot of people like that in this country right now. You can talk to some of the nicest-seeming people and hear shocking ugliness come out of their mouths.

I got it in paperback a couple of years ago, don't remember the price, but it was pretty inexpensive.

[BeHereNow]

7. "shocking ugliness"

Precisely.
The prison photos say it all.
BHN

[cestmoi]

2. Thank you for the post. I agree Hoffer is right on the mark

I'm going to re-read Hoffer. Its been a longtime since I read True Believer. I love Hoffer's point about decency and kindness. Blurring decency and kidness is this very thing that the rightwing talk radio is all about.


I have always thought the movie "Blue Velvet" showed a split in the American pysche. The movie starts out with a Disney-like feel. Everything happy, harmless and cute. But then the dirty underbelly crawls in and makes a nest.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BeHereNow]

5. Welcome to DU-

I hate to point this out, but your hate filled comments
toward me are exactly the type of blind militant
pesonality group think required for a mass movement
to succeed and a society to fail.

No offense intended- just an observation
and confirmation of why I want to go.
On my timeline though, not yours.
(thank you very much)
BHN

[datasuspect]

8. thanks for writing this

you're saying what I've been thinking more and more lately.

get past the flag-waving bullshit and programmed "patriotism" this country has tried to instill in almost every child acculturated here in the good old us of a. when you look at the track record of the US, this country has, with few exceptions, either made war with or otherwise eradicated brown-skinned people in this country (and across the world) officially and unofficially since the inception of the united states.

whether it was slavery; the legally- and culturally-sanctioned genocide of native americans; wars and actions in mexico, central, and south america; and vietnam plus the current debacle in iraq, the policy and culture of this country tends toward the domination of the philosophical "other" and treats this "other" as repository of our fears and object against which we can lash. the civil war, the war of 1812, the revolutionary war, and wwII are some notable exceptions

i know that you cannot paint too wide a brush here, but the evidence keeps mounting (in the world and in my own mind) that this country is a sham, a lie, and a bad trip for the poor and the dark-skinned and the poor (this includes poor whites who are de facto minorities and in many cases carry the "taint" of the dark-skinned in their social interaction with whites of higher class).

i am one of those brown people (mexican-american by descent) and i notice a definite ratcheting up of "racist" and otherwise questionable rhetoric among the right and even in the press.

in other words, they seem to get braver and braver with their word choices and the way they are now speaking about things they used to keep to themselves for some time.

[BeHereNow]

9. And on that topic, Hoffer writes,

"The Americans are poor haters in international affairs because
of their innate feeling of superiority over all foreigners. An
American's hatred for a fellow American...is far more virulent
than any antipathy he can work up against foreigners...Should
Americans begin to hate foreigners wholeheartedly, it will be
an indication that they have lost confidence in their own way
of life."

When I read this, I recalled all the attacks on "brown"
Americans after 911...We are clearly insane.
There is no other explanation.
BHN

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

11. ...those attacks on brown americans after 9-11..ho hum....

...nothing new there at all.

There was massive anti-German hysteria in the US when we entered World War I. And that was nearly 100 years ago.

And then, back before the Civil War there where the anti-immigrant "know nothing" riots.

[jokerman93]

10. Racism is everywhere acceptable now

I can't believe the AOL comercials (I think it's AOL, or Microsoft maybe). They actually have a big black dude dressed as a blue butterfly playing "step 'n fetchit" for a middle class white family.

Anyone notice the ones I'm talking about?

Grotesque.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

12. welcom to DU...!!!!

:hi:

....& I appreciate your prespective on this.

My partner is a Mexican-American too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Add to this reading list another must read

War: A force that gives us meaning

I read it after 9.11, and I saw what was described in that volume
happening all around me.

Get the book and read it, it is an incredible insight.

And I must say there are signs already that this is starting
to wane... ever so slowly

[SpiralHawk]

14. Ahhh, what did Johnny A. say or do to unleash the Brownshirts?

Searching for a clue...help me out here.