The last piece of the puzzle.

[Brian Sweat]

The three hallmarks of a fascist movement are nationalism, populism and palingenesis. These are not the only properties. There are others such as crony capitalism, use of propaganda techniques, traditionalism, sexism , etc, but nationalism, populism and palingenesis.

It is pretty obvious that the GOP has embraced an American type of nationalism that can best be described as jingoism. They also engage heavily in a type of anti-intellectual populism. The only question remaining is does the GOP use palingenetic imagery.

Palingenesis is a theme of rebirth. The basic idea is that the nation has fallen from its former state of greatness, but that the movement will restore the nation to its former glory.

I believe that GOP does engage in palingenetic imagery, but I want to get your ideas.

[T Roosevelt]

1. Clinton serves as the death

leading to rebirth. That imagery is extensive - he corrupted govt, blah blah blah. But you could probably step back all the way to FDR, the beginnings of the New Deal, and the Great Society as the beginning of the end for them, with Clinton serving as the final breath before the rebirth.

[bryant69]

2. I don't know

I mean if they really thought this way, wouldn't they outlaw the Democratic party? I mean, don't get me wrong, President Bush has been horrible for this country, but I'm not sure we all the way to fascism just yet.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Brian Sweat]

5. I'm not talking about the government

I'm talking about the movement. If the government becomes a full fledged fascist dictatorship, it will be too late.

Make no mistake, there is a movement afoot among the extremists (i.e. Ann Coulter and Faux News) to outlaw the Democratic party.

Also, remember that fascism is just one type of authoritarian cancer. There is no question in my mind that the extreme right in this country is an authoritarian cancer. I'm just trying to perform a biopsy.

[Bandit]

7. Haven't you seen Coulter's Treason?

They want to set it up to do just what you say. Maybe not so much as outlaw but definitely make us "unwelcome" in America. It is in their plans.

[On the Road]

3. The First Thing That Comes to Mind

is the "Morning in America" covers of a variety of different magazines just after Reagan's election (or inauguration).

Bush used a kind of moral palingenesis (restoring honesty and dignity)because the country was in such economic shape. The GOP has also tried to paint a picture of the military haven fallen into disarray.

[sangh0]

4. Example

1) Bush*'s rebirth as a "leader" after 9/11
2) The military's recent "successes" in Iraq and Afghanistan

[emad]

6. The Nazis milked the millenium for all it was worth but bet on

the wrong f***ing horse.

All the obvious death/birth/rebirth imagery of late 1999/early 2000 really produced was the enron/worldcome debacle, hot on the heels of the worst failure of military/security intelligence in US history, 911. This, against the Catholic Church's rampant hysteria about getting busted for massive sex abuse/paedophilia cover ups going back to the 1960s. And Boris Yeltsin getting booted out of office for drunken incompetence, only to be replaced by a bush-friendly asshole trained by the Stasi's former mastermind Marcus Wolf.

Bottom line: was 911 a deliberate intelligence failure orchestrated, bankrolled and masterminded by Carlyle sponsors? If so, does the palingenetic imagery genre hold true for a massive showdown with the fascist 'midwives'? There's no doubt that Dubya has tried to portray himself as the populist hero from day 1, the Millenium's Saviour of the World. But his antenatal team have proven themselves to be the biggest bunch of wankers since recorded history.

You'd have to be a professor of the psychopathology of criminal cults to really nail this one down......

[seemslikeadream]

8. Faith-Based Initiatives

there's some imagery for the people.