[SoNotHer]

I appreciate the distinction you're trying to make.

However, I do think we need to a call a thing what it is. And wherever we want to start with this, we are living in a country that increasingly resembles fascism.

I can point to examples to support this, not the least of which include the brutal police response to OWS protestors, the nightmare that is Guantanamo, voting (machines, records and access), a large share of the tax dollar pie in support of endless military moves, the legalization of profiling (new anti-immigration laws), the privatization (and exponential growth) of prisons and much, much more.

My background is Polish, Turkish, Romanian, and a few other countries that have seen despots and systemic oppression. But I believe we can still have fascism in America in 2011 and call it that. And God help us if in our denial of that, it only grows.

Originally Posted by guihong

Well, that's it; I'll either be screamed off the board or banned for this.

I've been reading along this thread, as it is a current event, and I wanted to hear all sides. Some points I agree with, others, maybe not. I do hear and understand that there is fear and fed-upness about the economy, banking, and foreign wars, as well as a host of other issues. I understand that. I totally agree that there is a lot of apathy out there, and a lot more that all of us can do to effect change, whether it's OWS or through other means. Gandhi said "Be the change you want to see in the world".

What I need to put out here on the table is that some (if not several) of us on this board came from, know someone who came from, or had family living under fascist or communist systems, or farther back, equally repressive royalty. Some of my family lies under Poland for being the "wrong" religion. Others on the other side of my family came from grinding poverty only to find "No Irish Need Apply" signs. I have a friend who can never go back to her country of origin, as it dissolved into civil war that still periodically breaks out. Make that two, in fact, but different countries of origin. Another friend's parents were exiled thousands of miles out of their homeland to central Asia. Many of my friends are still in the country they were born, or at least the land, but there was a revolution in seemingly five minutes that turned their lives and families upside down. All of them at one time or another have told me about thoughts of going to America.

I surely believe we have large problems and inequalities. I have to believe that we have the solutions, both individually and as a group. I'd be hypocritical if I didn't say that I've considered emigrating out of here. But, compared to a lot of other places, we're a lot freer with more opportunity for women and POC than in the not so distant past.

I also want to say I like and respect all of those on this board and in this thread. With all that said, there's something that gnaws in my gut when we're compared to the Jews (and many other groups) under Hitler, Russia under Stalin, the Yugoslavs under Tito, or the North Koreans today. It just hits me wrong. I just ask out of respect for all of those peoples, and many more, please not to call us "fascist".

If you're angry with me, so be it. I stand by my words.