Fascists of All Varieties
By Marc Ash
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Friday 11 August 2006
Reveling in yesterday's announcement that a plot to blow up American Airlines planes departing from British airports had been foiled by British authorities, George W. Bush leapt at the opportunity to sell his "war on terra" to whoever would listen. Using the best Madison Avenue technique money can buy, he was even ready to roll out a new slogan du jour on cue for the event. Today's phrase that pays: We are at war with "Islamic fascists."
First let me say that if British law enforcement did in fact do all of what the US mainstream press is implying they did, I thank them for finding an efficient, non-violent way to guard the public safety. "Efficient" and "non-violent" being the key words in the preceding sentence.
Efficiency and non-violence have been glaringly absent from US-British national security operations over the past five years. And that absence contributes greatly to the current atmosphere of conflict. War and a warlike mentality are espoused at every turn as the remedies of choice in dealing with all threats to Western security. As a result, Western security has suffered.
What worked in foiling the plot to destroy the airliners was good old fashioned police work and a solid investigation. Not military action. The tools used by British authorities are tools that were available on September 11th 2001. They were available the day the US invaded Iraq, and they are available today. We have always had good tools to safeguard our security. Launching massive invasions is not helping, it's adding to the rage that fuels the madness.
Fascism at Issue
Since, Mr. Bush, you have chosen to put the issue of fascism before the public, it begs a broader dialog on fascism's role in our lives today. I accept the challenge to enter that dialog. Frankly Mr. Bush, many Americans refer to you as a fascist. There really isn't any other way to state that than bluntly. Blowing up an airliner full of passengers is barbaric and completely unacceptable, regardless of the objectives of those involved, but it really doesn't fit the definition of fascism.
From Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language:
FASCISM: A system of government characterized by rigid one party dictatorship, forcible suppression of opposition, private economic enterprise under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism, racism and militarism, etc.
That's really the heart of the matter now isn't it, Mr. Bush. One might wonder if you are troubled by by the specter of fascism in your inner thoughts when you cast the accusation wildly into the public discourse.
What would the people of Iraq say about fascism if asked? But then they haven't been asked, have they - they've been liberated, of course. What would our founding fathers say about detention without due process, without end? Electronic surveillance of all Americans, without regard for the law? What is democracy if the citizens have no confidence in the integrity of their elections? Our military hurls five-hundred pound bombs all day and all night. They land on whom they land on. It is not an isolated act of madness, it is a coordinated act of state. All the while private corporations profit wildly.
Fascism, Mr. Bush, is not your strongest card. You should change the subject again.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081106Z.shtml
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Comments: 45
As for the fascism, you didn't really expect this thwarting of a terrorist plot to hit the news without the birthing of a new Bush sound bite, did you? ;) But if you're looking for Bush to stick to his "strong suit" I guess he'll have to go back to bankrupting an oil company (who knew THAT was possible?)
good points.
I said the to my husband when I heard Bush use the word fascist "He should talk!" And my husband said "It takes one to know one."
Though I agree that the Bushies are engaged in turning the US into a fascist state, I have to say that Islamists are, indeed, hell-bent on the same thing - only their megalomania is much deeper as they want to rule the entire world! Trouble is, they're winning. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. This is often NOT a free choice. It's either force or rape or brainwashing that accomplishes the goal. Islam resembles a cult more than a religion because it's still locked in a medieval mentality. Such methods are acceptable to the medieval mind. I'm not saying that ALL Muslims think this way but the Islamists certainly do! Many "mainstream" Muslims support the goals and designs of the Islamists. There is a conceit by Muslims, in general, that Islam will eventually become the only religion on earth. When "working" for God, anything is justified (at least, that's how it seems from the outside). There's no true tolerance for other faiths. That even holds true for Islam itself. Sunni hates Shia, Shia hates Sunni, they both hate the Bahai and because of that hate, they cannot tolerate the existance of oneanother. Right now, they might fight together to defeat the West and destroy Israel, but whether they acheive that goal or not, they'll still murder each other. (This, I suppose, is an example of "Islam - the Religion of Peace.") Each wants to rule the world - so it'll all depends on which sect gets the upper hand. You can bet the farm there'll be massive internal struggle and plenty of bloodshed to gain that position!
Bush and his cronies are certainly fascists - but so are the Islamists! (Blowing up a plane is terrorism. The reason behind the terror is fascist.)
Or perhaps your flavor is a little more middle eastern. Hezbolla offers fancy goose stepping and the nazi salute!
Nope I don't think you would like that. Good thing we are at war with them. we just need a word to describe them. Lets see...only two democracies in all of the middle east (isreal, iraq). Religious persecution (you'll get your head chopped if you wanna become a christian), jailing of disident voices (iran). desire to wipe a nation from the face of the earth (iran). persecution of women (honour killings, sharia law)...hmm.. what word could we use to describe all of this?
What's interesting about it is how sometimes the militarism, iconoclasm, violence, arbitrariness, immorality, self-righteousness, pettiness, nationalism, naiveté, etc. of the Bush administration plays into the hands of its foes, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Hezbollah. The irony is that Bush recently pushed aside any suggestion of a ceasefire in Lebanon, ostensibly to let Israel get their licks in, and now its starting to look like Hezbollah is winning. Meanwhile, this doesn't do much for our image in Middle East and will eventually -- just as the invasion of Iraq did -- push more people into the ranks of the "Islamic fascists."
Likewise, 9/11 may have been a helpful event for Bush. Prior to that day, the economy was already heading south, and the now apparent plan to invade Iraq lacked any actual justification. And the recent arrest of the alleged airline plotters certainly helps Bush with his contention that domestic spying, torture and violence have a place in battling our enemies.
However, I would say that suicide bombers, launching missiles against civilians, chopping heads off, and whatnot typifies the single-mindedness, intolerance and extremism that I would point to in my definition of fascism. And I don't think the U.S. has waded into fascism up to our knees. But we definitely have gotten our toes wet.
Thank you Dear Duse, for your great post. You express your thoughts very clearly.
Thanks Jake for posting your opinion.
But, the main point of the article is that GWB fits the exact dictionary definition of a Fascist, and that's so obviously true!
I am all for crushing the Islamofascists. As I said above, they're hell-bent on world domination! I have zero interest and would never tolerate living under Sharia Law - something with which, I'm sure, the vast majority of Americans concur! Nor do I wish to live in a fascist America. Benjamin Franklin, my favorite Founding Father, didn't begin as a Revolutionary. Ben was avidly loyal to the British Crown and not interested in creating a separate, independent country. He changed his mind and loyalties only after he recognized the system was irredeemably rigged so that only the rich and the privilaged had any chance at advancement or a decent quality of life. Sound familiar? Bush and his obscenely rich and privilaged friends are taking us back to pre-Revolutionary times! Ben is, I'm sure, spinning in his grave!! (FYI, Ben Franklin could have become obscenely wealthy from his most famous invention - the Franklin Stove - but chose, instead, to forgo patenting his invention because he preferred it to serve the common good. Moneytheists would call him a chump, I suppose. Those of us who are more about "we" than "I" see it as a noble act and a sign of extraordinary character- and we thank him.)
Karen, you are right. GWB's real war is a War for Money!
Thanks.
First you said that "The tools used by British authorities are tools that were available on September 11th 2001."
Nothing could be farther from the truth. MI-6 has the right to freely interact with MI-5, but our CIA could not pass info to our FBI. MI-5 is free to investigate anyone they deem is a possible threat to the UK while our FBI could only investigate someone who had already committed a crime. MI-6 has a whole cadre of spies while our CIA had almost none. MI-5 was able to place an undercover agent in the group of terrorist plotters and our FBI had no such right.
I could go on and on. Your comments make me wonder why we had to pass the Patriot Act.
Second, you say that Bush is a fascist. The definition you provided is "A system of government characterized by rigid one party dictatorship, forcible suppression of opposition, private economic enterprise under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism, racism and militarism, etc."
Thus, to be a fascist, Bush would have to be a dictator over our country. Last I knew we still had three branches of government so please tell me how you conclude that he has dictatorial power over us.
To be a fascist, Bush would have to oppress the opposition, Please tell me who in the Democrat Party he has imprisoned or oppressed in any way.
To be a fascist, Bush would have to have centralized government control over our economic enterprises. Please tell me what enterprises Bush has taken over by the government.
I await your response, Fred.
Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"
What made me particularly mournful is his mere utterance of "Islamic Fascists." That's a taunt, and a very potent one. How would a great many Americans feel if someone with that sort of media access used the phrase "Christian Fascists." Makes your blood boil? Well, it should, and it does much the same for those whose faith is Islam.
We may not be able to measure the amount of death that will be traced back to these careless, hateful words, but you can be sure fewer people would die if he thought twice before saying these things, things like "bring it on" (dead troops), and "Islamic fascists" (dead people of all sorts).
If I knew this man washed dishes at a cafe, I wouldn't eat there. He's just too lazy to do anything resembling an adequate job.
In my opinion, US is 80% Fascistic and 20% Democratic. US is very, vey sick and it's getting sicker by the day.
95% of the Major Media is dedicated to out right lies in order to rob you, your country, and the world.
All you need to do is to just read this great post by Karen Taylor of gather:
The evidence as to whether Bush's regime is truly fascist
(it's at: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976769140 )
Sorry Ben, but I rather you don't respond to this post, because we at gather already know what you are going to say! We know that you are unfortunately stuck in a Reality-Denial-Mindset. No one expects you to comprehend any of these points at all, ….. until such time that you are an internee, deep inside one of the FEMA Internment Camps, which are already set up all across the country!
Would Bush and his crowd be a lot happier if this were a dictatorship and they could just do whatever they wanted? Definitely. Evidence indicates that they push the envelope on that every chance they get. But what continues to distinguish the U.S. from fascist states, no matter what Bush would like, is that we have the power, if we choose to use it.
That's the big issue right there, where we need to spend less time shaking our fists at Bush and more time looking inward. How many of us limit our political participation to arguments around the water cooler? How many of us are "too busy" to truly educate ourselves about the world in general and political problems in particular? How many have our congressperson's telephone number on speed dial? If we're registered Democrats, how many of us have told our party to "grow a pair"? How many of us actively campaign for leaders who will make a difference?
The fact of the matter is that while money talks in Washington, they can't get to the money unless they get the votes. I used to have a friend who worked for the famous Tip O'Neill. She said that if they got ONE phone call to his office about an issue, they took that seriously. And if they got 10-15 phone calls, they jumped to attention, because they figured if 15 people were upset enough to call, that meant that there were thousands and thousands out there who felt the same and who weren't calling. So how many of us are calling?
We do have it in our hands to make a difference. Unfortunately, some of it would necessarily involve educating our fellow citizens about our point of view. So ask yourself, are you REALLY interested in communicating, in changing people's minds, or are you more interested in winning points in an argument on Gather? If you're interested in making argumentative points, you will convince no one, you will only push someone further into their position. But if you are interested in truly changing hearts and minds, you will find a way to communicate with Bush supporters in a way that DOESN'T say, "I'm right and you're a jerk."
Bottom line, we've got the Constitution on our side and, if we yell loud enough, the Supreme Court and the Congress too.
Democracy isn't about having our way all the time -- that's fascism of a different sort. Democracy is about the clash of ideas and the right to do that. If Gather is any evidence, democracy is alive and well.
The article about Dr. Britt's study concerned regimes that met your definition of fascism. Our government simply does not meet that definition no matter what you say. Many of Dr. Britt's fascist regime characteristics would fit any non-fascist regime in the world. How about France?
I don't blame you for not wanting me to respond. You appear to want to believe what you want to believe regardless of the facts and don't want anyone to disagree with you. I accept you being that way. But I must respond in order to prevent others from thinking that your way reflects the truth when it does not.
Take Wendy's advice and run with it. I do and I find it very effective with my representatives and others.
Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"
That's the nature of Gather and not all of us here want to shut them up. I'm with you in spirit, but whether Ben has the civil liberties to express his views whenever or wherever is not in question. He does.
This is not to say the "God Is With Us" attitude of Bush's administration doesn't concern me. Statements to that effect are used to scare and enrage otherwise descent people of faith, and have in the past rallied the populace of some certain countries to engage in unspeakable acts.
Part of the definitions I see of fascism involve government control of private industry. There are indeed controls in place with the intent of keeping our food safe to eat, keeping sweatshops to a minimum and any other number of safeguards based on the premise that we are free to engage in whatever we please as long as it doesn't harm others. Whether such regulations should extend to indirect harm - or just direct harm - is a matter of debate. It's an ideal we at least attempt to pursue in America and the only entity empowered to do that is the government.
However, we are doing little if anything to safeguard free enterprise. If a company or an industry provides sufficient bribes (campaign contributions and employment opportunities being the most popular forms of bribery), they can get the government to turn a blind eye to unfair restraint of trade, actions that stifle innovation, and monopolistic behaviors that directly interfere with the health and financial security of the citizenry.
If a select few companies and private industries control the government, they can in turn cause the government to manipulate industry as a whole, and that could degenerate into outright government control of industry. It would not be politicians or a single dictator pulling the strings, so again, we have some wiggle room for those who want to make the case that that situation couldn't be called outright fascism.
MI-6 has the right to freely interact with MI-5, but our CIA could not pass info to our FBI. MI-5 is free to investigate anyone they deem is a possible threat to the UK while our FBI could only investigate someone who had already committed a crime. MI-6 has a whole cadre of spies while our CIA had almost none. MI-5 was able to place an undercover agent in the group of terrorist plotters and our FBI had no such right.
First, the 9/11 Commission found there was no legal or procedural barrier prohibiting the FBI and CIA from sharing intelligence. As the Commission found, the main reasons the FBI and CIA failed to pick up on 9/11 was because of management shortcomings wiythin their own organizations. In the case of the FBI, the concerns of various field offices were often ignored or brushed aside by senior leadership in the FBI. In the CIA's case, Al Qaeda was treated as just another hostile group.
As for the FBI only being allowed to investigate someone who has committed a crime---nonsense. If you go to the FBI's own website, it will tell you the FBI has investigative powers to monitor the activities of those associated with hate groups and terrorist organizations.
Finally, Benji tells us that MI-6 has oodles of spies while the CIA has none. Such a comment speaks volumes about Benji's credibility and honesty.
WRT Fascism and Bush, there is a misconception that we must be in a full-fledged dictatorship or totalitarian regime before one could assume we are fascist.
This could not be further from the truth.
Dictatorships are the end-product of fascist states. But a nation can be in the process of developing fascism just as a state can be nurturing democracy.
The clear foible of the neo-con is failure to acknowledge the "socialist" leaning of America since the early days of Franklin Roosevelt is due to capitalism unchecked in a society where every citizen has right to vote. The clash of these assumptions were focused Katrina. The neo-con response was totally within their governmental ideology: protect the profits of favored industries, (oil), secure whatever military assets were threatened, and leave the mess to the individual states. Only after domestic and international outrage were they able to escape the fog of their illusions and attempt clownish mea culpas.
We have Social Security, FDIC and myriad other economic checks because of the real threat to national security after the evaporation of over 3 trillion dollars, (today's value) of individual wealth on one day in 1929. After the Wall Street debacle and the Hoover Admins vow to "stay the course" Communism began to look attractive to frightening numbers of people nationwide. Free enterprise markets led to crushing work conditions that birthed the labor unions. Roosevelt enacted laws which gave rise to the middle class and the spirit of federal intervention which so rankles today's neo-con.
Bush and his cronies play upon the conservative credo with full knowledge of its historical failure and unworkable tenants in this society and a world of generally socialist values. The plan is to suck up whatever dollars possible until forced to close shop. There is nothing in the Bush record that denies this scenario.
That is a elegant description of this administration, Sam. It's a robbery.
heh heh heh.
No matter what you call it, President Bush has repeatedly acted unilaterally to curtail the rights of American citizens and to create zones where no human rights at all exist.
He uses the phrase "We're at war" to justify this. He then goes on to suggest that this will be a long war. He does not suggest how we'll know when it's over.
I'm not buying the President's boot-strapping, self-serving war rationalization. I don't care if you call it fascist, it is undemocratic.
Bush's actions undermine anything we are doing in the name of furthering the cause of democracy. We need effective law enforcement and better sharing of intelligence information. We don't need war without end or a roll-back of rights.
If we use the above hallmarks, we can see we are closer to a fascist state than not.
I agree that qualitatively we have taken many steps in the fascist direction by most of the attributes you have listed. Bush's message seems to be that he represents the only true practitioners of democracy and capitalism and that there are no patriotic alternatives.
I reject this as being both sick and wrong
What particularly bothers me is how labels are being used to systematically exclude segments of the electorate by suggesting disloyalty. Included in that list are homosexuals, liberals, intellectuals, scientists, civil libertarians, voting rights advocates, and humanists [to name a few].
The methods are also disturbing. Demagogues like Ann Coulter first blaze new trails of propaganda. Then the Bush regulars fill in more "moderate" positions which are really large leaps to the right. This is really playing out in the characterization of Liberalism as a religion and the attempted demonization of the word secular.
Guys like Thomas Jefferson would have a hard time stomaching what we've come to. Today, the whole Enlightenment seems in danger.
are you suggesting the US is at war with all practitioners of Islam? That strikes me as foolish and wrong.
There are perhaps 1.2 billion practitioners of Islam in the world and 7 million in the US. We should be isolating the tiny fraction of this group who are terrorists by engaging the peaceful majority. We should not be making war with them.
Those who would make war in the name of Christ are especially ignorant of the teachings of their own faith. Remember the Beatitudes?
In my opinion, there's no political capital to be gained in demonizing men, and for him the label "men" probably fits more into the "us" column than the "them" column. They abuse religion (a religion they do not follow) as a rallying cry to kill; and by responding in kind Bush stirs the patriotism of young men of faith to come to the aid of God, when in fact God doesn't have a dog in this fight.
I am somewhat overwhelmed with all the reactions.
Thank you all very much for putting so much time and effort in your responses:
Ron, Wendy, Tom, Thomas, Ben, and Ruth.
Jade,
a great point:
"Dictatorships are the end-product of fascist states.
But a nation can be in the process of developing fascism just as a state can be nurturing democracy."
I think that's where we are right now!
Sam,
Thank you, you really hit the mark:
" The plan is to suck up whatever dollars possible until forced to close shop. There is nothing in the Bush record that denies this scenario."
This is exactly the HIDDEN AGENDA of GWB and his starving billionaire friends!
So very true, Sam!
As for all the comments, the comment gods work in mysterious ways =:] Controversy helps greatly, but looking at it another way, an "issue oriented" post will attract a lot of attention, if you pick the right topic.
This statement of "Islamic fascists" is gasoline, and it was intended to be. If there is a firestorm of terrorism as the election approaches, that's good for GWB; if the war never ends, there will always be a case for "not changing horses".
The killing of 3000 or 30,000 or 3,000,000 Americans will not make the rest of us evaporate. We are 300 million. Terrorism is a political tool. If they did not succeed in killing innocents, no bother. They got free advertisement. Therein lays the shameless hypocrisy of the Bush regime.
If there were a limited number of plotters, tracked for months and known by law enforcement on three continents why splatter the airwaves with lurid accounts of this conspiracy? Why are the talking heads in government demonstrating that even in gross failure these bastards can still control our lives? If the Bush administration truly wanted to protect America from the forces and effects of terrorism why not quietly bag these guys, quietly search a few more carry-ons and deny them any fruit from their labor? Why give succor and hope to radicals in training? Why make a grandmother flying from Chicago to Dallas pitch out her hand lotion????? Bush is using this, much to the delight of our enemies, to justify every piece of Constitutional perversion.
Fear is the currency, the friend, the shelter and shield of the Bush administration. They will peddle fear to ensure their own survival and agendas. They know without fear their crimes, cronyism and ideology will wilt in the daylight. Without fear they could not maintain the extortion of the oil companies, they could not deflect scrutiny of every bit of chicanery rampant for the last 6 years. Without fear we would take our legislators to task, without fear Bush would not have been re-elected. Without fear the Republicans will lose control of the Congress. October Surprise anyone?
Without manufacturing New and Improved fake fears everyday, GW gang could not maintain:
The oil company extortionists,
The pharmaceutical extortions,
The health Insurance extortionists,
And all the trillion dollars military-industrial extortionists,
The list goes on and on!
GW has a single plan only:
Scare the hell out of the people with wars, …
distract and deceive them with the chaos of wars, and then:
Rob them blind here, there, and everywhere!
The Axis of evils, is right here at home: GW, DC, DR, KR and CR
Thanks.
We live in the United States-of-Bogus-Fears
Thanks
Though I'm a deeply liberal, progressive thinker (or maybe because of it), I think Islamofascist is an appropriate term.
Over the last few years, I've done a great deal of research on Islam, Islamists, the Middle East and Israel - and it's led me to understand how completely dead-on accurate that term really is. Calling Islamists, Islamofascists is accurately descriptive and if it's offensive to Muslims, tough. Their insanely radical brethren have made this bed and now the whole community must lie in it. If Muslims want to change perceptions, they need to rein in the Islamists, repudiate violence and murder as a way of addressing grievances and abandon, utterly, any ambitions of world domination. (We must do the same with our government!)
As we've seen, it doesn't take much to "inflame" some Muslims - it seems any excuse will do - remember the Danish cartoons? There's a childish quality about this behavior...but these ARE adults and if we spend our time trying not to upset the Muslims, we become complicit in infantalizing them - thus encouraging more infantile behavior. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it can be TRULY liberating and lead to a more honest discourse. We should be able to deal with each other, adult to adult. Instead, we're walking on eggshells, trying to protect their "tender feelings" - so much so that we've allowed the language of the discourse to be manipulated and warped into something incomprehensible. It's quite Orwellian.
Identifying Islamofascists by that term describes who and what Islamists are to people who've been sleeping or ignoring what's been going on for the last 25 years. Islamists have shown a steady determination and patience in achieving their goals. It's paid off for them as Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Many countries in Africa and Asia, which were once predominately Anamist, Hindu, Buddhist and/or Christian, are now Muslim. This has often not been a free choice of the populace. A combination of aggressive proselytizing, threats, murders (i.e. conversion by the sword), rape, (The children resulting from these rapes are taken from their mothers and raised as Muslim. This method, combined with a huge birthrate, eventually results in Muslims outnumbering the indigenous population as well as destroying their culture and religion.) and enslavement have accomplished the deed. This is the reality in Africa. Black Africans are often the target since, unlike the propaganda, Islam is not the all-inclusive, non-racist religion it's been touted to be. Perhaps the religion preaches such a doctrine, but the adherents obviously don't abide by it. Blacks are regularly enslaved by Arab Muslims because the evidence shows that black Africans - Muslim or not - are considered inferior and good slave material. One need only look at the situation in Sudan, as well as the Congo, Chad and Somalia, Eritrea, etc. to see the truth of it. Yes, the truth, indeed, hurts.
Documentation of Islamic Fascist and world domination ambitions
TO VIEW THIS CLIP: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=669
(fragment) Ibrahim Mudeiris: …We have ruled the world before, and by Allah, the day will come when we will rule the entire world again. The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world, except for the Jews. The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquility under our rule, because they are treacherous by nature, as they have been throughout history. The day will come when everything will be relieved of the Jews - even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew…
http://cedarmailer.com/americancongress/pages/archive/messagedetails.asp?ID=231
(fragment) Syrian-born Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who said: We don't make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has no sanctity. We will use your democracy to destroy your democracy.
http://cedarmailer.com/americancongress/pages/archive/messagedetails.asp?ID=458
US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at the Naval AirStation, Pensacola, Florida. This is a copy of a speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today
AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!
That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September, 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed -AD) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!"
In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.
It was a cool fall day in November, 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran.
This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency.
The attack on this sovereign U. S. Embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 25 years.
America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then-President Carter had to do something.
He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism.
America's military had been decimated and down-sized/right-sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.
Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East.
America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.
In April of 1983, a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.
Then just 6 short months later in 1983, a large truck heavily laden down with over 2,500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.
2 months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.
The following year, in September, 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.
Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe.
In April 1985, a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.
Then, in August, 1985, a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.
59 days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is
hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.
The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in1988, killing 259.
Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact, we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.
The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.
The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America.
In January, 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
The following month, February, 1993 , a group of terrorists
are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. 6 people are killed and over 1,000 are injured. Still, this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.
Then, in November, 1995, a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing 7 service men and women.
A few months later in June, 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively.
They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on 2 US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.
The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on October 12, 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.
And, of course, you know the events of September 11, 2001.
Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.
In the news lately, we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But, if you've read the papers and paid a little attention, I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979.
I think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.
America needs to "Get Out of Bed" and act decisively now.
America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said "... it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant."
This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.
This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year.
This is an AMERICAN thing.
This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.
If you believe in this please forward it to as many people as you can especially to the young people and all those who dozed off in history class and who seem so quick to protest such a necessary military action.
If you don't believe it, just delete it - and go back to sleep.
1) The use of "Gott Mit Uns" and "Kinder Kochen und Kirchen" by the Nazis. Did that make theirs a Christian Fascist movement?
2) What sort of fascists were Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh?
I see you post on terrorism a lot. Either one of those two would make an interesting post.
Most of the liberals I happen across on Gather repeat the liberal line, disregard the facts of history and are against anything that Bush does, including considering islamo-facism a joke. My hat is off to you.
Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"
You really did put in a lot of energy and effort on this terrorism topic as it relates to the Muslims.
You are very eloquent, and I would like to hear your thoughts on GW fitting the definition of a Fascist as given in this article.
Thank you for your contributions.
Thanks Ron and Ben.