Posted by Jim Lindgren:
A Blast From the Past on Fascism--Part 3: The 2005 NY Times Ad.
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_04_12-2009_04_18.shtml#1240112465
Remember this [1]New York Times ad from December 2005, comparing Bush
to Hitler and accusing Bush of remaking "society very quickly . . . in
a fascist way":
YOUR GOVERNMENT, on the basis of outrageous lies, is waging a
murderous and utterly illegitimate war in Iraq, with other
countries in their sights.
YOUR GOVERNMENT is openly torturing people, and justifying it.
YOUR GOVERNMENT puts people in jail on the merest suspicion,
refusing them lawyers, and either holding them indefinitely or
deporting them in the dead of night.
YOUR GOVERNMENT is moving each day closer to a theocracy, where a
narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule.
YOUR GOVERNMENT suppresses the science that doesn't fit its
religious, political and economic agenda, forcing present and
future generations to pay a terrible price.
YOUR GOVERNMENT is moving to deny women here, and all over the
world, the right to birth control and abortion.
YOUR GOVERNMENT enforces a culture of greed, bigotry, intolerance
and ignorance.
People look at all this and think of Hitler �- and they are right
to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake
society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to
come. We must act now; the future is in the balance.
Note the combination of statements that evoke NAZI policies (wars of
aggression, torture, jailing people without trial) with some
statements that are strongly contrary to NAZI policies (promoting
religion, promoting a culture of greed) and with still more statements
that are at least as much opposed to NAZIism as in favor of it
(opposing abortion, opposing science).
To understand the modern analogues of fascist policies, people need to
study fascist literature more carefully.
Among the signatories to the 2005 ad were:
* James Abourezk Tom Ammiano, SF Board of Supervisors Edward Asner
William Ayers, professor and author Russell Banks, writer Ed
Begley, Jr. Harry Belafonte Dave Berenson, US Green Party,
Cleveland William Blum Gabriel Byrne Campus Anti-War Network (CAN)
Tim Carpenter, dir., Progressive Democrats of America Chicago
ADAPT CHOICE USA Margaret Cho Ward Churchill David Cobb, 2004
Green Party Presidential Candidate US Rep John Conyers Jr., Barry
Crimmins, writer/correspondent, Air America Radio Code Pink: Women
for Peace Culture Clash DC Anti-War Network Democrats.com Carl
Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party Tom Duane, NY State Senator
Michael Eric Dyson, author, Is Bill Cosby Right? Steve Earle Edwin
Ellis, president, Veterans for Peace, LA* Daniel Ellsberg, author
of The Pentagon Papers Christian Ettinger, exec. producer, The
Weather Underground Jodie Evans, Code Pink Jane Fonda Global
Justice & Peace Ministries, Riverside Church, NYC Senator Mike
Gravel Andy Griggs, Exec. Board, United Teachers of LA* Paul
Haggis, film director/producer, Crash Impeach Bush Coalition
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA Relief USA) Islamic
Association of America Abdeen Jabara, past pres., American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee* Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Bianca
Jagger, actress & activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, political prisoner,
journalist Rickie Lee Jones, musician Casey Kasem Robin D.G.
Kelley, Columbia University M. Ali Khan, American Muslim Council
Margot Kidder C. Clark Kissinger Ron Kovic, author, Vietnam
Veteran Jonathan Kozol Ray Laforest, organizer, DC 1707, AFSCME;
member Pacifica National Board Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor,
Tikkun magazine Bruce Lincoln, prof., History of Religions, Univ.
of Chicago Gregory Maguire, author, Wicked Lucinda Marshall,
founder, Feminist Peace Network* Bill Martin, philosopher US Rep.
Cynthia McKinney Bill Mitchell, co-founder, Gold Star Families for
Peace* Viggo Mortensen National Lawyers Guild Armando Navarro,
chair, Ethnic Studies, UC Riverside Northwestern College Feminists
Not in Our Name Bertell Ollman, prof., Dept. of Politics, NYU R.
Tomás Olmos, Pres., Mexican-Amer. Bar Found., LA County Jose
Padilla, exec. dir., CA Rural Legal Assistance* Grace Paley,
writer Patrick Henry Democratic Club Sean Penn Rosalind Petchesky,
prof., Hunter College & Grad Center, CUNY Jeremy Pikser,
screenwriter, Bulworth Harold Pinter, playwright, 2005 Nobel Prize
winner Frances Fox Piven Progressive Democrats of America Michael
Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights* Scott Ritter, former UN
weapons inspector US Rep. Bobby Rush San Francisco Bayview
Newspaper Susan Sarandon John Sayles, filmmaker Richard Serra
Cindy Sheehan Martin Sheen Gloria Steinem Lynne Stewart, lawyer
Studs Terkel Gore Vidal Kurt Vonnegut Alice Walker US Rep. Maxine
Waters Wavy Gravy Leonard Weinglass, lawyer Cornel West, Princeton
University Standish E. Willis, Nat. Conference of Black Lawyers
Ann Wright, former US diplomat, resigned in protest of Iraq war
Peter Yarrow Leland Y. Yee, Speaker pro Tem, CA State Assembly
Juanita Young, leader, October 22nd Coalition* David Zeiger,
filmmaker, Sir, No Sir! Howard Zinn, historian, A Peoples' History
of the United States David Zirin, What's My Name, Fool? Sports and
Resistance in the United States
References
1. http://www.worldcantwait.net/flier/nyt.pdf
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