Strick, I chose to answer your PM in open forum.

Since I did not log in to Mudcat Saturday afternoon or all day Sunday (busy making music), I'm not sure which "last post" you are referring to, but I have read most of what you have written. I must admit that on your longer posts, I scan them rather than reading your "point-by-point refutations" because, frankly (and I do not mean to be insulting here, but I have to say it), I find those point-by-point items to be made up of selective history designed to support your position rather than to present an authoritative and objective picture. I don't have the time that you seem to have to devote to this, and I feel no obligation to parse your posts as you do mine and try to correct where you seem to have misinterpreted what I said. I don't think it would work anyway. Brevity is the soul of wit, and although I rarely follow that dictum myself, I think it is a goal worth striving for, especially if you have a point that you feel is worth making and wish people to take the time to read it

My point in posting a link to Dr. Britt's "Fourteen Characteristics of Fascism" was informational—to invite people to compare Dr. Britt's list with current events and see if they can detect any parallels. Although he doesn't say so explicitly, I believe that this was Dr. Britt's intention. At least, judging from the number of places I have found the list reprinted, a large number of people have inferred that this is so. You will note that I said "I strongly suggest you read it [the Fourteen Characteristics], observe current events, and judge for yourself." It was not my intent to take you (or anyone else) by the hand, lead you through it, and make these comparisons for you. Trusting in the acute perceptions and intelligence of most Mudcatters, I do not arrogate to myself the assumption that I should do their thinking for them. If others don't think there are parallels, that's their opinion and their privilege .

If you can't see these parallels, I, personally, think it's because you're not looking or you don't want to see them. There are trends that I find pretty disturbing, and apparently many other people do also. But everything I have to say on this subject I have said before, and I have no intention of spending the time and effort to repeat it. At 19 Mar 04 – 08:56 PM, Bill D shows he understands what I was saying when he wrote "Don Firth has made the point that we are not nearly a 'fascist' state yet, but are 'moving in that direction.'" So, as far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished.

As far as the Christian / Fascist connection is concerned, in my opinion, all one need do is listen to Pat Robertson on the 700 Club or any of several other "electric preachers" to hear the powerful lust on the part of these folks to acquire sufficient secular power to enforce their beliefs and morality on the whole country—or the whole world. Harking back to Mussolini's definition of fascism as the merger of state and corporate power, there is nothing there that prevents a particular church or group of churches from also joining in that bundle of sticks surrounding the axe. Here, of course (I feel I have to keep reminding people of this), I am referring, not to Christians in general, but to that substantial group of the "Christian Right" who are often in the forefront of the news and claim to speak for all "True Christians" (lots of rules; no mercy or forgiveness).

When one looks at the backgrounds and the connections of our leaders, one can hardly deny that our government and major corporations are made up of the same people. Cheney's Halliburton connection is well-known, but I leave it to you as a good exercise in research to check into the corporate connections of various members of Bush's Cabinet, and his large group of "advisors." And considering that President Bush, who starts every day at the White House with a prayer breakfast, has said in specific terms that he considers his presidency a "Divine mission," continually salts his speeches and press conferences with religious rhetoric, and wishes to legislate morality with Constitutional amendments; the blatant machinations of people such as House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who has openly stated that he is "on a mission from God to promote a 'Biblical worldview' in American politics;" and the associations of prominent members of the Bush administration, such as Attorney General John Ashcroft, to organizations like the Council for National Policy, which was co-founded by former Moral Majority head Timothy LaHaye, and includes Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Grover Norquist, and Oliver North, that had a lot to do with Ashcroft's efforts to ram through partial-birth abortion legistlation—I think it would be hard to defend the position that we actually have the separation of church and state mandated by the Constitution. One can hardly deny that certain specific religious viewpoints have a strong foothold in the government, and some of it smells a lot like an American Taliban. Not here yet, I grant you, but straining at the leash.

So I will say once again (therefore hardly following the aforementioned dictum about brevity) that I invite people to read Dr. Britt's list and observe for themselves.

I do not see that I have anything to defend.

Don Firth