John, I'm not particularly interested in the ongoing debate here between Akenaton and most of the rest of you about gays...pro, con or otherwise. And I'm not commenting on it, because it holds little interest for me. I just happened to open this thread after a very loooong time of ignoring it, and I noticed a couple of comments people made about something that does interest me....namely what Akenaton was referring to as "fascism dressed as liberalism", as he said in his last post. I find that subject very interesting...the way it manifests in society and in politics, and I thought I'd give my views on it. Period. That's all there is to it.

A spectacular example of it is how Tony Blair posed as a feelgood "liberal" politician....fooled the public totally...got himself elected...and then utterly betrayed his own constituency when he took the UK to war in Iraq. Shocking behaviour really, but Blair was in the position to do it because he acted "liberal", looked "liberal", and sounded "liberal". It's only after these bastards get into office that you discover what they're really up to.

Another fascinating example...only the other way around... is how Ronald Reagan managed to convince a whole nation back in the 80's that he was a classic died-in-the-wool "conservative" by looking "conservative", acting "conservative" and sounding "conservative"....but he then put into effect financial policies that were anything BUT conservative!!! He freed up credit in the most astoundingly irresponsible fashion ever seen up to that time and created a vast bubble of fiat money creation and vastly increased govdernment spending that led directly to the ruination of the North American economy (but not right away...it took awhile). In so doing, he violated every principle of what is supposed to be classic fiscal conservatism.

The so-called "conservatives" and the so-called "liberals" are not what they appear to be. You find that out after they are elected. Bush also greatly increaed government spending.

That's what I'm interested in talking about. I couldn't care less if you people fight over gay rights here and insult each other about it for the next 10 years. It's a distraction from far more vital matters.

Another example of Orwellian fascism as practiced in politics and the media nowadays is this: anyone who strongly criticizes Israeli policy in the Middle East and who is not themself Jewish gets accused openly or by implication for being supposedly "anti-Semitic". Even Jews who dare to criticize Israeli policy are often subjected to some really strange flak along the lines of...."Oh, they must be consumed with self-hatred...they must be Jews who are ashamed of their own Jewishness"...!!!

This is really strange, and it's way out of proportion. There shouldn't be any nation or group of people in this world who have carte blanche to do what the others cannot do (such as build at least 200 secret nukes and not be taken to task for it) (such as invade their neighbours whenever they feel like it and colonize the invaded lands with settlers from the invading population). No one else gets away with that, but Israel does. And if you criticize Israel for getting away with what no one else is allowed to...then "presto!" you're supposedly an anti-semite. NOT someone with a political complaint...no, an anti-semite. In other words, you supposedly hate Jews!

Unbelievable is what that is. It's a double standard to the point of madness. I call it fascism posing as something, all right. You decide what that something is or what you want to call it.