First Door on the Left

The queen of the right, Ann Coulter, on Canada:

“They better hope the United States doesn’t roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.”

Media Matters has more, including some incredibly choice bits of wisdom from the right’s poster boy, Tucker Carlson (like “Without the U.S., Canada is essentially Honduras, but colder and much less interesting.”)

The Los Angeles Times reports:

A public service ad paid for by the Los Angeles County public health agency to raise awareness about the dangers of syphilis has been rejected by local television stations that consider the content inappropriate.

Watch the ad.

I hate to say it, being the nasty old Liberal that I am, but I’m siding with the television stations on this one. Some things are just not meant for primetime, like the big red sore, pills for erectile dysfunction, tampons, vaginal creams, the 50-year-old grandmother on her exercise machine… Shall I go on?

However, I still maintain that there is nothing whatsoever objectional in that other ad.

I know you have probably seen the list of the 14 characteristics most common to all fascist regimes, but in case you haven’t…

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.

Source.

Houston, I think we have a problem.

Via The Obscure Store…

Open sexuality compared to ‘pornography’
by Debra L. Holbus

The Nov. 23 edition of the Tribune featured an article by Amanda Burrows entitled “Group teaches tolerance, spreads diversity” about the Gay/Straight Alliance group at Marquette. Would somebody please explain to me why it is necessary for this group within our culture to continue advertising their sexuality? I cannot understand it.

Admittedly, I am a happily married heterosexual.

There she goes, right off the bat, advertising her sexuality.

Melanie Hawks wrote in with a few tips that would assist Debra in not advertising her sexuality…

• Do not have children. Everyone knows where they come from!
• Remove your wedding ring. It is a symbol of marriage and anyone who sees it will instantly peg you for what you are.
• Do not take advantage of spousal benefits such as sharing health insurance or making medical decisions in an emergency. Nothing screams “heterosexual” more than exercising your civil rights does.
• Never use the term “husband” or “wife,” since only heterosexuals can be married. Married people are known to have sex, and you don’t want to pollute anyone’s mind with that image.
• Avoid any display of public affection with your mate. Holding hands with or kissing a member of the opposite sex is a dead giveaway about what you do behind closed doors.

I’d add one more: Stop writing newspaper columns proclaiming that you are a “happily married heterosexual.” That’s kind of a dead give-away right there.

Social Security, by the way, is doing just fine.

Do not let George and the Georgettes convince you otherwise.

Today is World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS.”

I lifted this from Terreus:

Please do what you can to help, and if you’re looking for someplace to send a donation, here is a very worthy recipient: AIDS Services of Dallas.

Seems there is this guy named Steve Gardner who lost his job and decided to blame his misfortune on John Kerry so he made up this story… well, you have to read it to believe it.

The righties are now falling over each other to see who can send him the most money.

I’ve heard stories of con artists before, but this Gardner dude takes the cake.

Hey, righties… if you have all that money lying around and know not what to do with it, send it to me! Shoot, I’ll even make up a story if you want me to.