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cc&d v189

Fascism and the Delivery of Democracy to the Middle East

John J. Yotko

    Before you go passing judgment about me based on the title of this piece, let me explain myself. I enjoy the blessings of this country and I have served in both the Army and the Marines so that others may enjoy the blessings that I have helped secure. I know that in the United States, we have the best form of government that the human mind is currently capable of creating. Maintaining it is a delicate balance between security and liberty. As Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
    There are many ways of looking at Fascism. Generally when one thinks of it, those who remember and those who study history think of Mussolini and Hitler. They think of the dark side of the human condition.
    Fascism is, in its primary state, a political philosophy, an ideology. It is relatively new, having its birth in the latter part of the nineteenth century and not really taking root until the 1890’s. It is a Romantic philosophy. A philosophy based on intuition, emotion, and mythology. The corporate state is built around the strong leadership of an individual where industry is controlled by a combination of the workers and the owners under the watchful eye of a benevolent government. The heroic, omnipotent father figure is the embodiment of the will of the nation acting on a divine mandate. It espouses an extreme form of nationalism, which insists that citizens are subordinate to the state. We are merely a part of the national whole, which alone gives meaning to our lives. At its core, Fascism denies that humans are motivated by reason and logic but by mythological stories. Fascism promotes Social Darwinism, insisting that struggles between nations are natural and inevitable.
    So here we are as a nation (divided) falling in line behind President Bush, to support him in his “mandate” to carry out His agenda in the Middle East. Irrespective of the quality of form of government that we have, it is still Fascism when we engage in the establishment of democracies. I also oppose militarism. We have no right, no moral ground to stand on, to push our form of government on any other nation. This nation building that the White House has led us into is a form of Social Darwinism. One cannot use warfare to accomplish what that person feels is a morally worthy goal. Ethics would call that goal morally tainted.
    We must let the people of Iraq select the form of government that they choose. Our forefathers rose up against the colonialism of the British Empire and shed their blood so that we may live free. You may say that the voter turnout at the polls in Iraq is an indication of the peoples will to be free and democratic. I believe they wish to be free. I also believe that the voter turnout is more a reflection of the fear of another imperialist cloaked in the benevolence of the United States military. In addition, are the people of Iraq aware of what freedom means? Do they understand the need for self-reliance and personal responsibility in a free society?
    Fascism is delivering democracy to the Middle East whether they want it or not. Now that we have begun this campaign of nation building, are we prepared to pay the toll on this highway to a grand global democracy?



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