Fascism then. Fascism now?

The title of this post is taken from an article written by a Canadian lawyer named Paul Bigioni and published on today's Toronto Star. In the article, Bigioni draws parallels between pre-War II Germany's and Italy's rapid change from liberal democracy to Nazi dictatorship and the current developments in the US. Most of the similarities he sees between the occasions, are related to the role of the big business and their influence on the policies made by the governments.

When people think of fascism, they imagine Rows of goose-stepping storm troopers and puffy-chested dictators. What they don't see is the economic and political process that leads to the nightmare.

He also writes:

Digging deeper into 20th century history, one finds the exaltation of big business at the expense of the citizen was a central characteristic of government policy in Germany and Italy in the years before those countries were chewed to bits and spat out by fascism. Fascist dictatorships were borne to power in each of these countries by big business, and they served the interests of big business with remarkable ferocity. These facts have been lost to the popular consciousness in North America. Fascism could therefore return to us, and we will not even recognize it. Indeed, Huey Long, one of America's most brilliant and most corrupt politicians, was once asked if America would ever see fascism. "Yes," he replied, "but we will call it anti-fascism."

This is a fascinating article that seriously warns us of the dark times ahead if the current trend is not stopped.

The "Pot and Kettle" accusations

Iran's hard-line president called for the Bush administration to be tried on war crimes charges related to Iraq and denounced the West for its stance on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, state-run television reported today. "You, who have used nuclear weapons against innocent people, who have used uranium ordnance in Iraq should be tried as war criminals in courts," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an apparent reference to the US.

I can't agree more with the above but, there is one big problem here; It is coming from wrong person. On the other hand, I can't agree more with the US officials when they accuse the Iranian regime of violating human rights but, that too is coming from wrong people.

Looks like it has become fashionable that killers, torturers and abusers of human rights accuse each other of the same crimes. While what they say about the other side might well be true, they do not have the moral authority to make those accusations. After all, how could they be against killing when they themselves are killers, or how could they talk of human rights while they themselves are clearly violating human rights! The current US and Iran administrations have something clearly in common: They are both accusing the other of being what they themselves are. And the real victims are those people who have nothing to do with these gangs, but are sandwiched between them.

Lieberman's priority is Israel not the US!

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Speaking from Baghdad on his fourth trip to Iraq since July, Sen. Joseph Lieberman on Wednesday said failure in Iraq would be "catastrophic" for the United States and the entire Middle East, and that U.S. forces should not pull out before Iraqi forces are fully trained.

There are many so-called Democrats who are "Americans by birth" but "Israelis at heart", but Lieberman is one of the most dedicated "Israeli at heart"s who has shown, numerous times, that his main concern is Israel and not the US. This man would do just anything for Israel, even if that means more missery for the US. And in doing that, Lieberman is not alone; There are planty of Israeli agents like him in the US politics, protecting Israeli interests. I wish one day, the general public in the US begin to see the obvious and the fact that the same people are the ones who are causing many of the problems for the US, only to protect the interests of Israel.

Viva Venezuela

Officials from Venezuela and Massachusetts have signed a deal to provide cheap heating oil to low-income homes in the US state.
The fuel will be sold at about 40% below market prices to thousands of homes over the winter months.

Imagine how upset now the "oily" Cheney-Bush and their rich friends in the oil industry are, politically and economically: "Damn you Chavez for taking care of our poor more than we do" they are thinking.

Seriously! I applaud the officials in the state of Massachusetts for the courage they have shown in accepting this generous offer from Venezuela which for sure will help the needy Americans living in that state.

Capital Punishment is wrong

One more example why "capital punishment" is barbaric. Here is another barbaric "Texecusion" of a possible innocent man.

The look of a fascist

This seemingly angry but definitely mass murderer man even looks like a fascist ;-)

Don't be surprised if...

Apparently Bush and his co-criminals are now at the lowest approval rating of their time in the office. I am sure the conspiracy planners of this administration are busy trying to find a way out of this downward trend. So, don't be surprised if you suddenly hear, say, Iraqi "Weapons of Mass Destruction" have been finally found, or anything that might fool the general public in the US (again).

Mass stupidity that has cost innocent lives

To those who voted for Bush and those who remained silent or passive when Bush and his gang were in rampage of killing:
Shame on you for allowing your criminal leaders commit crimes against humanity with such ease and without fear of justice. You are the co-killers in every single killing of innocent Iraqis. Put down your stupid heads in shame.

There is no justice unless Bush and his criminal gang stand trial for the crimes they have committed against humanity.

(The above link is to a video showing how the US army used White Phosphorus against thousands of Iraqi civilians).

Not just a joke

The president sat behind his stately desk in the Oval Office and drummed his fingers impatiently on the arm of his chair.
He pressed a button. "Anything yet, Karl?"
The voice of the president's closest adviser emanated from a desk speaker. "Nothing yet, President Bush, but we expect a call at any moment. I'll notify you immediately."
The president tapped his fingers harder, bounced his knee up and down, spun in his chair. He couldn't hold out much longer.
Suddenly, the phone rang. The president snatched the receiver. "Mr. President," the aide named Karl said, "the Radical Religious Right, line two." "Finally!" The president hit line two and said, "Hello?"
"You may now go," the Radical Religious Right said.
"Thank you!" The president dropped the receiver to the desk and ran to the presidential washroom.... .

Not very off from reality. But it would have been even closer to reality if the calls were coming not only from "the Radical Religious Right" but also from the headquaters of the Corporate America and even some from Tel Aviv; depending on the category of the issues.

More from the writer of the above: If Cheney's for torture, why not use it on Scooter?

Israel knew about the bombing before it happened?

According to Los Angeles Times,

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israelis staying at the Radisson on Wednesday had been evacuated before the attacks and escorted back home "apparently due to a specific security threat."
Amos N. Guiora, a former senior Israeli counter-terrorism official, said in a phone interview with The Times that sources in Israel had also told him about the pre-attack evacuations."
It means there was excellent intelligence that this thing was going to happen," said Guiora, a former leader of the Israel Defense Forces who now heads the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "The question that needs to be answered is why weren't the Jordanians working at the hotel similarly removed?"

Horrifying but also interesting. Isn't it?

The most Intelligent? May be not!

I was listening to a piece of Persian traditional song and music. While I was truly enjoying the music, I could not resist my anger at the lyrics.

Like in many other cultures and languages, many Iranian traditional songs are full of hopes and wishes. Hopes and wishes for peace and prosperity for the human kind. Hopes and wishes for love to become the determining element in every aspect of the relations between people. Hopes and wishes for a better life for everyone. Well, not only there is nothing wrong with having such thoughts and wishes, but it is also absolutely noble and precious but,...but, why asking "god" to turn those wishes to reality? They say human is the most intelligent creature. But are we? How could we be so intelligent when we keep doing the same thing and we keep failing in getting the result? As far as it is known, human has always prayed to god, human has always asked god to help; to do something to end the miseries. But we have also always experienced that our prayers get to nowhere, as the misery has always continued in one way or another. But yet, we keep doing the same stupid thing again and again, and we keep failing again and again, but we never learn so this cycle never ends and it continues despite its clear and proven emptiness.

Wars have continued, genocides have continued, poverty has continued, 27000 children die from starvation every day, earthquakes kill people in thousands. One misery ends, the other begins. Only recently, 73,000 people died in an earthquake in Pakistan. It is said that tens of thousands of people will freeze to death if they do not receive help within next few weeks,... but we still just pray. What's wrong with us? Why do we not learn? Why do we let to be humiliated so much by our own stupidity? Why pray while we can do real things? We have to believe in our own power, instead of relying on the proxy powers of who knows who.

I'm sorry for being so blunt. But that's how I feel right now, and I just wanted to reflect my feeling exactly the way it is.

Admirably strong

The family of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was killed by Israeli soldiers (emphasis by Faramin) have donated one of his kidneys to an Israeli boy. "It doesn't matter whether the recipient was a Jew or an Arab," they said.

In fact, his other organs were also donated to other Israeli patients in need.

The father of a Palestinian boy shot dead by Israeli soldiers said Monday he believes his son's spirit is alive in "every Israeli" after donating the boy's organs to Israelis waiting for transplants. Ismail Khatib said he was extremely proud of his decision, even if some corners of Palestinian society might be upset with him.
"No one can tell me what to do," he said. "I feel very good that my son's organs are helping six Israelis. ... I feel that my son has entered the heart of every Israeli."... "We're talking about young children. Their religion doesn't make a difference," he said.

It is beyond imagination what this Palestinian family has done for the sake of humanity. I can say nothing but expressing my admiration for this great family for what they have done.

Guantanamo Bay; a constant nightmare with no end

This piece is dedicated to all of the prisoners around the world who are the victims of the dictatorship regimes and/or the bullies of the world; The prisoners who are not subject to due and fair process and their future only depends on how their butchers decide for them, with or without moral justifications.

Just think about it:

Imagine you are a detainee in Guantanamo Bay or in one of the newly discovered prison systems of the United States around the world. You are isolated from the world. For so many years, you haven't had access to the outside world even without being charged for any crime. All you've seen for years have been the ugly faces of your butchers. All of a sudden, you are told that you are going to be visited by the people from the Red Cross or, say the UN or some human rights organizations. How are you going to believe that those supposedly Red Cross people or the UN people are actually from the Red Cross or the UN? You want to talk to them and tell them what you are going through. You are desperate. You want to ask them to tell the world about what the "democracy and freedom-loving" America is doing to you. You want to cry for them. You want to tell them that you are choking and you want to tell them and ask them to do something to stop the monstrous bully who is freely doing whatever the f*** it wants with you without fear of punishment. You want to tell them about all your pains and suffering for not seeing your spouse, your kids, your brothers and sisters, your parents. You want to tell them about how difficult it is not knowing what comes next and until when you have to be in a limbo and if there is any end to this at all. You want to talk to them from the bottom of heart... .

...But you can't. You can't even be so sure if those nice talking people are really from where they are claiming to be. May be they are, may be they aren't. How would you know? You are afraid of the retribution and more suffering if you talk your mind and it turns out that you've been actually asking your butchers to help you. How difficult is it for the butchers to pretend to be there to help? How difficult is it for the criminals running those illegal and immoral facilities to have some crooks to pretend to be from the Red Cross, only to examine you to know how you would react if you really were given the chance to see the Red Cross people or people from human rights organizations?

Being a detainee, when there is no rule but the rule of the jungle, can be the most terrifying experience that anyone can have. You just need to put yourself in their position to have a glimpse of what they are going through.

We do have the moral responsibility to speak out against this injustice. We have the moral responsibility to scream that "one must be considered innocent, unless proven guilty"not like what the criminals in the White House have done to hundreds of the detainees who are held without a charge in a place considered to be one of the symbols of the human right abuses.

Please take a minute to imagine yourself in their position and then speak out, in whichever way you can defend human rights. Please do not neglect. This is the least we can do from the warmth of our homes.

Rumsfeld continues his human rights abuses

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he will not allow UN human rights monitors free access to prisoners in Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

Of course you wouldn't Mr Secretary. Of course you wouldn't.

But we will insist that the UN human rights monitors would have access to you; yes, even a mass criminal like you Mr Rumsfeld, when YOU are behind the bars.

Mean Reds or Meaningless Blues? Not much of a choice!

Pardon me for my blunt language and PLEASE don't take it personal; that's not my intention. It is only the true and clear expression of how I feel about the US politics:

Assuming you are not rich and/or crook, if you are so stupid and/or idiot to be a Republican, you might wish to find out about the level of stupidity and/or idiocy you are struggling with.
If you are so naive to be a "Democrat" (at least in its current state), you might wish to examine your level of naiveness.

If you are none of the above, you might only want to read this article that just tells you more about the "Mean Reds" and "Meaningless Blues" who have become the only two dominating choices to Americans.