The U.S. is silently becoming a fascist state

Dear Editor:

The Point/Counterpoint section by Erin Roof and Tony Cox raised some interesting ideas about the condition of current geopolitics. While Roof’s interpretation of the type of revolution that is such an imminent possibility is a bit optimistic, Cox’s article was just ridiculous. Every argument from Cox’s piece sounded like a bunch of sound-bites from the “O’Reilly Factor.” Cox’s regurgitation of the same mindless dribble that Europe should be forever obligated to kiss the United States’ ass because we bailed them out in WWII illustrates the fundamental political accomplishments the real revolution is achieving right now. Why should Europe kiss the U.S. government’s ass if they had just been shat upon?

The real revolution that is occurring is no worker revolution; it is actually quite the opposite. The revolution that I am speaking of is the one that is taking place right under our noses by the Straussian Neo-Cons controlling the government today. Unannounced revolution is not something that is foreign to our history. Just as the Constitution was written in a bold move of treason by our exalted founding fathers, the Bush administration is changing our society as we know it. The elitist disciples of Leo Strauss, the political philosopher of the University of Chicago, have grabbed onto the concept of “the noble lie” and run with it. Essentially, we are in the middle of a grand reconstruction of American society into an elitist, fascist state. If you cast off such an argument as a paranoid delusion, consider the “14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism” by Dr. Lawrence Britt:

1. Powerful and continuing nationalism

2. Disdain for the recognition of human rights

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause

4. Supremacy of the military

5. Rampant sexism

6. Controlled mass media

7. Obsession with national security

8. Religion and government are intertwined

9. Corporate power is protected

10. Labor power is suppressed

11. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts

12. Obsession with crime and punishment

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption

14. Fraudulent elections

I’m sure that the average reader gets goose bumps when reading over this list and thinking of certain goals of the Bush administration, such as the concentration of media ownership, bills for “academic freedom” designed to gag progressives, disenfranchised voters in Ohio, Cheney’s friends devising our national energy policy and bankruptcy laws designed to protect creditors, and the “nuclear option” of changing the rules of Congress to get around a filibuster. The existence of the Neo-Con Fascist Revolution is certain.

Roof’s account of a revolution actually describes a counter-revolution. Bush’s revolution has been met with limited domestic opposition, but its imperialistic and hegemonic implications have spurred a global opposition. Cox’s defense of the Bush regime and its silent revolution indicates that he has drunk too much Kool-Aid, watched too much Fox News and has let his sense of nationalism obstruct his ability to rationally view our true geopolitical reality.

Kevin Heade

Senior education and political science major

‘Monthly Kent Satire’ page is not funny

Dear Editor:

Since no one else is blunt enough or rude enough to say it, I guess I will: The “Monthly Kent Satire” sucks. If you must have a humor page (and I use the term humor very, very loosely to describe the Kent Satire) once a month, then just collect Nick Moose’s articles for a monthly page. At least his articles are actually funny. By the way, the entire “May Fourthers” article was in really bad taste. I guess bad humor and bad taste go hand-in-hand.

Matthew Finamore

Freshman political science major