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Thought Bandit!

Fri, 07/16/2010 - 12:04pm — Berd

I stopped in at Traditions a week ago Friday prior to the weekly Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Vigil. The food was great. While I was there I saw this van stopped at the traffic light outside, so I jumped up quick to snap a photo. Here it is with some thoughts about government, business, and society. —Berd

Thought Bandit Van
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Some thoughts inspired by the Thought Bandit van, and by today's (Friday, July 16, 2010) Letters to the Editor in The Olympian:

I think there's a good argument that the USA is a fascist nation.

After all, for one, the USA is imperialistic. That's an observation, not a judgment. It's inarguable. Not a matter of debate. The judgment is that imperialism is wrong.

The USA is a global bully. Taking without asking, and trashing the planet.

What the USA does and enables is just plain wrong. The USA needs to change. The USA needs to stop harming the world.

If it's not acceptable in kindergarten, then why is it acceptable in government and business?

p.s. Please attend the Peace Vigil if you can! You're invited and welcome! It's from 4:30 to 6pm every Friday at Percival Landing.

Comments

Fri, 07/16/2010 - 3:14pm — Thad Curtz

Umm ...

Being an imperialistic nation does not necessarily mean being a fascist nation. (Consider the Soviet Union for much of its history, or the British Empire...)

The logic here goes:

Fascist nations are imperialistic.
The United States is imperialistic.
Therefore the US is a fascist nation.

This logic is exactly like saying:

Barns are red.
My apple is red.
Therefore my apple is a barn.

There may well be some reasons for thinking that the country's changing in ways that are moving it toward fascist political and economic structures, but this argument needs some reworking...

Best,
Thad

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Best,
Thad

Fri, 07/16/2010 - 3:26pm — Berd

Fascism and Imperialism

Good point Thad, thank you. But it does not mean that the USA is not fascist, nor imperialist. The USA is imperialist—I believe that is inarguable at this point. And while imperialism ≠ fascism, I think that imperialism is enabled by fascism, in the high-powered capital corporate control of media, and government, and in domination of the means of material production.

While one does not equal the other, I think the connections are intimate.

It's a deeply disturbing picture, and the need for change is urgent in the extreme.

Fascism, imperialism, whatever. These are just labels, symbols that can't do justice to the present reality of extreme social injustice. The problems are deep, and perverse.

The fact is that way the USA is operating—what the USA is doing to the world—is just plain wrong. That's the point I was trying to make.


Peace is Possible!

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Sat, 07/17/2010 - 1:53pm — dobfre

Thought Bandits

A very cool picture, i'm just wondering what your statements have to do with the van?

Sun, 07/18/2010 - 1:58pm — Berd

Thought Bandit

The van inspired my statements... Hm. kind of hard to explain. It has to do with the juxtaposition of the van and the capitol, and the fact that I was on my way to the peace vigil. So it's a combination of factors, including the letters to the editor in The Olympian, as well as online comments on the LTEs, one of which was about whether the USA is fascist.

It seems to me that thinking of the USA as, and understanding how the USA is!, fascist and imperialist is somewhat akin to being an outlaw bandit.

The USA is really lawless in a lot of ways. And I think there is a lot need for thought "bandits" to run counter to the mainstream culture—a culture which is of oppression.

The popular myth is that the USA is the land of the free. But in reality it's the opposite. In reality the USA is a land of cruelty, inhumanity, oppression, and other violence.

It's a testament to the power of myth.

 


Peace is Possible!

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