Fascism (2008)

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as follows: “a political philosophy, movement, or regime . . . that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

Socialism is defined as: “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.”

Democracy is defined as: “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.”

Often on “talk shows” and even in the print media, we find citizens on both the right and the left declaring or predicting that this democratic republic is headed for either fascism or socialism. The fifty-six signers of our Declaration of Independence, and the writers of the greatest document about government known to man--the Constitution of the United States--determined that this nation would be, and thank God it still is, a Democratic Republic. But, through the inequities of this country’s greatest shame, slavery, and the repudiation of our way of government by such men as Roger Baldwin, who founded the ACLU in 1917, or even Gus Hall, Chairman of the Communist Party in this country until he died in the year 2000, we have those citizens who, very much like Karl Marx, think that the only value of the people is their value to the state.

At the Kremlin in Moscow, standing in Lenin’s tomb, looking at his long-deceased constantly embalmed body, I could not help but think of his famous line, “A lie told often enough becomes truth.” I have been to Russia several times, and crossed Russia once on the Trans-Siberian railroad. I believe the most shocking experience of Soviet life was the regimentation of the people. When I walked out of the Metropol Hotel, I was greeted by the sight of very old women sweeping the streets. I was told that every life was regimented to a particular job. While there at a May Day celebration, I stood on Red Square with the delegation from Communist Cuba, watching the smiling uniformed citizens with their war-making, agriculture and commercialized equipment move through the square. Only on a holiday could a marriage take place and May Day is the country’s only holiday, so there were many bridal couples in evidence.

The most uncomfortable adaptation as a tourist was the peepholes in every room, regimented meals in the 2,000 seat militaristic-type dining room, and the fact that you felt you were being watched at all times. Even when I spoke at the University of Moscow.   The gauge of wheels on Russian trains are different from those on all other trains so on my train trip from London to Hong Kong the train carriage must be raised at the Russian border, and different wheels put on the train to fit the Russian tracks (all this work is done by women).

In China, (I was one of the first Americans into China after Nixon reopened it and was there twice after that time), like Russia, and the other Communist countries, particularly in the Balkans while they were still under Russian control, the tourists, like the citizens enjoyed no freedom at all of movement, housing, and even your food was carefully regulated as to amount. One distinguished judge from New York City told the guide, “I simply must have more food than this.  Even if it’s nothing more than just bread.” In Russia, if it had not been for black bread and beer, I would have starved to death. On the Trans-Siberian railroad train, every meal was a soup mixture and I noticed that the Russian citizens who were riding on the train were treated more like cattle than human beings.

In Cuba, the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution regulates everything a citizen does. The streets of each city and even rural areas are constantly patrolled and the most minor infraction is reported to the Commissar. Much of the turmoil taking place in the Congo this very day is because Patrice Lumumba invited Raul Castro to assist him in getting the Congo (a country as large as Europe) under control.

Every time I hear a liberal politician, academician, or commentator promote controls and regulation of the hard-earned freedoms which we enjoy in this country, I just want to slap someone. Every time I see a young person, always with a cell phone, wearing the latest trends in clothing, driving expensive cars, with more spending money than the wealthiest citizens in third world countries make, living decadent, uncaring lives I want to hit them over the head with my white cane (I am a 100% disabled, service-connected, totally blind veteran) and remind them of what the Founding Fathers and their own ancestors have left for them to enjoy.

To the uninitiated, everything is obscure. When will our educators, elementary, high school, and college, and the parents of these thankless students remind them that freedom is not free and that there are terrorists and fellow travelers who resent the prosperity and largess of this country and are willing to take it away from us?

Fascism is not just a definition, it can become a reality!