Flashback: The Fourteen Points of Fascism

Posted by Brian McLain on 10.31.2007

The Angry Scotsman, Brian McLain, loves to take requests, and this is one of them. For those of you who have sought the heralded Fourteen Points of Fascism articles and have not been able to find them this is your lucky day. Plus a look at the first defendant to be placed on mock trial next Wednesday in the new series "Enemies of the Republic"...and boy is he a doozy.

First of all I would like to thank everyone for taking such a great interest in my writing. If anything I was very concerned about the number of hate e-mails I would receive in regards to my project, but I received quite the contrary. I received many e-mails either of support of the articles I've been posting, or questions which expanded on the premise of my articles. So once again, I thank every one of you and hope that I will be a regular stopping point as you peruse through the talented musings and thoughts of other 411mania writers.

I had planned on taking some time off in preparation for my next article series "Enemies of the Republic", however I received some e-mail asking why they cannot find my 14 points of Fascism articles. The fact was I was simply a guest star originally, working through Jason Easley and, therefore, they were listed under his profile and not mine. So in order fulfill the wants of readers I am now providing for you the full series in one single article. Now I warn you that this will be rather lengthy, however if you are a devout reader, wanting to absorb all the information that I have come across and analyzed, you will not be disappointed. Following the review, I will post some information in regards to what to expect from me next week. So without further delay, I present to you a flashback to the allegedly award winning article series: The Fourteen Points of Fascism.

In 2004, acclaimed political scientist, Dr. Laurence Britt, authored a brief list of traits found historically in fascist regimes entitled "The Fourteen Points of Fascism". Dr. Britt's expertise lie in the study of such regimes as Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, Franco's Spain, Suharto's Indonesia, and Pinochet's Chile so I am quite confident that he knows what he's talking about. With each of these points I hope to enlighten the American people to what direction our country is taking, regardless of what party you vote into power. Please understand that it is not too late to restore our Republic and get away from this path peacefully and democratically...but the window is closing rapidly, and soon there will only be one option left:

Revolution.

Now that I have officially red flagged myself, please enjoy my posts with an open mind and feel free to argue, comment, disagree, defend and above all else, express your opinion. We may not be afforded such liberties in the future.

Point 1: Powerful and Continuing Expressions of Nationalism

This is not a new concept to the United States. Since the birth of this country there has been a very strong sense of nationalism that has flown within this nation, and it had lead to a lot of deaths and harassments. In the time of the Framers, Tories were granted about the same courtesies as blacks in 1930s Alabama, and many a politician capitalized on this fervor. The real turning point was when the source of the nationalism began to be filtered to the people from the government, not the other way around. Since the first World War, government forced and influenced nationalism became a new tool for war in a nation bent on staying out of international conflicts. Anti-sedition laws and political imprisonment was a supplement to the encouraged outrage and burning of German books while "God" had made it Woodrow Wilson's solemn duty to "make the world safe for Democracy[business ventures]".

From there we enter the Cold War, and a whole new ballgame. Any deviation from the white picket fence America that was designated by the government and other business outlets was attacked as Communist influenced and largely un-American. I'm not talking Communists hitting the bricks with signs and slogans or calls to expand into Marxism. I'm talking about women going out and being breadwinners, blacks who wanted civil liberties recognized, homosexuals, people who like rock music, Lucy Ricardo??! You must act American, this is how an American acts, this is what an American thinks. If you don't think this way, there is something wrong with you!

Propaganda shows the way, and drives nationalistic tendencies, shows who the real enemy is, have pride in your country. Don't have a flag to fly? Here, have the one I've been wrapping myself in. State influenced and encouraged nationalism is a dangerous tactic used to protect the actions of officials and directs the blindly patriotic to do their bidding.

Claims that the "Iraq war may be the greatest gift we give our grandchildren", specifically named patriotic operations of war so that they might be plastered upon every fallen soldier's headstone, increased use of military personnel or other patriotically symbolic figures in political rallies, and the glorification and justification in the use of force.

Do not allow yourself to be a puppet! You hold up a flag in one hand, you better be holding up a copy of the Constitution in the other. Or simply go off into the dark and blindly chant USA as your government takes way the very freedoms they claim your sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins and dear friends are dying for! GI Joe is alive and well in America, but it is being used in a way meant to direct us in a specific way without our knowing.

Point 2: Disdain for the importance of human rights

This one has not quite been quite as blunt in the US as it has in other fascist states; however it is slowing getting there. Dressing the use of torture as necessary methods of interrogation is very much in the ballpark of human rights violations. Holding people for indefinite amounts of time without access to communication with council or family is a violation of human rights. The thing that is keeping this point off the map for this country so far is there is no firm direction to designate torture as "okay" yet.

We have instances where the administration, select members of Congress and political pundits consistently argue that doing such inhumane things to people is within our right to protect the American people. Then we bounce back to the "The United States does not practice torture", and simply hiding the torture methods. However as Bush puts pen to paper and signs a new bill getting rid of Habeas Corpus for terror suspects (regardless of citizenship status with the US, mind you) and allowing hearsay arguments in tribunal cases, we are approaching that point of fascism very quickly.

Oh, and Guantanamo closing down is a red herring, as the United States is currently building prisons in Afghanistan to house prisoners secretly. Further new power allows the President to determine what acceptable interrogation methods are and set the limit on torture. That simply means if somebody practices the method of "hobble" on a detainee (reference: please see the movie 'Misery'), the president just has to say "That is not torture! That is an acceptable interrogation method". All that is really left now is the government to begin a big propaganda campaign to justify everything.

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause

This tactic has been used constantly and effectively in the United States for decades, and is the single most ruthless destroyer of ideas, freedoms and truth this country has ever been inflicted with. Now if you might have just crawled out from under a rock, allow me to explain:

The first major push, as a country against a scapegoat, one wishing nothing less than the total destruction of liberty and freedom of the American people, took place immediately following World War II. Communism was a great driving force in American policy and constantly pointed to as a monster in the closet that must be fought against. Remain vigilant, strong, and patriotic, people of America. Have trust in your government and its actions against the tyrannical foe of Communism!

However as the Red Scare increased in the minds of the people, so did the incrimination of many who had a little less than the white picket fence American ideals, and Citizens began to see a witch hunt erupt. As the scare's intensity increased and wars raged on, people by mere hearsay were placed in front of publicized Senate tribunals, arrested for holding Communist beliefs, and Communism in general became the single most dirty word in the America language. Most journalists, by the early 60s, had adopted a method of writing invoking their patriotism first in articles in the hopes of warding off possible red implications by mistakenly criticizing an American value or action.

Now we have a new team to root against. We have a new heel to unify a chorus of boos towards at the mere mention of the name: Terrorists. This word is used, as frequently by the government to direct certain actions and support for actions by the American people, though thankfully it is not proving as effective as the former Communist scapegoat.

The true danger that exists today, however, is labels and scapegoating that create in fighting. These labels are used to remove credibility at an astonishing rate, and create a lazy response to any argument the stifles even the slightest amount of debate and instead introduces name-calling as appropriate responses. Let's test my analysis, shall we?

Gauge your mood when I say the word 'Liberal'.

Now let's try 'Conservative'.

'Neo-Con'

'Environmentalist'

Would you ever bring yourself to listen to any of these groups of people, knowing up front what label of viewpoint they tend to represent? Quite often the opposite is the end result. When those listening to the likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh hear the word 'Liberal', the knee jerk reaction is to immediately stop communicating effectively and simply pre-judge the person as not knowing what they are talking about. Further, many who have this knee-jerk reaction also discredit in their brain what had already been said upon learning their company's political label.

I know this because I used to be the exact same way. I was a hardcore Conservative and I went over to the other extreme and was a moderately strong Liberal, and in both instances I was pre-programmed to have the knee-jerk, Ann Coulter, ignorant reaction to discredit everything somebody said, will say, and is saying based on the information of one's political leanings. It was not the idea I was repulsed by, but the person's party. This is not healthy actions by members of a republic, in which intelligent debate is the key to its survival and success. It polarizes people, automatically pigeon holes individuals into categories of "likes" and "don't likes", and stunts the free flow of ideas, and it is under these conditions that the mindless masses are easiest to distract and to control.

4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism

The strength of the military is a bit of a new concept in the United States. Quite frequently the real method of building support against the enemy of the country at the time was building the US as the underdog. Even when we dropped the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, proving our military superiority in the world, the United States still approached Communism in the 1950s as the monster that we valiantly fight against all odds. The US doesn't parade military strength in front of the people, but loves to parade victories regardless of legitimacy. The need for military strength, however, has always been a point to hit on in this country. More weapons, more bombs, more powerful bombs, the need to constantly monitor other countries through permanent bases such as Korea, Germany and so on.

It was not until President (or as I like to call him, Resident) George W. Bush took office, and a measure of pre-emptive attack was established that the power of our military was flaunted in the form of the ease in which the United States military can overtake a country. In other words, Resident Bush and many on his side acknowledged the American military as the 'sleeping dragon', and frequently used its strength as part of the justification of the pre-emptive strike doctrine. As irony would have it, our military is at its weakest point in decades, however now its strength is being flaunted. I expect the significance of military strength will continue to increase, especially as the federal government enters into a North American Union in an effort to justify the move as a good thing.

I hope everyone had a terrific Forth and I will continue my analysis next week, covering the characteristics of sexism and mass media control. Until then, vote smart, vote often, and above all else participate in the system. You might find you have more of a voice than you think.

5. Rampant sexism

Now mind you this isn't simply male dominated sexism. While it is explained as such, that is a very rigid explanation that doesn't truly account for all those who are targeted here. I would rather call rampant sexism a much-focused attack on anything regarded as outside the scope of normal gender roles. During the 1940s and 1950s the United States was absolutely fixated on gender roles as the boys started coming home from the Second World War Rosy was told to put down her riveter, take off her shoes and get back in the kitchen very explicitly by the federal government and popular culture. All of a sudden, Donna Reed and Betty Crocker were placed as those women, who had attained the perfect American Nirvana and those who continued to do things like work in manly jobs, or came out against having the apron latched back on them, was Communist.

That's right, everyone, Communist. If a woman was sexy and seductive in any way, she was labeled dangerous. If she wanted to get into politics in anything more than a bake sale, it could potentially destroy the American way of life. I'm not making this up, folks. Now we have much looser leashes on the topic of gender roles, however there is still enough sentiment that two guys watching football and talking seriously about toilet cleaners is comical. The government and media has already started using this sentiment to their advantage in some cases, by coming in at the other end and focusing on a man's inept ability to do normal household duties that a homemaker would typically do. This is a practice that has been used consistently since the 1970s, but has intensified enough to get the ire of some fathers up to protest the actions.

Homophobia is also a very strong part of this rampant sexism. I don't really need to explain that too vividly, since I would figure that the federal government has made this pretty clear by attempting to forcefully usurp the states' power over marriage and regulate in through the United States Constitution.

6. A controlled mass media

I bet you are thinking of people like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Reagan and Glen Beck right now. Well, you are half right, since the real issue on my mind is the reinstitution of the "Fairness" Doctrine. This topic had come up occasionally over time, but has intensified since the first defeat of the now defunct amnesty bill that President Bush attempted to pass. The resurrection of the "Fairness" Doctrine would very much regulate mass media, now including internet blogs and news sites such as 411mania, under guidelines laid out by whatever the federal government would consider fair.

In the past this meant the requirement for mass media to make available all viewpoints of an issue or candidate. The only problem with this is even though it was meant to make all viewpoints available, only the Republican and Democrat sides often received such consideration and any other ideas in the middle often were overcast. Given how general this particular government likes to make things, I could easily see government officials playing fast and loose with the rules, fining and removing the licenses of anybody who dare express an undesirable viewpoint. This is an extremely dangerous bit of legislation being pushed under the guise of offering relief to the ears of those who can't seem to figure out their radio enough to turn it off of Rush Limbaugh.

That's it for this week, everyone. Thank you so much for reading and remember to educate yourself on all the candidates. Should anybody be interested in the big Iowa Strawpoll the GOP is putting on, just go to Brownback's website for some freebie tickets.

7. Obsession with national security

February 27th, 1933: German's parliament building, the Reichstag, was destroyed by an arsonist's flame. Immediately following the blaze and the arrest of the alleged Communist responsible for the fire, Chancellor Adolph Hitler requested of the President of Germany the "Reichstag Fire Decree". The first sentence of this decree was "Ordnung des Reichspräsidenten zum Schutz von Volk und Staat" which translated means "Order of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State". This move by the executive powers of the German government made way for the Enabling Act of 1933, and bluntly stomped out the freedoms and rights of speech, protest, and even dissent in almost all cases.

September 11, 2001: Three coordinated terrorist attacks bring down the World Trade Centers 1, 2, and consequentially 7, destroy a section of the Pentagon, as a forth plane fails to reach its speculated destination and crashes in an empty field in Pennsylvania. October 23, 2001 Assistant Attorney General Veit D. Dihn and future Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff introduce a draft of the USA Patriot Act which saw no committee time, almost no debate time, and an almost unanimous approval from both House and Senate within 24 hours of its introduction. The title of the act, in full, is "The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001".

While I would disagree that there are similarities in legislation between the two, there is no denying the relationship in how both were approved, and the ease in which they were approved. Considered by some to be the first step in a long process of freedom relinquishing and quashing legislation, acts and most recently executive orders, the USA PATRIOT Act has become a poster child of the poisoning of the Republic.

However while this administration has taken some of the most blunt action against civil liberties and freedoms in the defense of liberty and freedom, it certainly is not the first. Anti-sedition acts and other constitutionally repugnant methods had consistently been used in modern United States history at time of war and nation emergency, starting with Franklin D Roosevelt in 1933. However these acts had Constitutional merit because it passed the test of Constitutionality by being strictly specific in its aims and a strict timeframe was provided. The War on Terror has no limit or end to it, which makes many of these acts, including the USA Patriot Act, a very worrisome bit of legislation.

The warrantless wiretapping, the detainment of US Citizens without counsel or Habeas Corpus for indefinite periods of time because of their reassignment as "enemy combatants", "free speech zones" are all done in the interest of national security. Perhaps even more grave are the string of executive orders that had recently been issued by Resident Bush such as PDD 51 which has some interesting language pertaining to the possible consolidation of government under the presidency in the event of a national emergency in the interest of national security.

Another executive order has language that has some Iraq war peace protesters concerned that it the ambiguity of the order may put them at risk of having their property or wealth blocked or confiscated by the federal government. Again, this is all in the interest of national security and the government of the United States apparently have things so under control in the interest of national security that Resident Bush's staff won't even allow supposedly separate but equal

-George W. Bush, December 18, 2000


8. Religion and ruling elite tied together

The United States has had a very prominent history of this particular point as well. Communism, being a vehemently secular ideology was very much proclaimed as godless, and thus, evil in the eyes of the Christian United States. To make this very clear, the Knights of Columbus amended the famous Columbus Day pledge of allegiance to include the words "Under God" in 1954 after a campaign. The true irony of this is Francis Bellamy wrote a Christian Socialist cousin of Edward Bellamy the pledge. But, I digress. It is not that this country has not seen its share of religiously tied actions and applications from the government.

It is quite prominent in our society that social and religious issues are closely tied in relation and the ever-embattled definition of the "wall of separation" makes that quite clear. It is in other situations, in which the civic and the religious are actually one and the same, and the line of separation becomes blurred to the point in which a civil religion exists. Robespierre attempted this to gain greater approval of the Terror, many dictatorships and monarchies continue to do so today by proclaiming them to be anointed as rulers by God.

George W. Bush proclaiming "God is on our side" in the war against terror, isn't near as horrifying as the Resident stating that he is doing God's work. I have no documented evidence of him doing so; however one would have to wonder with his rather Wilsonian way of looking at his role in the world. I have run into many Bush supporters, however, that have thanked God that Bush was sent to the United States and chosen to win the election, or that Bush won both elections by the grace of God. These people may be scary, but they are not entirely a threat to the Republic with the very small minority that still considers Bush a God-sent.

Above all else, I would watch for government use of Romans 13 in the Christian bible. It has been used many times in the past to install complacency into nervous masses, and there are some unconfirmed reports that FEMA is using it in cases of national emergency or training based around the scripture in the instance of a mass quarantine. The passage begins as this:

"1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (NIV)

I would like to compel everyone to recognize that the Republic was set up in such as way, in which "We the People" are the sovereign and governing authority of this country. Should this ever come about in any church, any meeting, or any resolution, please remembers your Constitution and the position that the Citizens of the United States has been granted by the powers of the Constitution.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."


9. Power of corporations protected

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated

Let's face it everyone, Corporatism has been a big part of American history since the Progressive Republican's Gilded Age of the early 20th century. The driving force behind U.S. policy very much had to do with the big banks, corporations and economic barons from the Panama Canal debacle by Teddy Roosevelt, to the creation and implementation of the Fed, Hoover's entire policy as Secretary of Commerce under the scandal laced Harding Administration and into the White House revolved around the protection and national bolstering of corporations. Even when the national income tax was put into effect in 1913, most of the economic barons of the day had already place their holdings in federally approved tax shelters to protect their incomes and assets from taxation. This made the majority of the income tax the burden of the middle class, much like it still is today.

An entertaining story of this era is the fight for the anti-trust movement, which was originally meant to break up unions and stop the formation of new unions. That's right, kids, the Sherman Act was an attempt to keep workers from uniting and creating closed shops and fair and fixed wages or other "restraints of trade", however because of the language of future legislation in the Clayton Antitrust Act the focus was then placed on monopolies rather than unions. Unions were exempted from anti-trust legislation in statutory cases by the Clayton act, and non-statutory cases were added to this in 1998. The whole concept of corporate driven economics, regardless of the hardships such actions could have caused, has endured to this day in a new morphed creation that cannot be hidden in normal means and appears to border on all out racketeering. The Keynesian economic policies of the Bush administration was successful in bringing the country out of recession, however the continuation of such policy can really be seen as nothing more than a political favor for the richer corporations.

On the issue of labor; is there any wonder why there are so many obstacles being placed in the way to shoring up the borders? Why there is a mass but secretive movement to integrate the countries of the North American continent? Why there are so many available outlets for companies to move their production arms out of the United States and into other, less restrictive countries?

The labor movement in the United States exploded in such a way during the 20th century, that it left many outside of the United States questioning if this was the great, Communist revolution that Marx guy was talking about. The Communist sentiment was a strong one, and was further strengthened by constant martyring through the physical brutality of strikebreaking and goon implementation. At some point, the unions and the companies reached an agreement, and a complete overthrow of the system was avoided, much to the disappointment to the Marxists of the world. Unions are in very short supply anymore, as executive orders and affectionately labeled "undocumented" workers fill the factory and agricultural jobs with little or no response from the government with the exception of a show raid here or there.

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts

I don't know about many of you, but I grew up in a school system, which taught that the United States was THE country in the world. It had never lost any wars, did no wrongs; it was flawless in all ways possible. Of course then I get to college and find out the real truth, that the United States, while a unique concept in representative government and confederacy, was far from flawless. I also would say that when the enemy crosses your border, and sets fire to the main home of the nation's executive, I think it would count as a win on the books for the enemy.

Americanization of the school system is only one method of indoctrination that took place during the Cold War, as any action deemed morally deprived was considered a Communist plot to destroy the American way of life, which lead to so many writers, screen stars, stage stars, journalists, artists, and others to be harassed, placed in front of Senate tribunals, and even jailed for their supposed ties. Universities across the country also felt the wrath of the government on this one, with words and lectured monitored very closely for any phrases or words that could be considered Communist indoctrination.

Artists were some of the vilest creatures on the planet according to Plato's Republic, and certain intellectuals that were not golden philosophers by birth were given about the same amount of disdain because it directed the public away from thinking a specific way, or the "right" way. So long as the people stay asleep to the true nature of things around them, then the ease of ruling over them would be at a maximum. Once thought enters one's brain, however, the whole plan is turned upside down and people will wise up by way of thinking abstractly, complexly, and critically. Today, the same disdain exists for those who teach and those who perform in the arts, only the battle is waged against them in money and propaganda.

Funds for arts and humanities education were dropped dramatically by the Bush administration, false news and staged show interviews are very much the norm now to combat any dissidence attempting to gain the public's ear, and artists have even been turned away at the US border by the scores due to "security risks". Intellectuals giving differing viewpoints from the mainstream are often sacrificed on evening news broadcasts in favor of what the latest Lindsey Lohan news is, and artistic political statements are very much suppressed as un-American. It is a continuous of assault on the freedom of speech and expression in the United States, and should one feel compelled to speak out against the unruly actions of the powers that be, they might find themselves in the same spot as many college newspapers in the country.

12. Obsession with crime and punishment

Draconian style of punishment is very much a major part of a fascist society. This is perhaps the fastest growing concern among the American population, as police are raised up to higher levels of authority and some even act out in a military fashion against the population. Random check points, forcing citizens to show their "papers" by constantly asking for identification, and tactics that are used to make people fear the police, rather than see them as a helpful force to protect them. It is fact that United States and England lead the industrialized world in incarcerations.

To add to this, police officers, per Supreme Court ruling, don't have to give an immediate reason for arresting someone, which was meant to shield over-zealous officers from false arrest lawsuits. It isn't just at the local level, however, as the federal government is getting further and further into local government's business in the War on Terror. The FBI is currently working on building a stasis style spy network to research and report possible terrorist or criminal activities after former Attorney General Ashcroft scrapped the original guidelines that prevented the FBI from spying on any individuals or groups unless there was clear criminal activity available.

I'm certain many remember the famous FBI tip line where you could leave information regarding possible terrorist activities anonymously, and now with the John Doe Amendment currently making its way successfully through congress, an informant doesn't even have to worry about being sued for falsely turning someone in. The explicit power being afforded law enforcement in all jurisdictions, boosted dramatically with the US Patriot Act, is becoming more apparent every day. And while there are still fine and great servants to the public safety, there are more and more of instances that beat and abuse both physically and mentally, those who have yet to even be charged. Comply and behave, and nobody gets hurt. Get back to your free speech zone before you have an "accident".


13. Rampant cronyism and corruption

It goes without saying that the Bush administration is perhaps one of the most crony filled administrations in United States history, with nepotism and associates from past administrations filling the majority of the positions. Each of the minions who are currently occupying the White House has had secret ties to the Council of Foreign Relations, a organization that is serving as the primary catalyst in legislation such as the amnesty bills, the SPP (currently meeting in Montebello, Canada with a 18 mile militarized radius to prevent press or protest), and the forth coming legislation of the North American Union.

One does not have to go far to find some sort of corporate connection that has been awarded massive contracts to profit from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bird flu scare, etc. This administration is taking financial advantage of the people of the United States at the expense of our Constitution, and at the expense of the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and even our brave men and women in the military. While the abhorred corruption and cronyism is very bad in the current administration, this isn't the first time that corruption ruled over the American people. Corruptive government practices have been around since the very birth of our nation, materializing in very brutal ways such as the distinction of opponents to Thomas Jefferson as "Tories"; a charge that could get you lynched rather quickly, or at least chased up to Canada.

There was questionable practices undertaken in the Civil War and after in which President Lincoln put several Constitutional liberties on hold in the time of crisis, bringing about the first real sedition laws and war power laws in the country through precedence. Some historical researchers have even made claims that the southern assault of Fort Sumter was actually a false flag attack to ignite the Civil War and give a reason for an unconstitutional attack to end Confederate secession; however this is still only speculation. While good things came from this war, the actions were actually very unconstitutional, as was the Radical Republican's martial law occupation of rebel states post-war. The road to tyranny is paved with good intentions.

Full blown corruption and cronyism began to truly reach its peak in the early 20th Century, the Gilded Age, as Mark Twain quipped, with the rise of a particular group of Republicans who had adopted the political stance of "Progressives". Progressivism sought to first regulate, and then work hand and hand with corporations and industries to create the best economic conditions for specific people. While the movement claimed they wanted to end corruption, end the rule of monopolies and robber barons, what the Progressives did was introduce corporatism to the American political system, using government action to benefit specific elite and interests in the United States.

The creation of the Federal Reserve, a quasi-governmental and unconstitutional institution, took the power and responsibility of the US Treasury of printing and controlling the monetary system of the country. The Fed's only true connection to the government is the appointment of a chairman, while acting as a private bank that controls all other banks in the national banking system, controlling monetary policy such as interest rates, and constantly loaning money to the government with interest.

The Panama Canal was originally viewed a Teddy Roosevelt aiding an oppressed people with a just revolution and showing Columbia the middle finger when they tried to bilk the United States for an unjust sum of money for construction and control of the canal. Though Nicaragua would have been less dangerous to build (even with volcanic activity, they didn't have as many problems with malaria), cheaper, and be easier to gain the cooperation of the local government, Panama was pushed to the point of spurring a revolution and a complete take over of the canal after it was built.

JP Morgan and others made a mint from the deal. The fox guarding the hen house award goes to Warren G Harding, who did little more than let his administration literally run corrupt scandals and favors to corporate interests for the duration of his term. The Bureau of Veterans Affairs was set up to answer the call for assistance and benefit for those who had served the country at a time of war, became a literal coffer for corrupt activity and personal benefit for those who had access to the funds. And, of course, who could forget the infamous teapot rock scandal.

In reality, the country's executive branch was very much run by the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, and Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover. Both of these cabinet members, being very supportive of Keynesian economic theory, had a very strong tendency to give any lobbying corporate interest about anything they wanted. If anyone had ever wondered why the stock market crashed in 1929, 1987 and will likely crash in 2007(8?), this is why.

Corruption is absolutely dependant upon the strength gained through fear, scapegoating, deception, and all out propaganda, however the promised goals are rarely achieved…actually quite the opposite. As time goes on, hindsight is often 20/20, and the truth of such activities and corruption, such as this article run by Rolling Stone regarding the assassination of JFK…kept remarkably quiet by the rest of the media. The real danger of such corruption though, is the lack of time to gain that hindsight, and the depth to which our nation falls by the time we've gotten to 20/20.

14. Fraudulent elections

This point is almost a defining factor of the George W Bush Administration, with questionable tactics and machinery used in both elections finding him the victor and President of the United States. Fraudulent elections are also, nothing new, as Southern Democrats who very violently and coercively excluded the largest voting population of their states…freed slaves and African Americans, or Chicago as any public body associated with the city of Chicago seems to love registering voters of the dearly departed and other sneaky acts. But we live in a high tech and deceiving age, and whether you talk about hanging chads, members of either party attempting to get legal ballots thrown out, or Diebold machines PROVEN TO BE EASY TO TAMPER WITH AND DECERTIFIED IN SEVERAL STATES, they all add up to an absolute disdain for lawful and just elections.

Of course, as Joseph Stalin loved to say: "It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."

I was originally going to offer my conclusion at the tail end of this section of the series, however with the massive amount of information that I come across; there are certain aspects I need to verify. I do not just throw out information as I find it on the web, I actually make certain that what I bring to you is true to life fact and information and my analysis thereof. In short, I have found some very scary stuff, and before I throw it all out to you I want to make certain that the scary stuff is factual and not just overblown crap that I get an emotional connection to because of all the actual verified documents and information that I have absorbed.

f anyone might know about my past articles with 411mania, many would consider me the more eccentric writer. I have been writing about the Republic being tarred and feathered, up and down, thrown out in front of us like a happy meal while the real contents of the true government does everything it can to run rings around our Constitution. I had seen the true place of the People in politics have been forgotten, the responsibility of the Citizen has been whittled down to marking on a piece of paper every couple of years and then dealing with the collective decision for two to six years or longer, and the power that the People hold per the Constitution had been wrest away by usurping bastards comfortable in their office built upon lies, bankrolled funds and special interests.

This is the age of circuses and cakes in America, and after writing the Fourteen Points series over the summer, and doing further research into my next project, and receiving feedback from my wonderfully intelligent and observant readers, I can truly say that our Republic needs the true Power in this nation to rise up and take the reigns again. The People must stand up and take back that which was built by the Founders, granted to us by the Framers, and protected for us by those men and women who have shed their blood so that we may have this precious jewel of liberty. Don't look to the ‘top tier' to save you from the nation crafted by Resident George W Bush, because it is a nation that has been crafted for decades either intentionally or accidentally.

As I hope I gave some information on over the Fourteen Points articles, this way of thinking and such power shifts have been evident for decades, particularly in the past hundred years. Both Roosevelts, Hoover, LBJ, Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Dubya are just to name a few who have tapped into methods of fear, propaganda, control, extreme nationalism and tragedy capitalization, and it will only continue. Just as there are a flood of Al Qaeda videos that are released to the press every time Resident Bush or Vice Resident Cheney start talking up the war on terror, the Gulf of Tonkin was used as justification for attacks in Vietnam, the establishment of the War Powers Act of 1933, Panama, Japanese internment, phony or petty scandals to cover up real scandals of a grander scale, it has all been done in the past.

However it was all done within a context which made the abuses of the Constitution and the People, at least somewhat reasonable. Not so much with this particular administration, and the past couple of congresses, who had very much either exemplified or tolerated the actions I had documented in the Fourteen Points articles, and a society that is now seemingly excepting of these changes and abuses without a peep or suspicion or a whimper of questioning or dissent.

To those who are not completely convinced of my assessment of the path being taken by our country, you have not emailed me, so therefore I am unable to provide the evidence and primary sources from which I was able to obtain my information. Allow me to introduce you to some information that has come to light in my research, submitted for you review accompanying questions that I am frequently asked when discussing these Fourteen Points with others:

So our country is much more tightly controlled and the enforcement of law is stepped up after 9-11. Could it possibly be considered that bad?

Well…those who were unfortunate enough to be rounded up in a mass random arrest at the GOP National Convention in 2004 might consider it "that bad", as I'm certain that many have heard of the Pier 57 overnight internment camp.

Or how about this account, given by one of my readers a couple of weeks ago, which is absolutely astounding and unforgivable (his name withheld due to continuing litigation):

---begin

Earlier this year I was attending a live event at a theme park when my mother (who came with me, and was currently sitting in a different seating section as I had moved to another empty area to get a better view) got into a verbal altercation with a very obviously intoxicated man who was being both rude and threatening to those around him. I was sitting in the section of bleachers directly above them (about four rows back) at the time. I merely observed for 95% of the incident, until it became apparent to me that this man seemed to be coming close to physically striking my mother. I then went down to the edge of the stairs and yelled down at him to leave my mother alone, I only yelled and did nothing physical or threatened him with violence in any way. As I said, I wasn't even involved in the initial altercation that caused the whole thing to begin with.

Next thing I know the surrounding crowd has gathered as they are won't to do in these instances, which then brought members of security over to intervene. Keep in mind that several local police officers work security often at these events. I saw some security coming, and before I could even remotely attempt to explain anything to anyone. I was grabbed in a reverse choke lock from behind (to be fair I wasn't actively choked just very, very tightly restrained) by a member of security, and was then handed over to the police (who I didn't even realize were police until I had been hauled out and hit the ground outside, as they came at me from behind).

As the police were hauling me out, they bent my arms at a very odd angle behind me, and I was bawling like a baby and screaming out "Please stop, you're breaking my arms (as it felt like they were at the time)" to which I got no response. Keep in mind, I'm a 22 year-old college student, I have absolutely no prior criminal record, and have never been arrested or dealt with police in an "arrestee" position before. In my mind I had been physically accosted by a group of people from behind with no physical or verbal provocation, and I was actively weeping for the longest time after that, as I was terrified, confused at what I'd done to warrant this type of treatment, and worried about going to jail for no reason all at the same time.

Anyway, as I was hauled out I barely touched the ground, and I'm a big guy at just over 6' 3'', 200 something pounds. I was practically thrown face first to the concrete ground outside and had knees of several officers placed in my spinal region as they proceeded to handcuff me. I was questioned for a while, then officers on the scene (bizarrely even some who seemed to have arrived AFTER the incident happened) were filling out reports about the incident and then I was hauled off to jail after about two hours of sitting outside handcuffed. On the way I repeatedly asked the officer driving the car to at least tell me what I had been arrested for, and what I was being charged with. I received absolutely no acknowledgement of my requests. Also, on a side note the handcuffs stayed on for over 3 whole hours straight, they were very tight, and repeated pleadings of "they're so tight, I can't feel my hands" were greeted with indifference and/or mocked. After the first hour, I could feel very little below the wrists, and it just got worse from there. I was then STRIP SEARCHED.

The only way I can describe this experience properly to those who have never had the misfortune of experiencing it, is to imagine the most humiliating, degrading, and embarrassing event in your life, and multiply that by 100. To be forced to spread my buttocks, and lift my testicles high for the inspection of a complete stranger is something I will never, ever forget. Not to mention the crude remarks the officer made during it made it that much worse. I then had to spend the ENTIRE night in jail, waiting to be bonded out. I am now charged with of all things BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER! If anyone was "battered" it was me, I bet the officers didn't have large yellow and purple bruises on their arms, skinned and bloody knees, scratches under their eyes from the concrete, lingering numbness in their hands and fingers, and deep-red marks from the cuffs around their wrists afterward like I did. What really gets me is how I could have "battered" anyone as my hands were behind my back the entire time they had me. Then I find out that the legal definition of my charge is "any unwanted or hostile touching inflicted on a law officer performing his lawful duties", so effectively I'm being charged with a felony, and have to endure an upcoming trial because I might have accidentally flicked an officer on the wrist or something like that. This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.

To sum things up, the whole time I was in police custody I was treated like a second-class citizen, nobody would talk to me, I received dirty looks if I even made eye contact with officers, I was treated to rude and demeaning remarks, in short I felt like I had magically left the good old USA and suddenly found myself in the Twilight Zone version of America where we live in some kind of a police state and just by wearing a badge and gun you suddenly ascend to untouchable and unquestionable god like status over the common citizen. I encountered ONE police officer at the jail that treated me like a human being, that's right ONE. Now I face a possible felony conviction based on nothing but a group of police officers word. I could lose my right to vote, my college financial aid, and most importantly my freedom, because of overzealous, power-crazed cops who seemingly randomly picked me to make an example of.

I can't believe that people get treated like this by the ones who are "sworn to serve and protect" us. I will never be able to look at law enforcement the same way again, and to think that I used to have the utmost respect for police officers. This experience has opened my eyes to the utterly ludicrous way our law enforcement system treats people in custody. So much for being innocent until proven guilty. Also, it seems every year laws are passed to give police even more power and authority. It's funny how our elected officials constantly trumpet the principles of this great nation's constitution, and yet most of them have seemingly yet to actually read the document at all.

---end

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
-Patrick Henry

As illustrated in the Fourteen Points series, our liberties are being stripped in the name of national security, our phone lines are ripe for tapping, Resident Bush is currently guilty of numerous acts repugnant of the Constitution he had sworn to dutifully protect and defend in the name of national security. Laws and Executive Orders, giving massive amounts of power and control to the government, specifically the executive branch, are being passed in the name of national security…much like the Enabling Act and the Reichstag Fire Decree were issued and enacted in the name of national security.

Whew...now that is done. I hope you made it this far, everyone. Now on to a little more information regarding the ENEMY OF THE REPUBLIC series. Next Wednesday, a mock trial will be held with you, the reader, as the jury. Should anybody feel compelled they may feel free to defend the defendant on trial for their part in attempting to disassemble the Republic, so the reader is not stuck simply casting their vote. I don't, however, believe there are many that will come to the defense of our first defendant:

Resident George Walker Bush

The trial will be lengthy, going through the proper avenues required to effectively try and convict this tyrant. Next Wednesday I will begin proceedings to justify the removal of the Resident from office. Once that pesky executive immunity is out of the way, I will proceed with criminal charges, sentencing, then a hearing as to whether Bush should be extradited to stand trial in International Court for high war crimes. This will be a very messy situation, however, as due process is a right of us all, it shall be the case here as well. Should the Resident be acquitted of charges, then that ends the proceedings. Should he beat impeachment, than he will not be tried criminally and so on. So I hope to get a lot of turned heads in this next series and hope to get your participation as I place on the block those who I feel have maliciously attacked and attempted to destroy the great Republic set up by the Constitutional of the United States and the Framers. Have a good week, everyone, and Happy Halloween!