[extropy-chat] The Force of Human Freedom [was - is Americafascist yet?]

[spike]

> Olga Bourlin
> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] The Force of Human Freedom [was - is
> Americafascist yet?]
> 
> From: "spike" <spike66 at comcast.net>
> > If I had the authority to kill a thread, I would kill this one.
> > Guys, do knock this off, forthwith.
> 
> Well, sorry - but at least I'm trying to change the inclination somewhat
> with this article (alas, it's still about fascism)...

Olga, it is not a problem to discuss fascism; rather it
was the guys threatening each other that was bothering me.  
Some day we might unlock the secret that stops aging.  In that
case we need to treat each other well, for we might be
together a long time.  {8^]

That being said, I see no problem with tossing around labels, 
whatever is the disreputable du-jour: fascist, nazi, taliban,
blue-stater, red-stater, whatever.  In every society, one can find
aspects that can earn that society any or all of these labels,
yet it doesn't make the observation any more meaningful.  That
list that was on the fascist_yet website, can we not find examples 
of *all* of these in every nation on earth?  Which society doesn't
have all of them?  Lets move there!

Assuming the standard of proof offered by the fascist_yet website, 
all we need to do for the criterion of rampant corruption and 
cronyism is to offer a picture of the vice president.  
That was easy!  Meaningless as hell, but easy.

We can debate whether the U.S. is more or less fascist than
fill-in-the-blank, but what of it?  What does the label really
mean?  Nada!  Even the classic kind-and-gentle places such as
Canada and Finland have these things listed on fascist_yet.  

The important thing is that we each have the freedom
to make our lives what we want them to be.  By that criterion, 
I would say the U.S. is a pretty good place to do that, altho
I would like to see the U.S. government do a far better job of 
getting its grubby paws off of my portemonne.

spike