Demonizing labels

One of the most frightening aspects, to me at any rate, of the current political scene in the western world, is manner in which the left/liberal propagandists label anyone who disagrees with them a "Fascist" - often without actually knowing anything at all about Fascism. This was brought home to me quite recently when I discovered a list, dreamed up by a Dr Lawrence.Reading through the 14 points he claims "define" a "Fascist State" I confess that I found myself wondering about this man's background and credentials.

What emerged is that he is a sociologist, holds some very socialist views and follows the humanist/secularist philosophy according to several sources. That he was rabidly anti-George W Bush and is anti-capitalist is also apparent. What is troubling is that many on the left of the political spectrum have adopted these 14 points with delight and are now claiming they "prove" that capitalism, and more specifically religion (In the form of Christianity in the US) are "Fascist."

So what are these 14 points and how did he arrive at them? To answer the last part first, he studied Hitler, Mussolini, Suharto, Franco and a number of South American Dictators. Anyone spot the obvious omissions? You may when you read the fourteen 'proofs'...

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

The timing of the release of these was significant, they came out just before the last Presidential elections, the inference being that to vote for the right, was a vote for fascism as defined above. You may say that the last is hardly a defining characteristic of the US electoral system, but many Democrats still believe that GWB won the Florida election - the key state that put him in the White House - by fraud. That despite all the recounts, examination of 'hanging chards' and several court cases.

What is worrying about this is that the list is currently being promoted by such organizations as the 'Liberty Forum,' the 'Humanist Secularist Society' and every left wing political organization as 'proof' that anyone and everyone on the 'right' is a Fascist.

Let's take another look at the list. If you know your political history, this could define any and every 'socialist' and 'communist' state of the last hundred years. In fact it is a far better description of those political systems than it is of the capitalist states it is aimed at. But that is the skill of the propagandist, vilify, demonize and make sure that no one checks what you are not telling them - and when they do, stifle debate by screaming epithets and labels to drown out their argument or present it as "immoral" or "Fascist" .... Since the media are today controlled and managed almost exclusively by left wing owners and staffed by left leaning journalists, one wonders at his point number 6 in the context of western society.

While the west has cut back on the military, and rising crime suggests that not enough attention is being focussed on criminal activity, we find that in the socialist world, the opposite is true. As for No. 11, this list and much of the touchy-feely ideology that bedevils our society stems from giving the groups mentioned in No 11 far too much say - the vast majority of them don't live in the real world or face the very real challenges and problems almost everyone outside of that group do. Plus, again, this is the very group that Chairman Mao and Joe Stalin tried to suppress - so were they actually 'Fascists' in disguise? And how about the suppression and tight control of Labour Unions in the Socialist/Communist countries? Maybe they were actually Capitalists in disguise?

Number 5 on the list is almost equally adrift, looking at the Socialist and Communist states the good doctor apparently wants to emulate, we find fewer women and even fewer 'gays' in positions of real authority. Personally I find No. 8 on this list about sums up the lack of proper analysis. Hitler, the architect of Fascism in its most evil form, was a Humanist/Secularist. Stalin, an avowed Atheist, unashamedly ordered the opening of churches he had closed and stripped and then ordered the priests and bishops he had sent to Labour Camps, to support the people's need for religion with prayers for Mother Russia. No mention of that on the secularist websites promoting the idea that conservative politics equals Fascism and Christianity is a Fascist philosophy - as identified in No.3...

Blogoversary

This month marks the beginning of my Blog, originally at "The Gray Monk" and hosted on the now defunct "Guruinternational" domain run by Catholic Down Under, also known as Ozguru. I started keeping a blog at his suggestion back in 2003 and it has become a feature that has encouraged me to explore all sorts of subjects and thoughts and to share a few of life's little pleasures, and a few knocks, with whoever stumbles upon it.

I'd like to think that The Gray Monk's Scriptorium or its predecessor, might have influenced the shape of the future or of some decisions made by politicians and the movers and shakers of this world, but I somehow doubt any of them ever read it. So, now its been up and running for seven years, at times frustrating trying to think of something to write and at others fun. I've learned a lot in the process from others who blog and through looking up things to write about.

Thanks to all of you who bother to read it!

Getting closer to release ...

Is my latest story in the Harry Heron series I am creating. The cover is now finalised, the Galley Proofs are needing four small corrections, and the book will be ready for publication by the end of the month - just in time for Christmas!

This one tells the story of Harry and Ferghal's voyage to Australia and India, but it also tells the story of the future they will be forced to join. It is essentially a story about coming of age and learning to be responsible. Resourcefulness, creativity and sheer courage is what was needed to survive a life in the old "Wooden Walls" that kept Napoleon and other enemies at bay, but honour, trust and friendship are also essentials.

Harry joins the navy a child and reaches adulthood the hard way, watched over by Ferghal and the men whose trust he has earned in the process.

I hope you'll keep an eye open for this and enjoy it.

The Gunpowder Plot

Bonfire night is here again for the UK. Poor old Guido Fawkes, probably a bit of dupe in the sense that he appears to have been set up to take the fall when it all went wrong. The older I get the more sympathetic I am toward his intention, perhaps it is just that as you gain more experience you come to realise that blowing up the politicians and their civil service cohorts is probably the only way we'll ever get to restore some sort of democracy.

I was amused, watching the BBC World Service, to hear an apparently eminent 'expert' on democracy pronouncing that democratic government is extremely rare. Now tell us something we didn't know! Please? The truth is that most of our democratic systems are deeply flawed. In the "first past the post" system, whoever gets tha largest number of votes is elected, fine, if everyone eligible to do so votes and providing there is no 'manipulation' of the voters roll or ballot stuffing... The problem is, in that system, the 'elected' representative very often does NOT represent the majority. Blair and Labour are a good example. Around 51% of the electorate voted in the election which 'swept' him to power. He got 40% of the total ballot caste - which actually equates to 28% of the TOTAL electorate. Had the other 49% voted, it might have made a different outcome. The great flaw with this system is that the 'dissenters' now have no option than to stage demonstrations if they want to be heard - and government's ignore those anyway.

Proportional representation has its attractions, at least it makes sure that every vote counts - but it also means that the 'Party" decides who represents you. So, how about a hybrid system? IN Germany you vote for an individual and place your vote for a party as well. As it is a form of proportional system, you get the candidate with the majority elected, plus the Party may appoint a number of others according to the support they enjoy. Less than 5% support and you drop off the list entirely. Other systems combine this and transferable voting so that your preferences are always counted - but here you run into another problem - called "The Party" - and whoever you elect, they end up votong the Party Ticket, regardless of what they may have said to the voter on the doorstep. Add in the Lobbyists and their campaigns, and the voters opinion counts for almost nothing.

There is probably no perfect system and one of the greatest weaknesses in our supposedly democratic society is the "lobby" system. Those who can afford to hire expensive lobbyists, get heard, those who cannot, don't. If our politicians were truly interested in restoring the peoples faith in the political system, this is the one thing they would immediately ban. This is how pressure groups can impose their minority view on the majority, they hire a lobbying company which doorsteps MPs, orchestrates press campaigns and makes sure that any counter voice is immediately neutralised.

The sad thing is that if this continues, one day we will see another Guido Fawkes make the attempt to blow away an entire government and all its hanger's on.

American election

It has certainly been a whirlwind of sorts and it looks as if Mr Obama won't have such an easy ride for the next couple of years.

What has stuck me throughout this election campaign is the amount of negative briefing against candidates. It seems to me that these days politics has descended to telling the voter why they shouldn't vote for someone, rather than what voting for the other candidate will bring. Perhaps it's because neither party really know what they can deliver, or perhaps it's just easier to be negative than to try and sell what you believe in yourself.

It is a sad reflection on our society that major issues are reduced to simple sound bites, often negative, often lacking in fact and frequently simply name calling. Not a good rationale for choosing someone to govern...

All Souls

Today is the commemoration of All Souls, the day we remember the departed from this life and their influence on us, our society and our faith. Traditionally it is marked among the catholic traditions with a Requiem Mass at which the names of those the congregation would like to remember are read.

The news of the attack on a Christian Church in Baghdad on the eve of All Saints shows that, far from being free from threat and secure in our faith, Christians are still subject to attack and intimidation for their faith. While those in the Middle East, living among non-Christian nations are more likely to suffer this sort of outrage, even those in Europe may soon find themselves open to similar assaults as our secularist 'masters' continue their assault on faith.

Perhaps, as we pray for the soulds of the departed and those 53 killed in Baghdad so recently, we should also pray for the strength to face the enmity of the atheists, humanists and secularists who seek to drive faith out of our society.

All Saints

Today being the feast of All Saints, Christians everywhere will be remembering all those who history has labelled "saint" in the life of the church. We should not forget that all Christians are, in perhaps less public ways, saints. It is our calling as Christians, to live in the example of the Gospels and to follow the teachings of Christ. We are called to live our faith and to behave toward all our fellow travellers in this life as He would.

Today is the day we should, perhaps more than any other, remember this.

Sadly, on this day, we must also remember in our prayers those fellow Christians attacked last night in their worship by extremist gunmen in Iraq. This is something far too many Christians face daily and something we should all give thanks we do not have to deal with in the west.

For all the Saints, who from their labours rest ... is the opening line of the hymn sung at services on this day, but let us also remember each other and pray for the strength to hold to our faith and show it in our lives, day by day.