Extremism Normalized: How Americans Now Acquiesce to Once Unthinkable Ideas

[malthaussen]

7. Perhaps Gately should have said "open" fascism.

Fascism has always been with the world, even before there was fascism. "Fascism" is just a convenient label to apply to certain systems of doing business. But since 9/11, the US has openly moved in that direction, whereas before such activities were shrouded behind the scenes. Or, arguably, more of us have become fascists than heretofore.

I don't agree with your last sentence: I don't see any challenge. Mr Obama made a special, highly-public effort to extend the Patriot Act at the beginning of his term. Except for the occasional ranter around DU (who is usually mob-swarmed with "Why do you hate Obama" responses), much of what our country is doing to promote facsism still passes with a shrug. "What we are seeing" is cries of outrage when this or that group is attacked at the level of basic rights. But we aren't seeing any kind of universal revulsion to the "God, Mom, and Apple Pie" meme that has been our daily bread since the Towers went down.

-- Mal