<HTML> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">From: Stannard67@aol.com > If you don't feel threatened by the current drift of the U.S. you must be > politically numb. Of course one should feel threatened---that's a red herring.  I'm talking about your argument that it's okay to use inaccurate, unscientific hyperbole because what really matters is manipulating the public to react how we want them to.  I'd rather die on my honest feet than score some dishonest political victory. stannard &&&&&& CB: I don't agree that it's that inaccurate. This issue has been discussed many, many times around here, and I have used "proto-fascist" , etc.  The major crime of fascism was aggressive war, and the U.S. fulfills that aspect FULLY. Also, Nazi Germany was not the only fascism.  The U.S. is the equal of Fascist Italy and Spain in many "definitional" factors. Your characterization of what I said is a distortion.  The American people aren't a bunch of children , at least not in relation to the left,  so easily manipulated as you claim by me or the Left.  It is a warning, and  a wake up.  </BLOCKQUOTE>You're the one who is being pretentious with your "  I'd rather die on my honest feet <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">than score some dishonest political victory."  What the fuck is that ?  High School student innocence ? What is your scientific, accurate version of what is going on today ? And nowhere do I say " what really matters is manipulating the public to react how we want them to " ; that's your inaccurate version of what I said. I say it is important to shock the U.S. people into realization of what is brewing so they will put a stop to it, so that THEY WANT  to do it. What a ridiculous idea that the "left" , such as it is, could manipulate the masses of Americans in 2003 to do something that they didn't want to do. </BLOCKQUOTE> The current drift of the U.S. has the real, "scientific" potential to be something as bad as historic fascism. As I've said many times before on this intermittant thread, if you wait until there is "accurate, scientific " fascism, or something like it  in place, it's too late. And as the serious and  honest anti-fascists of the 30's said, "there is no premature anti-fascism" </HTML>