[lbo-talk] addendum to fascist discussion

[martin]

Our County Seat here in Columbia County Oregon has recently discovered  
Facebook groups, and it appears it will become a popular forum for  
discussion of local politics. It pleases me, since I've been trying to  
promote an email discussion list locally since moving here in '01. The  
local politicos are members, and in a discussion of a proposed change  
from mayor-council form of governance to council-manager governance,  
the following post showed up. Given the recent exchange here re  
fascism, I thought that there might be some interest. It appears to be  
from a local farm owner who is deeply involved in local politics,  
although he posted it under a pseudonym (Richard Patriot). He is known  
to me as a fierce partisan of 'conservative' causes, but appears here  
to be writing facetiously.

martin

post by 'Richard Patriot'

God Bless America. It is good to see the City moving toward the way  
Italy used to be run. I have always liked that Bonito Mussolini guy.  
His system of government was very similar to the government we get if  
we appoint a manager. We will have a government established after a  
corporate model. A corporation is not a Democracy, it is a kingdom.  
Just the sort of government that our city needs.
Mussolini established a corporate ruling body, and had his nations  
Parliament renamed "corporate council" and staffed it with appointed  
representatives of Italy's leading corporations. They really didn't  
have all that much power, but they could debate things. When it came  
to making decisions it was the Duce who had the final say.
Your idea of our having an appointed king is a great one, and I think  
our city does need a good benevolent dictator.
The idea of having city and county managers rather than elected  
officials is a relative new idea and grew up about the same time as  
the theory of Fascism. Giovanni Gentile was the father of this  
political theory and had a great deal of influence on the formation of  
corporate government in the US.
Fascism's symbol is the fasces. That is the Roman ax with a handle of  
made up of many sticks. By themselves the sticks can be broken, but  
bound together they are very strong. Fascism is a binding of  
corporation and government. A corporate city can be very strong. I  
know that council people get tired of whining citizens speaking out at  
their meetings. They also get tired of having to take on the  
responsibilities of running a city. A Manager and a new charter will  
free them of this burden. For once city officials won't have to worry  
about what various departments are doing. The manager will do that for  
them, and if he thinks they need information, he will provide it and  
they will not be expected to find out the information by themselves.
Will this not be great or what? I am eagerly looking forward to voting  
for this system.

God Bless America.... Oh and by the way Sue, you never did answer my  
question. Are you married? I am between wives and I am interested.