Fascism by any other name is just as dangerous

[Sassy]

Food for thought... one viewpoint of the current world/Middle East conflicts & who, ultimately, is responsible... please read through the whole article to get the full story...
       
Fascism By Any Other Name Is Just As Dangerous
By Chuck Baldwin
August 15, 2006

This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20060815.html

Speaking in Wisconsin last week, President George W. Bush declared that the United States is at war with "Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom."

That Islamic nations are a threat to Western civilization is long established. Islam has always been a violent faith system. Since the inception of Islam, "infidels" (translated: anyone outside the Islamic faith, especially Christians and Jews) have been targeted for death and destruction. In this regard, nothing has changed during the past 1,500 years.

American patriots, especially Christian patriots, need to take a step back from their criticisms of President Bush long enough to recognize the very real and serious threat that Islamic nations pose to the United States. It is also a fact that if Islamic leaders have their way, Israel will be obliterated from the face of the earth! That is a reality that cannot be explained away!

That said, it is incumbent upon all of us to remember that it is internationalists in Europe and America that are largely responsible for the tensions that envelop not only the Middle East, but also the entire planet! Let's be blunt: the international elite use conflict in the Middle East (and elsewhere) to keep the cauldron of global tumult boiling! Violence and fear serve the interests of internationalists very well! And it is at this point that I find President Bush's remarks disingenuous.

How can President Bush refer to himself and the rest of his administration as lovers of freedom when they have done much to restrict and collapse freedom within the United States? It makes one wonder what Bush's definition of "freedom" really is!

At the end of the day, what difference does it make who takes our freedom away? Would anyone want to argue who was the worse tyrant, Hitler or Stalin? Was fascist Germany better or worse than socialist Russia? Does anyone truly want to argue the nuances as to whose fascism is worse?

You see, the Islamic governments of the Middle East are supplied by Russia and China. And who, pray tell, supplies Russia and China? The governments of the United States and Great Britain.

In an attempt to create a global economy, international bankers and commercial moguls have supplied eastern powers with the tools and wealth necessary to augment a host of rogue regimes-regimes that are violently hostile to the United States. Remember, too, that the U.S. and Great Britain have opened the welcome mat to all forms of foreign investment and immigration to the point that it is doubtful that our two countries truly have much authority to direct either our financial or our military affairs!

Does anyone really believe that the United States is not capable of protecting itself from virtually any threat without surrendering our constitutional liberties? Only gullible and gutless people would respond in the affirmative!

Yet, our leaders in Washington, D.C., insist on keeping our borders open and unprotected. They refuse to halt the influx of Middle Eastern Muslims. They continue to promote so-called "free trade" deals with third world countries. They push forward with attempts to merge independent nations into regional, hemispheric entities.

All of the above accomplishes only three things: 1) it guarantees persistent and continual conflict, 2) it creates ever-increasing encroachments upon our liberty, and 3) it facilitates the transfer of independent nationhood to international governance. And that, my friends, is the intended goal!

Should we recognize and deal with the threat of "Islamic fascists"? Yes, of course. (The problem is, we are NOT truly dealing with it at all!) At the same time, we should also deal with the fascist tendencies of our own political and commercial leaders. Anyone who insists that Americans give up their liberty in the name of security is guilty of the same evil he purports to protect us from! In other words, fascism by any other name is just as dangerous!

(c) Chuck Baldwin

Chuck Baldwin's commentaries are copyrighted and may be republished, reposted, or emailed provi

Here's another link  The US Dept of Offence - Propping up the Empire

[jraabe]

Freedom is a "flag and apple pie" term but does come close to the core of the matter.

What is worth defending is an open, pluralistic, transnational free market society. The U.S. Bill of Rights is a good start in the right direction.

To meet the above description a nation/people/tribe must have, at a minimum, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. You can't have one without the other - and freedom of religion also requires freedom [highlight]from[/highlight] religion. Our morality and sense of social identification has evolved. Western culture in the Catholic Inquisition was much closer in outlook to the Taliban than the Catholic church of today. Thankfully, we aren't living there anymore.

Muslim culture is stunted compared to much of the rest of the world - there are many dysfunctional parts that have not been worked out internally. One problem is that it has not yet had an internal "reformation" process whereby the code of morality can be updated to catch up with human culture.

That will happen... someday... I hope.

In the meantime we need to make sure that fighting a backward enemy does not give us an excuse to slip back down the ladder ourselves. Freedom and the ongoing  & evolving moral argument called democracy will be the long-term winner. Of that there is no doubt.

And, of course, we can argue all day whether or not this president understands this and is working in the best interest of "freedom". However, we do have the freedom to argue that openly here and on the street.

That is a long way from nothing... and that freedom will ultimately replace those who don't see the "vision thing" with those who do. You can't fool all of the people all of the time.

[Sassy]

We still do have some freedom of speech & religion & [highlight]FROM [/highlight] religion - at least for now... but the powers that be are fast making laws that will basically take those freedoms away... With the Patriot Act, The Bill of Rights has been trampled on BIG TIME.  

I agree with you, John.  No one has the right to force any religion down anyone's elses throat - coming from a Christian perspective, that is why God gave [highlight]freewill[/highlight].  Whatever you believe, it is your free choice.  

My main reason for posting that article was to show how really disingenuos our political leaders are.  If you read history, especially over the past 100+ yrs, you see how the "shadow" gov't has been running things - the political leaders are but puppets on a string doing the bidding of internationalists.  "Follow the money, follow the power."  A truly global "free market" would be welcome.  But the central banks control the markets (of which our Federal Reserve is a part) & war makes them rich - they are truly internationalists & care not whose side they supply with weapons - it's all just profit for them...  :-/  Way back even to the Spanish/American war & even the Civil War, you could see the international financiers supporting all sides & it has been so to this day.  The same thing was happening with the Spanish crusades/inquisitions & don't forget the Muslim's warring rampages (Muhammad  was an excessively warring leader) - all in the name of "religion".  But the basic premises then as now was power & money.  Perpetual war will not only get rid of a lot of people, but will make them money & give them power.

I don't agree with forcing so-called "Democracy" on other nations when they have a diametrically opposed belief system & view the United States as the "Great Satan" which in many ways, it has become.  Just our presence in a Muslim country can be construed as "soiling" their nation.  How can we, in the United States, who are quickly losing our freedoms by trading them for "security" & therefore losing the Bill of Rights, our Republic & democratic way of life, go into another nation & destroy it?!  

Anyway, as an aside, I had a long conversation with a doctor who is a Lt. in the Marines - he went to Afganistan & Iraq... he showed pictures & videos of Iraq - it was quite disturbing.  I asked him if he thought the miltary was helping the country - he said "definitely not, we should have never gone in there, we should not stay there & their country has basically been destroyed."  So sad... our mostly "boys" in the military go out wth no real life experience or education in most cases, who were brought up on violent video games, are thrust into the middle of a war in which they have been brainwashed during basic training to view all "Iraqis" or fill in the blank, as evil, needing to be destroyed - after watching one video in particular, the young 19-20 y/o's shooting javelin rockets into a small village - after each hit, you could hear them yelling "Yea!, gottem!" - probably not even really understanding that this isn't a game... the doctor said that all we are doing now is protecting the troops - we aren't accomplishing anything - if the Marines are attacked, they will destroy the whole village or city...

There is an age-old idealogical disagreement between the Muslims/Jews/Christians that will always be there because of the deep seated religious beliefs.  That does not give anyone the right to force anyone else to believe like they do.

But those behind the scenes who are fomenting the unrest & hatred are even more guilty - I don't care what religion or gov't or political party you belong to!  Again, yes, we do have freedoms but we have to stay alert & vigilent to the constant threat from those who would steal those freedoms.

[highlight]BTW, the young doctor asked me"what are you doing about it?"[/highlight]

[Amanda_931]

BTW, the young doctor asked me"what are you doing about it?"

That's the big question, isn't it?

When people are too apathetic, nothing happens.  They try to explain that their way of participating in the political process is to stay home election day.  As if the Powers That Be (PTB's) can tell the difference between them and those who think the country is in wonderful shape so they don't have to vote.

Seems like a good many revolutions started when the PTB's thought that just a little reform would make them seem like the good guys, and everyone would be happy.

[glenn-k]

http://iraqforsale.org/

Interesting video trailer.

[jonseyhay]

 

(Muhammad  was an excessively warring leader)

For most of the sixty-three years of his life, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was a merchant, then a religious leader. He took up the sword late in his life and was an active military leader for only about ten years.

Considering the period in which he lived, Muhammad (SAW) could hardly be thought of as warlike. Apart from a bit of caravan-raiding (an old Arabian tradition) and a few defensive actions, the conquest of Mecca in 630AD was the only real scrap he was involved in. Even this could be considered more a skirmish than a war (less than thirty Meccans where killed). After seizing Mecca, Muhammad (SAW) promised a general amnesty to all but a few of the Meccans, most converted to Islam.
He died in 632AD, in the city of Medina and is buried in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina.

[glenn-k]

Cool History lesson, Jonesy.

The crusades killed a lot more than that.

Heck -- the Iraq corporate business development war has killed more than that and the official military magazine my father in law gets (USAF ret. ) is reporting over 100,000 wounded, many badly.  They differ with the public reports by tens of thousands.  He was a bit upset when he found out the current admin is lying about the wounded.

I guess they're trying to make Muhammad look good.

G'day, Mate.  Hope you aren't overworking yourself.

[jonseyhay]

Been back at Coober Peddy taking it easy in one of those dugouts.  

[glenn-k]

Cool - that is a place I would really like to see.  Probably won't happen as I won't put up with the crap they are pulling at the airlines ---  the terrorists (in D.C.) have won.

[jonseyhay]

Na Mate, you'd be right, come on down. If they don't let you back in we have plenty of beer down here. You won't die of thirst.  

[glenn-k]

You are really tempting me.  If only my time was my own.  Guess I should go back and read Sassy's slavery posting again. :-/

[benevolance]

hehe...

Yeah you might have to dig yourself out of another hole Glenn...And while your at it work on digging out some kitchen cabinets.

[glenn-k]

Et tu, Peter? :-/ :'(

[benevolance]

I am impressed man...A guy that speaks latin and drives a bulldozer...

haggling with the real estate lady...I just chewed her out on the phone...She offered to give me my money back....So I must have rattled her chain....I knew that she knew damned well about the termites... Now if I can only get her to pay for the spraying....I will not have to dig out as much cash to close out the house...

I could really dig that...

-Peter

[glenn-k]

Just a little something I remembered from Shakespeare, Peter.

It's funny -- as my mind gets farther and farther away from me, I remember more and more words that I thought I would never use when I learned them in my younger days. :-/

[benevolance]

ah yes Shakespeare...I remember reading him a little bit...When I get settled in the new place I will have room for a small library and I can unpack my complete set of Dickens hardcovers and the complete works of shakespeare...

No I did not say I would find time to read these books....I have read a bunch...But if I get lucky I will have time to make shelves and unpack them...

I remember once upon a forever ago when my wife and I would read to each other....Taking turns....Of course this was over ten years ago when we were both in college...We would take turns reading things we liked and discuss the piece of work or what it meant to us....

I keep telling myself I would like to start doing things like this again with my wife...If we both could scrape the time to read more for pure pleasure...

I just hate the thought of becomming one of those grunts that can weld or  work like a slave in the mud... but the part of me that used to be able to think about things, read discover and wonder would just die off and no longer be part of who or what I was..

I mean it would actually be nice to talk about literature, poetry, philosophy with my kids someday....If my mind is still intact

[Sassy]

Benevolance, maybe when you get old like Glenn & me you'll have time to sit in your recliners & read to each other again   .

Jonesy, on the topic of Islam -  I read that is was said that Muhammad was known as the "prophet of the sword."  Muhammad was born in Mecca in A.D. 570 & in A.D. 630 Muhammad marched on Mecca with a force of 10,000 men & was victorious. (he died in 632)   I'll have to find more of the history... but I read a really neat "prayer" I guess you could call it written by a former Muslim who became a Christian - the book is called Into the Den of Infidels  I thought this was really neat...

"To the sons of our father Abraham everywhere,
  Sons of Ishmel and sons of Isaac,
Sons of the beautiful Hagar and the beloved Sarah,
It is time for the scattered sons of Abraham to be gathered
     together in unity
 Who can unify the Scattered?
Who can change the hearts and renew the spirits?
 Who can bring about peace, mercy, and love?
    Who can reconcile heaven with earth?
       Reconcile one with oneself?
    Reconcile man with his fellow man?
 Who is that great man who can do all this?
   Sons of Abraham, let us go!
 Let us revolt, praise, build, and love."

[Sassy]

Here is a little bit more history & some quotations from the Quran.   This information was taken from the two ancient biographies of Muhammad - the Life History of Muhammad, by Ibn-Ishaq (A.D. 768), edited by Ibn-Hisham (A.D. 833); and The Expeditions of Muhammad, by Al-Waqidi (A.D. 822).  The evidences from these sources provide a picture of the life and history of Muhammad .

  "O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the rest of believers."

Islam spread rapidly in Yathrib, now Medina, and Muhammad took his followers there to settle and build a great Mosque.  After settling the area for his followers and another marriage to a 10-year-old girl, a long list of  "holy wars" began.  Those people who were conquered in these battles were given three choices:  accept Islam, pay tribute, or die by the sword (see the Repentance Surat, verse29).  As a result of this method of forced conversion, many Christian churches were turned into mosques to please the conquering Muslims, while many other Christians not willing to take the easy way out were killed.  After the Battle of Badr, he proclaimed the ordinance "Know that whatsoever thing ye plunder, verily one-fifth thereof is for God and for the Prophet."  The remaining spoils, after Muhammad received one-fifth, were divided among the warriors.  This began the teachings of Jihad, and fighting for the cause of Islam.  Muhammad taught that to die for the cause of Islam was the highest honor and would lead to eternity in Paradise surrounded by virgins.

   Surat al-Nisa 4:74  Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other.  Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.

   Surat al-Ma'idah 5:33  The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land.  Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom.

FYI:  Islam means "submission to the will of Allah" & members of Islam are called Muslims "those who submit"

There are a variety of Islamic sects, the 2 largest being the Sunnis & the Shi'ites.

The Sunnis make up 80% of all Muslims & predominate in such countries as Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Pakistan.  Their name is derived from Sunnah, which refers to "the trodden path" or "tradition".  The Sunnis follow the traditions of Islam.  They seek to live their lives acording to the exemplary pattern set by Muhammad.  

The Shi'ites predominate in countries like Iran, Iraq, Lebanon & parts of Africa.  They broke off from the main body of Muslims in the 1st century over a dispute over the succession of leadership following Muhammad's death.  The Shi'ites believed the successor should come through Muhammad's bloodline.  The Sunnis, by contrast, believed Islamic leadership should elect him.  The Sunnis got their way.

Just a little review of history for those that aren't that familiar with Islam - since the world is pretty much polarized right now by the "war on terrorism."  It's ironic that the Quran encourages Christians to obey what is written in the Bible & encourages people to believe in the previous Scriptures - Surah 5:50,68 & Surah 4:136.  Muhammad was exhorted to test the truthfulness of his own message by the contents of previous divine revelations to Jews & Christians (Surah 10:94).  Islam also reveres many of the prophets of the Bible:  Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus - they believe Jesus was the only perfect man, but they believe that Muhammad is the greatest prophet.  They also believe there are 4 inspired books:  the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, the Gospel of Jesus Christ,  and the Quran, containing the teachings of Muhammad.

So many similarities... that little "prayer" in my previous posting really makes sense...  too bad so many on either side can't see through the lies...

[Sassy]

Hope you don't mind me writing a little more about Islam... I am learning a lot, too... what with the supposed "religious" wars going on... here are some more quotes from the Qu'ran:

Surah 4:89 tells Muslims to not take Christians, Jews, or pagans as friends, and also orders the murder of those who depart from Islam: "They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allah. But if they turn back (from Islam), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them."  Surah 9:123 says, "O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who are the Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)."  The list goes on:

"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do." 8:39

"It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." 8:67

"Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah (tax) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." 9:29

The Old Testament of the Bible has much about war & slaughter of the unbelievers, also.  But Jesus said in the New Testament:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 4:43-45).

Quite a different teaching... hmmm, wonder if a lot of the "Christians" have read that passage?  

Anyway, I think it is important to understand the different world views that play into the volitile political environment we find ourselves in.  Again, thanks for letting me share this info...  And if anyone has different info, please share it... I am just learning & am certainly not an authority on it - I just hate to see what is happening to our country & how we are destroying other countries under false premises.  

PS  I don't mean to sound self righteous...  :-/

Here's a link to a good article
Losing a War, Winning a Police State