Calling all Hippies

I wrote an article for Worldwide Hippies last week, Fascism Dances with the Stars and Stripes.

 

I like the picture.   The article was hard to write because I'm completely uncomfortable using the term Fascism.  I can read a definition as well as anyone, but applying the concept to America is tricky - especially when you're trying to limit yourself to 1,000 words.  But Joe and Woody are convinced that the term applies to America these days, and they both know what they're talking about - for the most part.

There's no denying that corporations are running the show in this country.  I'm not so sure that's fascism though, even though Mussolini himself was supposed to have said:

Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.

A little bit of research showed that (1) nobody could find the direct source of this quote so there is some doubt as to whether he ever really said it, and (2) even if he did, Mussolini was talking about large groups of individuals working collectively, or about organizations like guilds - not about GE or Texaco or Bank of America.  Once you're unsure of your facts, it's hard to make a strong point - unless you're a blowhard like Rush or Glenn or Sarah.  I'm still trying to decide who in America today represents the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Frankly, I'm not sure there is a term that labels our current form of government - where the representatives are bought and paid for by special interests (and here I consider Crazy Assed Dominionist Christians to be Big Business just as much as GE).  When Corporations and Wall Street pay no tax and huge numbers of people believe government is broke on account of teachers and bus drivers who have collective bargaining rights - that's just Fucked Up. 

Ergo:  I can say with certainty that our government is Fucked Up, but I can't say with certainty that it's Fascism.  I'll believe Woody, though, so I went out on a limb in the article.  I'm not sure it matters much, however, since it's doubtful many people saw it, and besides my by-line over there is Tricia, not PENolan.  Apparently that's a Wordpress issue that results from my original registration on Worldwide Hippies.

Woody is writing for Worldwide Hippies now, too, and Joe published some poems by my friend Guy.  Guy is the friend from High School who said, with affection and respect, that I am a Man Eater.   Apparently, Joe is setting aside space on Sundays for poetry since the title of the post is Thoughts and Poems Sunday.  I think Woody has something like his own Hippie Column.  It's called Wake and Bake 101 with Dr. Woody.  The latest entry is The United States of Amnesia.  Joe keeps asking and asking for more original content for the site - and even with Dr. Konopelli on board, there's room for everyone.  Look at how many Hippies fit into Woodstock.  (WWH Submission Guidelines)

I think these developments are excellent and am trying to figure out a way to pull more lefty bloggers under the Worldwide Hippies umbrella since I've made it my mission to start seriously recruiting for the Rebel Alliance.  Given how Fucked Up America is these days, I suspect we need to be more closely connected in case it becomes necessary to storm the Bastille.

And then there's the issue of the PAC.  I haven't begun exploring the idea of a Worldwide Hippies PAC, but I figure we should be able to do as well as Christine O'Donnel.   Maybe not as well as Moosealini, but I can't stand that yammering cunt anyway.