America: Y ur peeps b so dum?

[Ajidica]

Troubled times leads to more people looking at fringe ideologies. It is hardly surprising. When things are going well you aren't going to be yelling as much about 'those darn brown people and their foreign ways taking our jobs, implementing Sharia Law, and being welfare mothers'.

 

[Miles Teg]

Exactly right. My point was that America is hardly the only country swinging hard right at the moment, or even the worst of them.

 

[Ajidica]

Isn't asserting 'swing right' with 'becoming fascist' quite a large leap?

 

[Quackers]

I wasn't saying they were fascist, but if you had to pick a group that fit closest with fascist tendencies it would be them even if the similarities are minor.

In many ways you proved my point that the 'most fascist' party I can think of in the UK isn't even fascist.

I don't think there is any agreed upon definition of fascism, just look at the sheer range of ideas fascism is related too according to it's wikipedia page:

Fascism is anti-communist, anti-democratic, anti-individualist, anti-liberal, anti-parliamentary, anti-conservative, anti-bourgeois and anti-proletarian, and in many cases anti-capitalist.[16] Fascism rejects the concepts of egalitarianism, materialism, and rationalism in favour of action, discipline, hierarchy, spirit, and will.[17] In economics, fascists oppose liberalism (as a bourgeois movement) and Marxism (as a proletarian movement) for being exclusive economic class-based movements.[18] Fascists present their ideology as that of an economically trans-class movement that promotes resolving economic class conflict to secure national solidarity.[19] They support a regulated, multi-class, integrated national economic system.[20]

...and lets compare that with UKIP....

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP, pronounced /ˈjuːkɪp/ YEW-kip) is a political party in the United Kingdom which adheres to an ideology that has been identified as being eurosceptic, populist[1][2] and conservative.[5] The party also contains elements of classical liberalism and libertarianism,[6][7][8][9] such as supporting free trade and a flat tax rate.

UKIP openly rejects the ideas of a national pure race:

The UK Independence Party asserts that it believes in civic nationalism and rejects "blood and soil" ethnic nationalism. It is said to believe that Britishness can be defined in terms of belief in democracy, fair play and freedom.[28] UKIP has stated that it will "enthusiastically support teaching Gaelic languages and histories in England, Scotland, [Northern] Ireland, Wales and Cornwall, and support local and area heritage across the UK."[28]

 

[Ajidica]

UKIP openly rejects the ideas of a national pure race:

I notice however they don't encourage the teaching of the languages or history of other ethnicities.

I don't think there is any agreed upon definition of fascism,

Well, there is an agreed upon defition, but it is nigh impossible to find any country that meets that defitition. BEcause of the examples of 'fascist' nations that we have, fascism in the practical sense has come to be sinonimous with a reactionary, bourgeoise initiative.

 

[Quackers]

First brown then red said the German communists during the 30s

They encourage the teaching of Gaelic histories, Welsh, scots etc.

 

[Ajidica]

They encourage the teaching of Gaelic histories, Welsh, scots etc.

Who, coincedentaly, are British.
(Unless of course my knowledge of the UK is badly innacurate.)

 

[Miles Teg]

Isn't asserting 'swing right' with 'becoming fascist' quite a large leap?

I don't think that any of the countries I listed are becoming fascist. What I think is that most countries right now have a 10-20% group that want to push the country in a far-right/fascist position. They're probably going to have some impact on the their respective countries, but not enough to ruin any of them. America isn't unique in this.

 

[Smellincoffee]

This is the United States.

How did we become the largest economy on Earth?

We surely didn't do it because we are all dum.

Expansionism, World War 2, and an advertising culture.

 

[Quackers]

Who, coincedentaly, are British.
(Unless of course my knowledge of the UK is badly innacurate.)

For a few hundred years yes. But what will make you satisfied? What will sate your incessant demands? Teach the history of ALL who have settled here since 1945 - which is every single race/religion on Earth till we push out all the British history and we're left with a United Nations country???

 

[Ajidica]

Is there a reason why middle eastern culture should not be taught? God knows the culture and unique politics of that area is far more relavent now then which dead English king killed which Scottish chieftan.
NOTE: I am not saying that British history should not be taught. Rather, I am saying that solely teaching the history/culture of your homeland to the near-exclusion of everything else in not conductive to showing 'we aren't xenophobic fascists'.

 

[Miles Teg]

Admittedly, ranting about the threat of becoming a "United Nations country" isn't conducive to showing that you aren't a xenophobic fascist either.

 

[Patroklos]

There is nothing wrong with your history focus being on your national history. Its not like you can study any national history without being exposed to the history of all the nations they interacted with.

The simple fact is that for the average person in the typical country the most relevant history is that nation's history. If you want to expand on that do so during a period of education not focused on core curriculums, ie universty.

As it is, I bet it would be hard to find a school without geographic or period focused history courses such as an AP program or whatever the equivalent is. Hell, I believe one whole year of most US curriculums is focussed on "world history," in my case it was my Sophmore year.

 

[Arakhor]

I don't think there is any agreed upon definition of fascism, just look at the sheer range of ideas fascism is related too according to it's wikipedia page:

Here's a very good definition, in my opinion of course - The 14 Characteristics of Fascism.

For the record, just because UKIP are not fascist, that does not mean that their policies are frequently small-minded, blinkered, short-sighted and hypocritical in the extreme.

 

[Quackers]

Is there a reason why middle eastern culture should not be taught? God knows the culture and unique politics of that area is far more relavent now then which dead English king killed which Scottish chieftan.
NOTE: I am not saying that British history should not be taught. Rather, I am saying that solely teaching the history/culture of your homeland to the near-exclusion of everything else in not conductive to showing 'we aren't xenophobic fascists'.

Isn't that an argument for teaching useful practical things?

 

[Racsoviale]

Troubled times leads to more people looking at fringe ideologies. It is hardly surprising. When things are going well you aren't going to be yelling as much about 'those darn brown people and their foreign ways taking our jobs, implementing Sharia Law, and being welfare mothers'.

The scary thing is that here in Denmark the DF has been very popular since the 90's well before the recession(I assume that is what you mean when talking about troubled times)

 

[Mr. Dictator]

For a few hundred years yes. But what will make you satisfied? What will sate your incessant demands? Teach the history of ALL who have settled here since 1945 - which is every single race/religion on Earth till we push out all the British history and we're left with a United Nations country???

Getting rid of nations would be a pleasurable start.

 

[FriendlyFire]

I should have done a thread about hes book "Deer hunting with Jesus" first. Its about poor southern state in which he grow up in and the hardship, poverty and empty exsistence of many of American poor. Were talking about what most of us would view as white trailer trash or rednecks. He draws up their sad lifestories and misery.



Yes hes mades no attempt to hide hes bias as a godless commie stuck in a largely heartland christian republican lock stock and barrell county. Its honest brutal assesment of why working poor so readly vote republican or vote against there interests.

He works and all hes writting have that kind of dark humor. Which you Republicans should be easily identify yourself with (Limburg, Beck). Lots of swearing and "crass jokes". Iam sure part of it must come from being the democrate being surrounded by republicans right ? I dont get that given hes involvement in so many of peoples small time lives. Helping renters about to be evicted, getting landlords to do repairs, helping with credit problems.

The story all read the same ... working people in which both parents work, tough, manual labour jobs there whole lives and then die in there earily sixties leaving nothing behind for the next generation. Not even able to give there kids a better education.

 

[Archbob]

I think the rest of the world is just as dumb, really.

 

[bhsup]

Its honest brutal assesment of why working poor so readly vote republican or vote against there interests.

A government that doesn't hold my hand from cradle to grave is in MY interests. I don't want a f'ing nanny, I just want a government. Why must you assume that just because one doesn't vote for the government to give you something that one must be voting against one's interests. There is more to one's interests than financial issues.