Posted on 03/16/2004 4:38:03 AM PST by bicycle thug
Edited on 03/16/2004 5:17:47 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Mod update: To put this "opus" in perspective, some additional information compliments of a thorough FReeper, dighton.
From a Kerry in 2004 Meetup page, via google cache:
bicyclethug (Eugene, OR)
I am Michael Joseph McCarthy, well known forest activist in Eugene, Oregon who ran against Scott Meisner for City Council last election. I am a Member of the Pacific Green Party who wants this scoundrel in office now thrown out.
72 posted on 03/16/2004 5:05:43 AM PST by dighton
Fascism in Free Republic manifests itself as extreme ideology that celebrates themselves as solely representing the nation as an organic community transcending all other loyalties. It emphasizes a myth of national rebirth after a period of decline or destruction. Liberalism is the prime keyword to represent the "problem" group causing the "decay and disruption of "proper" American life.
The FR reminds me of the typical fascist call for a "spiritual revolution" against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism, and calls to purge "alien" forces and groups that threaten the organic community. Fascism tends to celebrate masculinity, mystical unity, and the regenerative power of violence. Often, but not always, it promotes racial superiority doctrines, ethnic persecution, imperialist expansion, and genocide. At the same time, fascists may embrace a form of internationalism based on either racial or ideological solidarity across national boundaries. Usually fascism espouses open male supremacy, though sometimes it may also promote female solidarity and new opportunities for women of the privileged nation or race.
FR's call to purge Liberalism and to install a conservative only lifestyle in these United States is not realistic under the auspices of the U.S. Constitution which is designed for all groups of all types and classes to be protected from the domination and authority of the dominant group.
The FR calls for the establishment of a dominant group - their brand of Conservatives - that keeps all the others in line including conservatives "who don't think right on various topics. The virtual community has degenerated into a witch hunt for any and all "untrue thinkers," who must be purged at all costs.
FR's approach to politics is both populist--in that it seeks to activate "the people" as a whole against perceived oppressors or enemies - and elitist - in that it treats the people's will as embodied in a select group, or often one prime iconic leader whose authority flows downward only. FR, in typical Fascist style seeks to organize a cadre-led mass movement in a drive to seize state power. It seeks to forcibly subordinate all spheres of society to its ideological vision of what a community is, and the end result of their game is totalitarianism, pure and simple.
Both as a movement and a regime, fascism uses mass organizations as a system of integration and control, and uses organized violence to suppress opposition, although the scale of violence varies widely. FReepers unethically disrupts polls, hacks and disrupts other sites, and uses real or perceived disruption by others of their site as a rallying point to drive home a wedge between them and any group not belonging to the FReeper movement to reshape America.
Fascism is hostile to Marxism, liberalism, and even true conservatism, yet it borrows concepts and practices from all three. Jim Rob's blend of conservatism and use as advocacy of George W. Bush to insure that the right thinkers who know how to follow orders stay on board builds an obedience and cohesion to central authority. He wishes to create an entity that can influence people like Bush to fall into sync with his goals by offering an effective vehicle to mobilize and control people on the grass roots level as he has proved to people like the President that he indeed can do things like galvanize and grow the Klamath water rights for farmers issue.
JimRob is shrewd, he wishes to influence those in higher office and at the same time remold the electorate into a cohesive force that can roll over any group that gets in it's way in a very unconstitutional fashion.
The FR exploits real grievances against capitalists and landowners through ethnic (or in the Free Republic's case the classic homosexual wedge issue) scapegoating or radical- sounding conspiracy theories. They reject the liberal doctrines of individual autonomy and rights, political pluralism, and representative government, yet it advocates broad popular participation in politics and may use parliamentary channels in its drive to power.
Its vision of a "new order" clashes with the conservative attachment to tradition-based institutions and hierarchies, and much like fascism, they often romanticizes the past as inspiration for national rebirth.
Fascism always has had a complex relationship with established elites and the non-fascist right much like the FR does. It strives to be not a mere puppet of the ruling class, but an autonomous movement with its own social base. In practice, they defend capitalism against instability and the left, but also they pursue an agenda that sometimes clashes with capitalist interests in significant ways.
I have watched and studied the FR with going horror as this culture has grown more malignant and horrifying over the years. Any and all peoples and nations are vulnerable to the disease of fascism, and thought I am sure JimRob and company started with the best of intentions, over the years they have cognitively grown more hostile and unreasonable to anyone not of an elite brand of FReeper. The road to fascism is so incremental it sneaks in and decades later people always wonder how the heck it happened. And it is happening at that particular virtual community, make no mistake about it.
I have always wanted to see the FR grow up. Journalism in these United States was reactionary and lacked accountability in the early years of our nation and as it evolved it was forced to grow up. I want the FR to flourish and to grow up ethically and responsibly, with a measure of respect and empathy for those other groups that blend with them to form our great nation.
But it hasn't, and it has grown into an entity quite alarming. If FReepers care and act now, they can take back a precious jewel of a forum bought and paid for by them that fills an important need in their lives.
If this doesn't happen, we will crush the FR and remove it like a malignant tumor before it destroys what we collectively hold dear; The United States of America as we know it with our Constitution as is works now with it's checks and balances there to prevent Fascist and totalitarian entities from taking us and the world on the road to incredible destruction and human misery.
. This is a critically important topic, and people have leadership and intuitive skills that can either debunk me, or develop tools to reform FR and make it responsible and ethical as it should be. I don't hate and nurse disdain for the Free Republic, I deeply care and want the best for FReepers. And it hurts deeply and horribly to articulate my thoughts and fears here, as FReepers are indeed special people who do not deserve to be used, and to have bad things happen to them, or to be manipulated to cause bad things to happen to others.
Peace, and respect to all.
I dare you to zot this one, my bet is that you don't have the nerve to. ;-)
It's been fun all these years, my best wishes and love to you all. Warm Regards, Mike McCarthy, (AKA 'ferret,' my original FReeper account name)
Hate to see you go, freepmail if you change names and come back.
Short answer: Nope.
Aufwiedesehen.
Peace, and respect to all
Sad to see a good FReeper gone bad. LOL
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