about fear and torture. Naomi Wolf is right on.
As JFK said: "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with
unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values.
For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood
in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
RE: Naomi Klein's interview on video.
I agree with much of what the author says but things are worse than she thinks (or leads us to believe). She doesn't think we are a Fascist state yet. There are many Americans who are now victims of this type of rule who would disagree with her. We are a Police State and Fascism does rule (Halliburton, Carlyle, drug companies, etc.).
Her interview was not on the main street media. It was on computer or cable. Many Americans (especially older and poor Americans) have no access so are either in the dark or silenced.
Klein says the corporate rule of torture, fear, and chaos started in S. America in this last century. No it started during the Roman Empire.
Empire was all about fear, chaos, etc. to get their power and wealth. Any economics major like Friedman and Strauss were aware of that I'm sure. Getting a prize for this concept to remove democracy was not a good and honorable thing for the world.
The Empire makers make up false enemies, etc. acting like they were protecting people. Freedom of religion and culture was OK until Roman Christianity was forced on them. So this reign of torture, fear, and chaos is an old method of rule by the few (the few elite in Rome had more rights and wealth than their so called "Roman citizens in their Empire"). There was a division of rich and poor (like today). There was also religious tyranny and conflict for rule (like today). There was corruption and lies for more wars, etc. There was also a huge influx of immigrants into Rome. They were not full citizens as they were lead to believe. The conquered Barbarians of the Roman Empire came to her door demanding food and money since Rome had destroyed it all (destruction, chaos, fear, lack of planning) on their way to Empire. Rome then fell.
You can not talk about Empire without talking about religion and the wealthy few who rule today. Globalism for the wealthy few is not good for the world since the destruction and chaos causes environmental damage. It is worse today because of chemicals, nuclear weapons, loss of whole areas of the earth, etc.
It frightens me to think that democratically located universities such as the University of Chicago was (and still might be) the fertile ground for training future leaders to destroy our democracy by tyranny, fear, and chaos (Milt Friedman and Leo Strauss).
Professor Albert Einstein was a pacifist. He their hero (University of Chicago) would have been outraged over their warrior and nuclear agenda.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Friedman Nobel Prize winning in Economics and taught at the University of Chicago (trained Neo Cons).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss Leo Strauss taught at the University of Chicago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein Einstein the Peace lover. Also a Nobel Prize winner. He said, he didn't know what weapons or advanced technology they would use in WWIII but in WWIV they will be fighting with sticks and stones.
Note: Since Einstein's "Big Boom" theory an other scientist proved the "String Theory" for the creation and expansion of the universe. On the shoulders of giants ride the new scientists of today.
Yale University has the same type Neo Cons with leaders. Leaders like the Clintons, Kerry, Bushes, etc. went there. Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfovich went to the University of Chicago.
Yale used to be a Protestant religious training college. It now teaches globalism (world trade and power). It now has a huge endowment behind it.
Neo Cons have made a mess of the earth and destroyed not just our democracy but others around the world. It is not the time of the Dark Ages (but feels like it). The modern chemicals, weapons, and destruction could ruin human existence on earth. Pox on their arrogant elite.
I'm not a believer in any economic or religious policy being good for the world. Call it what you want...Globalism, Fascism, Socialism, Democracy, Monarchy, Communism, Theocracy, etc. We've seen the good and bad of all of these "government systems" to rule the people. Only a system which results in a safer, peaceful, and prosperous world for all will do since we all fall or prosper together. No man is an island rings true. In war there are no winners also rings true (even the elite fall and suffer in the end).
So far the Swedish government system of Democratic\Socialism worked the best. Capitalism still worked as did a religious community. The young, old, mentally ill, and sick still were taken care of. There has to be rule of law so chaos does not result. Corruption and greed with no accountability will destroy any country. We don't have any of that today in America. Did any one on that Nobel Prize committee think of that when awarding Milton Friedman that economic prize?
RE: Neo Cons Meant to Rule?
"Shadia Drury of the University of Regina, author of 1999's Leo Strauss and the American Right, says "Strauss was neither a liberal nor a democrat... Perpetual deception of the citizens by those in power is critical (in Strauss view) because they need to be led, and they need strong rulers to tell them what's good for them. .. The Weimar Republic (in Germany) was his model of liberal democracy for which he had huge contempt," added Drury. Liberalism in Weimar, in Strauss's view, led ultimately to the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews. (I trust you see the Edward Luttwak teachings in that fact regarding Strauss’ teaching to people like Wolfowitz and Shulsky.)
According to Drury, Strauss, like Plato, taught that within societies, "some are fit to lead, and others to be led". But, unlike Plato, who believed that leaders had to be people with such high moral standards that they could resist the temptations of power, Strauss thought that "those who are fit to rule are those who realize there is no morality and that there is only one natural right, the right of the superior to rule over the inferior". (This is in part how we now have a government of tyranny over us rather than a government by us. If your peace, happiness and prosperity are waning, this is part of the reason why – our government belligerence towards us.)
For Strauss, "religion is the glue that holds society together", said Drury, who added that Irving Kristol, among other neo-conservatives, has argued that separating church and state was the biggest mistake made by the founders of the U.S. republic. "
Separation of Church and State is what made this country have the most religious and diverse population in the world living peaceful next to each other. At the time, they weren't doing it in Europe. There were centuries of religious wars that continue even today. We see religious wars all over the world today but people won't admit that is the reason for the conflict among the people. The crooks and criminals (Neo Con elite) use religion as a reason to go to war for their own power and rule.
Without it...we would have what we have today...a fight for power and war. Theocracy is a terrible state to live in for those who want to be free..it is the Dark Ages all over again.
This is Leo Strauss' theory of government. Cheney, Bush, etc. believe that they are meant to rule. Problem is none of them are fit to rule. They are not the most talented or educated...smart. They are arrogant and murderous..they are thieves and liars. They are "inferior". So was Leo Strauss that lying, cruel, heartless, arrogant, traitor. How dare he (Strauss) come to this country and try to destroy our democracy.
It wasn't democracy that led to Hitler's use of Jews as "bogeymen", it was Fascism. Corporate rule, religion, over government was allowed. The people lost power because of fraud by their leaders. They lacked wealth to fight it. There is peace in a real democracy because the citizens never want to go to war. Their leaders lie.
Their Neo Con theories are full of holes. I wish, I had been in their class to hear all this crap. Instead, I went to a "liberal" college in NY State. I would have told the professor and the students their philosophy doesn't fit into history. It is narrow and lacks intellectual common sense.
No society can be healthy or peaceful with these Neo Con types at the helm. They are just plain criminals and murderers for their own self interest at our expense.